Wednesday "Fun" Day

This summer, a bunch of us moms (and one lone dad!) from the neighborhood decided that, in lieu of expensive summer camps, we would create a Wednesday morning activity for the kids, with all of us choosing/coordinating different activities and putting them on a calendar for the summer months. Audrey quickly dubbed this "Wednesday Fun Day". Most of the activities are free or inexpensive, and the kids are LOVING it! Every week bring something new and different! And isn't everything better with friends?

This week, I chose to coordinate "Design your own t-shirt" day. The kids had fun stamping designs on their shirts, and the parents practiced patience as paint ended up on everyone's hands, faces, smocks, the table, and oh yes, on the shirts too. The parents quickly started suggesting that these be used as night-shirts. :)

Here is Audrey's finished product:

Afterwards the kids enjoyed a snack ... always an essential part of any fun day!

And here are a few pictures of previous "Wednesday Fun Days":

The kids checking out some kind of bird at the Upper Schuylkill Valley Park (aka "the farm")

After checking out all the farm animals, the kids went down to the river and threw in rocks. For some reason, children find this to be great fun. I think this was the highlight for many.

Audrey & Thomas "digging for fossils" in the playground area of the Elmwood Park Zoo, another Wednesday morning trip.

We've also had a morning of water fun & making ice cream sundaes, and a trip to Chuck E. Cheese. Next up on the list is swimming at Nathan & Kaitlyn's house! FUN! :0)

Kimberton Fair

Well, we went to the Kimberton Fair on Wednesday night, and of course, my camera batteries died pretty much immediately. So unfortunately I have no pictures of Audrey having fun running around the fair and riding the rides with her buddies Thomas and Emma. Boo hoo.

We did go back to the fair on Saturday for awhile and had a little family fun. So here are a few photos from that excursion!

The fair has a "cutest baby" contest and we entered Carter. He didn't win ... perhaps the judges didn't find nose-picking attractive?? Anyhow, Carter, you'll always be the cutest baby in our book!

Visiting the sheep, who also had some kind of contest of their own (some were sporting ribbons), although I doubt it is a "cutest sheep" contest.

Audrey and her balloon

Audrey with the sheep. I told you it's kind of a redneck fair...

Audrey on her beloved carousel ride. The next day she told me that she named her carousel horse "Thunder" (I'm guessing because we had a few thunderstorms last week?)

Carter enjoying his first carousel ride. It seems like just yesterday that I was taking Audrey on her first carousel ride ... [sigh] ... they're growing up so fast!

Time to go home. Someone's not too happy about this turn of events!

Music to my ears!

Those of you who know Carter know that while he makes a LOT of noise (!) he doesn't really "say" a whole lot. He does say cat, ball, bubble, star, sock, Dada, etc. ... but mostly it's a lot of pointing, grunting and screeching when he really wants to make his point.

Since I am REALLY getting tired of hearing the loud screeches, I decided to try a little harder to teach him more sign language. So lately he has been signing - more, please, help, eat (of course) and drink which really helps me understand what he is trying to say better.

This morning I was feeding him breakfast and towards the end he signed "all done" and I proceeded to get him out of his high chair. Then it happened. As I was lifting him out, he said "Thank you!" in a clear and sing-songy little voice! Not only did he say something without screeching, it was an unprompted thank you. I said "Carter, you just made my day, buddy!"

I know that eventually he will say lots and lots of words (sometimes more than I want to hear, if his sister's speech patterns are any indication ...) But since they are few and far between at this point, I am enjoying each one he says.

Truly music to my ears :)

This is what happens ...

... when you leave a tissue box within the reach of your almost 18 month old. Only the tissues were originally spread all over the living room floor...

Tonight we're off to the Kimberton Fair! More redneck fun for the family :) If I remember the camera, I'll post some pictures in the next few days.

Wanted: One good photo

I just got a letter from Audrey's preschool about items to bring on the first day. One of said items is "a recent picture of your child." Since I'm not new to this preschool thing, I know that the picture is going to be used either to be hung on the wall all year long or to be made into the placemat that she will use each day for snack time. Bringing a picture of Audrey should be an easy thing, however, these are the only kinds of pictures that I can get of Audrey lately ...

Please, all you other moms, tell me that your preschoolers also refuse to smile "normally" for photos!!

So ... I am wondering if I should just send one of these crazy photos, and let them see the "real" Audrey, or whether I should spend the next six weeks trying to get a semi-normal looking picture of her (which of course, will not really be depicting the real goofball that she is ...)
I didn't even post all the lovely photos she took of herself. I am saving them for the time her first boyfriend comes over for dinner ...

Okay, just had to end with a pic of the kids together ... since it is so RARE to get a picture where they are both looking at the camera!!!

Happy Birthday Chad!

Can you believe it? Chad turned 37 on July 11th. We had a little party for him on his birthday - just us and the kids.

Chad blowing out his candles. I think it's funny that Carter looks a bit frightened and Audrey is scrunching away from him. Must be some powerful lungs blowing out those candles!

Chad and his compound miter saw, a gift from me. Now he has to finish up the trimwork in the bathroom! Audrey gave him a golf club pen, and Carter got him Skittles. :)

Next weekend Chad and I will go out for dinner to celebrate WITHOUT kids!

Got Milk?

...Or maybe just a wet wipe so I can get rid of my white mustache??