Summer Days

Well, we didn't disappear I promise.  So this is going to be a quick recap of our summer, I know it is August but our summer vacation is over because the kids have been in school for a week.  More on that latter.  Hopefully I can keep this short and sweet.  Fingers crossed.

Big excitement for June, Caitlyn learned to ride her bike without training wheels.  We knew she was ready and she told us she was ready, but the day we headed out was full of tears and screaming.  Once we got her to calm down and talk to us we learned that all of that emotion was connected to her memories of William learning to ride her bike.  She was convinced that if you learn to ride a bike you get hurt.  We had to tell her that most people don't break their arms when they learn to ride without training wheels.  Within an hour she was riding.  I of course have no pictures, they are on Brandon's iPod and I am too lazy to find them.  She even survived her chain coming off mid-ride which caused a small crash.  But she has made some long ride, she rode with Brandon while he ran and they went 4 miles or so.  Also in June we had three days in a row of 100 degree weather, which we were told never happens here.  The kids were already all sleeping downstairs, because we have no AC, and I spent some time down there also.  Brandon had some really long hours at work that week because there was a horrific fire west of town.  But we made it through June.

Bradley had a birthday to start our July.  I can't believe that he is two.  He is a funny kid, he really likes to make people laugh.  He still isn't too sure about people, of all sizes because he doesn't really like to be around small kids he doesn't know, so nursery has been really fun.  He has gotten better and halfway through July he decided he wanted to go to nursery.

 Opening presents in the middle of our heatwave.  Bradley developed an aversion to clothes for a couple of weeks because I wouldn't make him get dressed right away and he wasn't sleeping in pajamas.

 Angry bird pizza for our birthday boy.

 I just love his expression after he blew out the candles.

 The kids decided that he needed his own hooded blanket so we found an angry bird one.  Of course William and Caitlyn also picked out an angry bird stuffed animal for him.

Did you notice a theme?  I decided to take it all the way and made angry bird cupcakes instead of a big cake.  The kids were impressed, at least they acted impressed.

So you can imagine that the city had a ban on fireworks during the fourth this year.  I think the whole state had a ban.  We didn't do a whole lot for the holiday because Brandon was still working an off schedule, not 12-14 hours but more a normal morning shift starting around 3.

 But we did shoot off William's baking soda rocket.  It is the little blue and orange thing at the top of the picture.

Everyone got a turn.

 We also went to the park.  A longer bike ride but we all made it alive.  Brandon seems to think it is funny to say "let's go for a family bike ride" and get me out on a bike.  We went on one last week, when I was almost 34 weeks.

 Willing to spend time with the family when I'm sure he wanted to just sleep all day.

William on a rock.  

I did make shirts for the fourth this year, that will be in another post.

To finish off our July we had visitors.  Brandon's mom came out to spend a week with us.  The kids were really excited to have her there.  Bradley kept his excitement for the middle of the day, he wasn't very sure in the mornings and evenings.  And of course I managed to take very few pictures of the things that we did.  We showed her around town and tried to have a memorable time.  We did take her to the zoo and we finally made the drive up to the Monument to the Sun above the zoo.  Brandon ran up to it during his 5k but didn't go in and we had been meaning to go up there.

 At the zoo they had some teenagers doing face painting.  All the kids wanted to participate and once Bradley watched the others he was excited for his turn.  I was amazed that he sat so still for so long.  But here is our little tiger.

At the top of the Monument to the Sun.  An interesting monument, the land was purchased by a man who wanted somewhere for his ashes and the ashes of his wife to be interned.  During the building of the monument Roy Rogers, who was good friends with this man, died and his friend decided to name the monument after him.  As you climb up the steps inside the monument the walls are covered with pictures of Roy Rogers from different points in his life.

The very last week we had cousins visit.  Jacob and Hannah came to stay while Cami had camp but I got absolutely no pictures of that.  The kids had fun playing with their cousins and were sad that they had to go home.

So there you have it, the capsule version of our summer.  We did spend time at the pool and the spray park and I had a few doctor appointments.  For the first time ever I am measuring ahead of schedule, but not far enough ahead for them to change my due date.  And now the kids are back in school.