Mid-June Updates

Another gorgeous weekend in the books and the best part of this Sunday evening is knowing that my alarm will not be going off tomorrow morning!  It doesn't matter that I didn't finish all the laundry this weekend or that we didn't do any grocery shopping, because we are off for the summer!!!  What a glorious feeling!

We've been running around like crazy since the beginning of May, but with last week done and over with, I'm ready to slow down and enjoy my summer.

Work has kept me busy with end of the year festivities like Prom, Honors Night, Graduation, All-Night Party, etc.  It's so much fun being involved in all these events and it's a great way to continue to build those important relationships with the students.  It's not easy to attend all these since it involves me bailing on dinner and bedtime, but I enjoy seeing the kids beyond class.

All-Night Party Jousting, anyone?

Bow tie Tuesday!

Graduation Party with my gals!

Jello shots!!

I think it's easy to see here that I work with a fabulous group of people!  We like to make the most out of any situation...like the last day of school, for example.  Here's proof that we may have more fun than our students.

Aside from working like crazy this past month, I've been prepping for Father's Day!  The boys made some great gifts for Scott at dacyare.  Sean drew on a coffee mug that was baked in the oven to seal in his artwork and Evan painted a back scratcher.  Both are such fitting gifts for Scott, so he was pretty stoked to receive the gifts!

We also bought Scott a new drill that he's been in need of for quite some time and the boys picked out a t-shirt with a race track on the back for the boys to drive their cars on when daddy is laying down.  

Our favorite gift was making Grandpa and Pops a stepping stone for their gardens.  Since Pops bought a new lake house up north, we knew this was the perfect gift.  

I picked up the kits from Michael's for $7.99 on sale this week and with my teacher discount, it was even more reasonable.  We were able to fit both their handprints on one and the whole process from set-up to clean-up was relatively easy!  I'm anxious to see how they hold up over the next year.

We gave Pops his last Wednesday evening where we had ice cream with the whole family.  Sean and his cousin, Adelaide, got in a water gun fight that was pretty entertaining to watch!  Even Evan got in the fight a bit when we handed him the hose.  The boys had a pretty fabulous Wednesday, because they were lucky enough to meet Elmo at Leo's Coney Island after we had dinner!  Evan ran with open arms to give Elmo a hug before he even made it out of the kitchen!

We gave Grandpa his father's day gifts on Friday evening after my mom had watched the boys all day at our house.  He came over after work and we went out to Laurel Park Place to have dinner at Max and Erma's (yum!!).  With $11 pitchers of Margaritas, warm fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies, and an indoor play place for the boys to play at, it was a pretty eventful Friday night.

Today was just enjoyed our day at home with daddy!  With our big Portland trip coming up on Tuesday, we knew we wanted the day to ourselves at home.  I let Scott sleep in while the boys and I went to Kroger to get daddy a doughnut.  We decided to get a summer gym membership like last year to the Livonia Rec Center, so we took the boys today to go swimming.  We grabbed lunch at Big Boy before naps and we ended the day with a BBQ and ice cream at Dairy King downtown.  A beautiful day!

Lastly, with the end of the school year for me and Scott, it's also the end of the school year for the boys.  Even though they'll go on Tuesdays to hold their spot/keep them used to the school routine, I consider them done for the summer.  We took Sean's "Last day of preschool" picture and I'm amazed at how much he's changed in a short amount of time.  They are growing up so fast!

It'll be interested to see what they'll both look like at the end of the summer given how fast they're growing and changing!  

For now, it's back to packing.  Packing for two little ones to go on an airplane is no easy task, I tell you.  But, we'll make do!  Is it Tuesday yet?

Evan is 21 months old!!

Tonight, as I put Evan down for bed, I just couldn't help but squeeze in a few more snuggles and kisses since he was more than willing to pass them out.  Not for any one particular reason, I felt all sappy realizing that Evan is becoming more and more a little boy and less of a baby.  In less than three months we'll be celebrating his second birthday, moving him to a toddler bed, and starting potty training.  While I'm excited for what the future holds, I'm starting to experience that "slow down, little guy" feeling.

It's been exhilarating the past few months listening to him try out each and every word that we say.  And within the past week or two, he's really starting to try and put things together to say sentences and phrases.  Obviously, our favorite being, "Love you".  But, a close second would be when he puts his pointer finger right by his lips and says, "One more" in the sweetest little voice while he's milking us for everything we're worth with bedtime stories.  How can you say no to that?

He can communicate what he needs in most situations from "more, please" to "hurt".  Even more exciting is his need to tell us that he went "pee-pee" or "poop" in his diaper.  While these are the first steps in potty training, we'll wait until after his second birthday to get on that bandwagon.  I'm hopeful that things go as smooth as they did with Sean, but we've learned too many times already that Evan will do things on his own time and walks to the beat of his own drum.  But, we can hope and pray, right?!

We've entered the "monkey see, monkey do" phase.  Everything that Sean does, Evan has to do.  And sometimes even the other way around.  He still prefers sports to anything else.  We've been practicing hitting the ball in the backyard with the t-ball set, kicking around a soccer ball, throwing balls, and even dribbling a full-size basketball.  There's no stopping him!  I think we may enroll him in an early soccer class this fall or early winter.  For now, he loved his swim class and did fabulous!  He can climb out of the pool by holding onto the wall all by himself and isn't afraid to jump in the water.  I'm thankful we have two boys who love to swim and aren't afraid of the water!

He's finally started to take an interest in trucks, cars, trains, and airplanes like Sean!  It's convienent since we have every toy that "moves" under the sun.  The boys will play out in the yard or in the sand box, often times sharing, other times not.  Evan's working on learning all the names of the types of working trucks and loves to point out all the airplanes that fly over our house.  It helps that there's a small airport near our house with all kinds of unique low-flying planes on the weekends.  And he'll get to experience his first flight in a week!

Some of our biggest challenges with Evan have been his skin and his eating.  Little guy has been such a picky eater and it's not been easy coming up with meals that will appease everyone, but it seems like he's more willing to try new things these days and I'm happy that we've found a few food items that have substantial protein to balance out his diet.  The kid could live off fruit and his milk (which is still soy milk).  His teachers at school rave about how well he eats off of a fork and spoon!  I actually think he's better about that than Sean.  Shhhh don't tell Sean his younger brother is better at something....

His skin continues to be a battle.  Every evening we've got him lathered up with prescription oils, ointments, creams, and lotions.  I was hoping the warmer weather would calm some of the eczema down, but it seems it's just as bad in the summer.

Despite his eating challenges, he's weighing in at just shy of 24 lbs., which is in the 25th percentile for weight.  He'll be a tall, skinny little thing, but we love him just the way he is.

He's still obsessed with Frozen, but has now added Bubble Guppies, The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid into his repertoire.  The boy will walk around trying to sing, "Let It Go" or "The Wheels on the Bus" (his absolute favorite song, book, and iPad app).  He still loves all the Sesame Street characters and prefers to sleep with his stuffed animal caterpillar from The Very Hungry Caterpillar book (thanks, Kohl's!).  He's getting better at puzzles and coloring since he has more patience lately, and loves to play with Duplo blocks just so he can knock them down.  He's definitely a boy...

We love our little Evie!!  He's made our family complete and we couldn't imagine a day without him!

All things Portland!

We are roughly two weeks away from our much-anticipated Portland trip to see my brother and sister-in-law!  I can barely contain my excitement!  Although, the thought of entertaining two kids under 4 on an airplane for 4.5 hours, then driving 2.5 hours in the car has me on edge.  So, I've been busy scouring the internet and mommy blogs to find the latest and greatest ways to keep these boys occupied and less likely to have a meltdown.  Some of my must-have purchases have included:

1.  With Sean still obsessed with cars and trucks, I knew I needed to find something that I could store them in that wouldn't take up a lot of space.  I was elated to find this on Etsy and I will be sure to pack 5 of his "working trucks" that he can't go a day without (after they've been rinsed off from playing in the sand outside, of course).  See SafferyMoore for more of their cute travel items on Etsy.

2.  Believe it or not, we actually don't have this toy.  We had a play-date recently with someone who has the full-size version of this and both boys were enthralled.  So, finding a travel version and giving it to them as a surprise when they open their backpacks at the airport, should keep them happy for a little bit at least.

3.  An airplane ride wouldn't be complete with coloring books and sticker activities, so it was only fitting that I found some airplane themed books to take along.

  

4.  Sean has headphones from his LeapPad tablet that we'll be bringing along, so I knew I would need another set for Evan to use with the iPad or Kindle.  I wanted something a little bit more sturdy than the Leap Frog ones, so I found these and figured with the cute animals on the side, he'd be more apt to keep them on.

And with new Apps on all our tablets, countless snacks, and window seat views, I'm hoping they'll be happy and quiet for the majority of the flight.  

Once we arrive in Portland, we have plenty of things to choose from to do with little kids.  This will be my third time visiting my brother in the city since he moved there several years ago and I'm always amazed at how a short car drive can take you out of the city and to the coast with picturesque views.  Here are a few places we'll be sure to frequent this trip with the boys:

1.  Voodoo Doughnut.  Yup, I'm listing this first, as I know Sean like the back of my hand.  He will LOVE this place!  And can you blame him?  With all different kinds of freshly-made doughnuts complete with cereal pieces, marshmallows, and anything you can think of, we'll be sure to indulge at least once.

2.  The Rose Garden.  In the middle of downtown, well actually at the top of the city, is this beautiful, free garden full of every kind of rose imaginable.  As you're standing in rows full of roses, you have an amazing view of the city!  And it's where my brother and sister-in-law were married back in 2010 when I was pregnant with Sean.

3.  Cannon Beach.  This is one of the top spots to go on the Oregon coast where you can see the famous "Haystack Rocks" out in the ocean and with a cute beach town with little unique shops and restaurants, we could spend a whole day here!  Lucky for us, it's also going to be the 50th Annual Sandcastle Contest on the day we'll be visiting.  I can't wait!

4.  Newport Beach.  This will be my first time visiting this beach spot, but my brother claims it's amazing.  We'll spend the night at the Inn of Newport Beach that has rooms facing the ocean.  

5.  The Newport Beach Oregon Aquarium.  If I thought the Detroit Zoo with the Polar Bear exhibit was something special, we are in for a real treat.  Instead of walking through a glass tunnel of polar bears, we'll be walking through sharks, jellyfish, stingray, you name it!

6.  The Tillamook Cheese Factory!  I'm salivating just thinking about it.  The last time we went, someone ordered their famous ice cream dessert that includes 29 scoops of ice cream.  But, there's also samples and stores and the entire factory that we can explore all at our fingertips.

7.  Jamison Square.  Back in Portland, in the city, there's this awesome fountain where the kids can run around in their bathing suits and splash.  The best part is it's completely free!

8.  NW 23rd Avenue.  Um, we can't go on vacation without shopping.  I'm hoping that my mom and I can escape while the boys are napping one day to hit up some of these awesome and unique stores.  It just wouldn't be a Portland trip without taking the street cars up to 23rd Avenue.

9.  Breweries.  Without Scott this trip, it won't be the same visiting some of the breweries, but I'm confident that we'll continue on the tradition without him.  Deschutes, Bridgeport, Rogue...so many choices, so little time!

While these are just a few of what's on the schedule, I'm sure we'll venture off the plans and do some exploring to places that even I haven't been to yet.  I can't wait to see my brother and sister-in-law and kick off our summer with this big trip!  Look out Portland, here we come! 

Feeling patriotic!

Even though summer doesn't officially begin until June 21st, the unofficial start to the summer in my books is Memorial Day Weekend!  And man, oh man, was it a beauty!

I regret having to divide and conquer our weekend and I especially regret missing out on spending the weekend on the lake, but it made more sense for me and Evan to stay behind.  Scott and Sean left Thursday evening to head up north to help Scott's parents move from one lake house to their new one about 20 minutes away from the previous house.  A full weekend of moving and rearranging sounded like a good weekend for me to catch up with my parents and friends.

Evan and I had our fair share of the sun and the water.  Well, if you count a kiddie pool and a hot tub as the water.

We dined with my parents on Friday at Rochester Mills for half off appetizers during happy hour, grabbed ice cream from the Dairy Treat, and soaked in the hot tub.

Saturday was a play date at the park with my best friend, Trisha, and her kids, Reese and Aaron.  A lazy afternoon and a BBQ for dinner rounded off another great day.

Sunday, my mom and I grabbed breakfast out with Evan before heading to the zoo.  The animals were as active as can be and the polar bears put on a great show!

After the winter we've had I can't even believe I'm saying this, but it was hot.  By 11am it was time to go home and get out of the sun!  And let's face it.  With Evan waking up at 6am every.single.morning of my long weekend, everyone was ready for a nap.

I needed to head back home for a get-together with some work friends that evening, so I met up with my friend, Kristen, for lunch on the patio at my favorite spot: Tavern on the Main.  I rushed home to quickly set up and shower for my party and then it was girl's night!

Every time I get the opportunity to spend an evening with friends, I'm reminded of how much I miss getting to spend more time with all these ladies.  We had such a great time playing Cards Against Humanity and taking rounds of shots!

The downside to a night out:  Having to wake up early to go and pick up Evan.  It wasn't a hangover; it was the 5 hours of sleep from the night before taking a toll on me the next day.  But, Evan and I survived Memorial Day together playing out in the kiddie pool, having a BBQ, and watching Frozen.  And then the rest of my family came home just in time for baths and bedtime!  There's nothing quite like those snuggles from a certain 3 year old who missed his mommy for four days!

This week is my seniors last week of school and final exams.  I can't believe it's that time already!  It's probably the first school year that I'm not anxiously awaiting their departure.  I'm going to miss some of these kids!  With graduation next week, the all-night party, the senior breakfast, and many other work obligations, I'll be a busy bee!

Tomorrow morning is my appointment with an orthopedic surgeon to assess the status of my back since it's been 10 years since my surgery and I've been experiencing some pretty bad lower back pain.  I can't live off Advil and Motrin forever!  I'm definitely nervous about the results.

A beautiful flowering tree in my parent's backyard.

And oh my gosh, there's 3 weeks from today that we'll be leaving for Portland and that means less than 3 weeks until Father's Day!  There's so much to do from now until then to get everything ready for both Father's Day and our vacation, so I'm off to Etsy to order Scott's present from the boys....a t-shirt car track so he can have the boys give him back scratches!  Curious...check it out!

Canon Beach, OR

Multnomah Falls, OR