T-Ball Pictures

Coaching T-ball has been a blast this year. I was a bit skeptical after our initial practice, but its been great. And I mean, look at these kids, how could it not be?!

One more game left and I'm a little bummed. 

This group has been awesome. 

Dirt Head

Quiet in this house usually means trouble. In this case, hilarious trouble. 

Four Days of Summer

We're four days into summer and boy are we having fun. Its been crazy, messy and busy, but so much fun. Sunday night we welcomed the season with a good s'more roast. My kids love toasting marshmallows, so this was a major win.

The younger boys also started baseball this week. I am coaching Cache and Ky's T-ball team, and its actually been really fun. We held one practice and it was madness, but the actual game went really well and I found myself quite enjoying it. Don't hold your breath, but I might just coach next year as well. Beckett is in his last year of machine pitch and doing great. His favorite thing to do is slide, which is no surprise to me. This kid is a goof and loves to get messy and be silly. And of course, after a full day of games, we had to hit up Macs Snow Shack for some snowcones. And yes, Cache was that dirty from his game.

The mess didn't stop at baseball. Remember the side of the garden I left for boys to play and dig in? Yep, that turned into a mud pit. It took every ounce of my being to not go crazy on those boys when I saw them. I love natural consequences and relied heavily on them for this particular situation. They had to hose off in real cold water, stay out and wash the dog, clean up their mess outside and then mop up the mud they tracked inside. I'm not sure it ended up being worth it for them in the end, but they sure had fun while it lasted! My favorite part is while I was taking the pictures, instead of having them say, "Cheese", I made them say, "I'm in trouble!"

So far the summer has been wonderful. Every summer I have these big plans of workbooks, chores, learning how to manage their money, and so on and so no. This year I scraped all of that and only have two goals for the summer. The first goal is family reading. Everyday, we turn off everything and sit down with our books and read together. The bigger boys and I are working on our chapter books, Cache is reading any story book he can get his hands on (he's a great reader) and we take turns reading to Kyle. We have a reading chart and if we fill it up by the end of the summer, we will have a reward day. So far, its going flawlessly. Its totally doable and I love that we are all doing the same thing together. I hope it will instill a toleration of reading. I say toleration because they don't love it like I do, but I want them to be able to focus through a book and keep their mind active during the next three months.

My last goal and the most important is to be present. I want to play with my kids. Have water fights, play catch, go on walks, have conversations in the shade and just be with them. I took away the x-box for the summer and that has really aided in my endeavor. I want our relationship to take precedence over everything else. I hope this will increase our bond and make some unforgettable memories.  

This summer is going to be one to remember. I can feel it in my bones. 

End of School Year

School is officially out and I'm still in denial. Most years, I am as ready as the kids. However, this year I felt like we should have had another month to go. Despite my feelings, the kids were ready and excited as ever.

Cache was the first to get out. Kindergarten has their last day the day before the older kids, so we got to have one full day celebrating Cache and his achievements. He did so well in kindergarten! We were blessed enough to have Ms. Kirby again, which makes the year a shoe-in for awesomeness. Cache excelled in reading and is going through books faster than I can shake a stick at. Being the social kid he is, he loved playing with his friends and seeing everyone at school. He can't wait to eat lunch and school and ride the bus home with his big brothers next year.

Kyle was a proud brother. After the program was over, he enthusiastically told Cache, "Good job Cachee!! You're the best kindergarten kid!!" As we walked out to the car, Ky proudly put his arm around his big brother. I can't believe he's my next kindergarten kid. At least I have one more year to prepare.

The older boys were next and had as equally as wonderful day. They did great in school this year and grew more than I could have ever imagined. Both excelled in school and physically matured a lot. I am most proud of how kind and well behaved these boys are. Don't get me wrong, they are goofy and can be a bit out of control, but they are kind and polite and listen to their superiors. 

My awesome friend, Kristie Denning, threw an incredible end of year party for the kids. She had donuts, games and water balloons. The water fight lasted most the day, so she ended up providing pizza for lunch as well. The party was just what I need to get into the spirit of summer. We have the best neighborhood kids around and I just know the boys are going to have a blast over the next three months. 

WELCOME SUMMER!!