Summer Snapshots, Day 49: Twas the night before school starts

One last trip to Petrucci's before school starts.

{Well, they had Pumpkin Pie ice cream so I might need to go back. I just couldn't bring myself to get it yet....}

Everyone seems excited to go to school tomorrow.  I just can't believe the summer is over already.

Wow, did THAT go fast!

Summer Snapshots, Day 41 - A "Date" with Carter

Carter has been begging, begging, begging to play mini golf at a new place he went to last week for a friend's birthday.  So he came up with an idea that he & I could have a "special day" where we could go out together "just the two of us" to play mini golf at this place.  Pretty tricky of him, huh? :)  He knows how to sweet talk his mama.

The sweetest part is that every. single. day. since then he runs up to me multiple times a day and says "MOM!  4 (3, 2, 1) more days til our special day! Aren't you so excited??" 

Just don't refer to what we did together as a "date."  I said we were having a mom & son date, and for some reason, he kept saying "Mom! It's NOT a date!"  He was very insistent about that!

To which I thought to myself - 'when he grows up, he better not be one of those guys who asks a girl out and then insists to his friends or the girl herself that it's not a date....'  Because that would not be cool.

Anyhow, date or not, we had a very special time together.  I loved every single minute of it.  I think he did too.  Except that I beat him AND got 2 "hole in ones".....  :)  What can I say?  I got mini golf skillz.

We finished up with ICE CREAM!  Then he said - "Okay, I want to go home now."  He is a total homebody!

Thanks for a fun time, buddy!

Summer Snapshots, Day 37

I really enjoyed today.

The weather was beautiful, so we went to meet Chad at his office for a picnic lunch.

Then we went to what we call "the farm".

It's more like a little nature preserve, but you can see all kinds of small animals and rescued wildlife.

For some reason, the kids never tire of this place - probably because there is always something new and interesting there.

Today it was a bobcat!

Anyhow, this lonely picture was taken in the butterfly garden, and then my camera battery died.

I think that was a blessing.

I didn't think about taking pictures, I just enjoyed the rest of our time.

After visiting all the animals, we headed down to the river.

The kids love to wade in & skip stones & just generally explore.

That is what I consider perfect kid activity!

Wander around, explore the outdoors, breathe the fresh air, appreciate God's creation......

I think there is nothing more relaxing than sitting by the river and watching the water slowly meander by.

We came home and relaxed some more....the kids watched a movie, I did some reading and (gasp!) took a little snooze.

After dinner, I asked various kids to take a walk with me and I had no takers.

Chad jokingly said - "well, I'd love to go."

So I said - "Well, why can't we?  The kids will be fine while we walk around the neighborhood for 15 minutes!"

So we put Audrey "in charge" (lol) and took a nice walk on a beautiful evening. 

We even got to hold hands.  :)

A great ending to an all-around enjoyable day!

Summer Snapshots, Day 27

Just photos today!
We are enjoying a few days at the beach. :)

Wiped out. :)

Halloween 2013

It has been a fun Halloween season.  

Last weekend we started the fun by carving our pumpkins!

Aren't they such sweet looking children?

 Yup, this is what they are NORMALLY like...a bunch of crazy nuts! ;)

Today was a crazy busy day but I was so happy to be able to be involved in the kids' fun activities.

 

 First up was Chloe's preschool parade/party/trunk or treat. 

I sure am going to miss preschool next year. :(

And by the way - doesn't Chloe look so old and grown up in this picture??

 Chloe parading with her classmates.

 Chloe's awesome preschool class - great teachers, great friends, great parents of these friends!

 Later I had the chance to go to Audrey's class party.  They got to wrap each other up like mummies! :)

 And of course, next up was trick or treating!

{We now interrupt this blog for a trip down memory lane....}

 Halloween 2012 - Trick or Treating with our friends who were without power (remember that Hurricane Sandy????)

 Halloween 2011

 Halloween 2010

AND.....Halloween 2009

Boy have these little people changed!

 Here is our whole gang of neighbor kids getting ready to trick or treat!

 Pumpkins all lit up.

 Our little friend Owen came to visit us.....he is just the cutest.

 Candy!!!!

(Enough to last us til next year....ugh.)

Carter sorting his candy....can you tell what his favorites are???? 

I think he has a whole bag of fun size kit-kats right there.

Now I will blink my eyes....and it will be Thanksgiving.

No, I take that back - it will be CHRISTMAS!

Can't wait!  It's the most wonderful time of the year! :)

Girls sleepover!

Last weekend the girls and I went to my parents house for a girls sleepover!

(We let my Dad be involved for part of the fun.....)

First we all went out for dinner at Friendly's, then came home and put on our PJ's and watched an American Girl movie with popcorn.

Then we girls piled in my parents' room, banished Pop-Pop to the couch downstairs, and had a big ol' sleepover!  (luckily everyone went to sleep pretty quickly....)

The next morning Pop-Pop went out to get donuts for breakfast......Audrey's "favorite food"!

Then the girls piled in the car and went to Color Me Mine to paint pottery together. 

Chloe picked this ice cream cone piggy bank to paint.  She especially enjoyed putting all the sprinkles on top!

 Audrey picked this mustache mug (?) and also personalized this dessert plate.

 I painted this snowman plate.....can't wait to pile a bunch of Christmas cookies on top!

 My mom picked this cute gingerbread tray.  I am guessing it might get piled with Christmas cookies too! ;)

It was such a fun day.....and we all enjoy doing artsy things so it was a real hit.

I think Chloe especially enjoyed being one of the "big girls".

Hope we can have more sleepovers in the future!

Thanks Mom-Mom (and Pop-Pop too!)

Catching up....Chloe finishes school & the Dogwood Festival

This time of year has suddenly jumped into fast forward!  School is winding down so quickly that I can hardly keep up with all the activity!

In the middle of May, Chloe finished up preschool  for the year.  Unfortunately, she was sick for most of the last week and missed out on her spring concert.  (Actually, she probably doesn't care too much that she missed it but I sure was sad!)  Fortunately she made it for the very last day of school/school picnic.  They celebrated summer birthdays so she got a special crown, cupcakes, and a birthday balloon that day.  She was very excited.

Next year she will be in preschool 4 mornings a week.  Audrey & Carter will be in elementary school.....so guess what that means?  3 hours of time all to myself, 4 days a week.  Boy will that be weird.  They sure are growing up.  I still can't believe that Chloe will be 4 in about 6 weeks!

Mid-May in Phoenixville also means....the Dogwood Festival and Parade!
Chad took Audrey & Carter on wristband night the first day of the fair.  They had a super time riding all the rides over and over again with their friends.  We brought Chloe on Saturday when she was finally well enough to ride and enjoy herself.  And enjoy herself, she did!

Here we are on the teacups

And on the flying puppy ride.  Boy was it nice to see her smiling again!  It had been a rough week!

 Trying to decide if she wanted to go on this ride....

 We also enjoy the parade every year with our neighbors

Chloe & Mommy waiting for the parade to start.

The kids anxiously awaiting floats that throw candy....

Only in Phoenixville do you have a float that includes "the blob"....

Oh, and a really loud steam calliope...

I tried to get a cute picture of Chloe with Chad.  And this is all I got...

Okay, think I'm all caught up for now. :) 

Easter Fun. Better Late than Never!

So much for my resolution about blogging more often. Pfft!
Anyhow, I thought I would post some photos from our Easter happenings. 
First up:  We hosted a neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt on Palm Sunday.  When Audrey was younger, our street would have an egg hunt every year but the past few years it has been abandoned!  Guess all the kids were getting too big for it.  Well, Chloe is still a little kid and I decided to revive it, since there is a whole new crop of little ones on other nearby streets.  It was a great time, and a great chance to get to know some of our neighbors better!

 A view of part of our yard before the kids descended on the eggs!

 Our kids before the hunt began. 

Carter showing off his stash.  He kept saying "I'm the first one done!"....yes, however he was by far the oldest kid at this egg hunt (well, besides Audrey).

This was the view in our yard the VERY. NEXT. DAY.  No lie.  It snowed the day after the egg hunt.  Hey, at least the snow waited til our festivities were over.

 On the day before Easter, the kids opened Easter baskets that came in the mail from Grandma & Grandpa!

 We also dyed our Easter eggs that day.  Carter spent the whole day asking "Can we dye Easter eggs now?"

 Chloe had a great time trying out all the colors.

 Audrey enjoys making fancy rainbow eggs....(shh, so does Daddy!)

On Easter morning, the kids go on a treasure hunt to find their baskets.  This year they were hidden in the downstairs toy closet!

 Happy kids. :)

The kids before church.  This Easter was not a nice sunny day, so all pictures were inside.  I told Carter he had to wear a "button shirt" so this was what he ended up choosing.

After church we went to Mom-Mom & Pop-Pop's house for dinner and an egg hunt!  Notice Carter has covered up his button shirt with a hoodie by now....

My parents gave Chloe this lovely little chickie holding an umbrella.  It sings "Raindrops are Fallin' on my Head".  I think she played it approximately 256, 432 times on the way home in the van.  Thanks Mom & Dad! :)

Easter was so early this year, it's hard to believe that it has come and gone already.  And the other day Carter was talking about what he would ask Santa for this Christmas.  I love Christmas, but wowzer, I am not ready for that holiday to be back already.....but it's only 8 months away!