School is Out For Summer

Summer is in full swing...in more ways than one.  If the relaxed morning schedule and the full-time presence of a 5-year-old in the house wasn't indication enough, the 104 reading on our thermometer this afternoon sealed the deal. 
Summer is here...and it is hot...and it is humid.

Clare finished school at First United Methodist on May 23rd.  Here are some highlights from the last few weeks of school.

Mother's Day Tea

Artistic representation of MOM...

Can you pick me out?

Clare with her fabulous teacher, Mrs. White.

Is this the one you guessed?

Spittin' Image

Thrilled to be Clare's Mommy and the subject of her artistic masterpiece.

Clare's school hosted a special banquet at the end of the year.  It was catered by Outback, and all of the teachers served the meal.  It was TOP NOTCH, and it made me sad (for the umpteenth time) that the school doesn't go into higher grades.

The room was decorated like an art gallery with their best creations from the year.

Self-Portrait...

Where is Clare?

Given that she was the only girl in her class, this was a safe guess.

Eight kids...seven boys and our sweet Clare Bear.

Silhouettes

Hmmm...where is she?

This was Clare answering the question, "What was your favorite thing about school?"

"ART"

Clare Ann

May 20th, 2014

5 years and 9 months old.

Clare and I visited her new school this afternoon, and she was uncharacteristically nervous and shy.  The new school is big and unfamiliar, but I think she will do well.  She was most intrigued by the concept of buying lunch at school.  It's hard to believe that TEN WEEKS from today will be Clare's first day of Kindergarten.

May Recap

 May passed with lightning speed.  There were several notable events, dozens of adorable pictures, and absolutely no time to record them on our digital baby book...A.K.A. blog.

Clare and Isaac were invited to an "Ice Cream Meeting" at our local YMCA.  There's a long story behind the concept, but the kids ABSOLUTELY LOVED it.

This was the agenda for the Ice Cream Meeting.

Phil logged a lot of miles during the month of May.  While wrapping up his training for his second marathon (post to come soon), he participated in a local event called "Miles for Moffitt."  He pulled a team together from Busch Gardens, and it was a fun day.

He ran the 8K and did very well.

 He never runs by the kids without giving each of them a high five.

Phil and I are both excited for the day that we will be cheering for the kids as they run past us in a road race.  Not if...WHEN.  :)

Even though I was still unable to run (because of my lingering hamstring tear), I dressed the part and cheered for the best looking runner on the course.

We picked blueberries at the beginning of the month.  The kids loved the picking experience and seemed unphased by the 90+ degree heat and humidity.  Isaac initially wanted to pick all the green berries.  He kept saying, "But green is my favorite color.  I need to pick the green ones." 

 We consumed all ten pounds of berries within a week, and that was with only three of us eating them.  Isaac tried ONE, and only one, and he literally gagged on it.
Free labor from him. ;)

 Clare's school did a train ride for their end-of-the-year field trip.  The event was open for the whole family, so Phil took the big kids. 

 Fun day!

 Phil spent many, many hours on a tree project.  A neighbor hired him to remove this enormous oak tree, and he took on the challenge.

 He had a team of guys helping him, and they now have one removal under their belts.  Here is video of one of the falling limbs.  Multiply that by A LOT and voila...no more tree.

The kids thought it was entertaining to watch the lumberjacks in action.

We now have a lifetime supply of oak, 

so I think that our smoker and bonfire pit will be getting extra use.

 And now, to wrap up this totally random post, I want to add this picture.

 I like this for a number of reasons:

1. It's my dad and me.

2.  My dad is probably the biggest fan of this blog.  I know, without a doubt, that he anxiously awaits updates of how the "Party of Five" are partying.

3. At 6 months old, I am already dressed in Hope College attire.  The same has been true for all three of my munchkins.  I hope the brainwashing has a similar effect.

4. I can see Myles in this picture.  I have the hardest time seeing either Phil or myself in the physical attributes of our kids.  This picture is a slight exception.

That is all for now.

Remembering the Little Things

The days have been full.  The weeks have flown by, and I have dozens of pictures that haven't hit the blog.  It tends to be the little moments that I forget as time passes.  

I want to remember the little things like Isaac going through a two week period where his eye "hurt."  He would say, "My eye surrrts."  Ice didn't help.  Drops didn't help.  The sleep mask, however, seemed to solve the problem...although it resulted in a few stubbed toes.

I want to remember what it was like baking with Clare...my overeager "helper."  I don't anticipate forgetting this because she is like a moth to a flame when it comes to baking.  Upon the first clank of a pan, she is in the kitchen ready to "help."  Anyone who has ever baked/cooked with a 5-year-old knows exactly why I keep putting the word help in quotes.

In case you haven't cooked with a 5-year-old, and you don't understand why I keep putting the word help in quotes, here is just one example of the work of my "helper."

I have come to accept the fact that handing over the baking reins is one way of stripping me of my need desire to bake with any perfectionism. 

I want to remember watching Phil do crafts/experiments with the kids.  I sat back thinking, he is crazy for letting them loose with shaving cream and food coloring.  

Then I saw their joy and heard their giggles and realized that the ridiculous mess was trumped by their delight.

 Subsequently, I want to remember how (after this project) their hands were stained such a terrible gray color that Clare insisted on wearing pink gloves to school the next morning.  Keep in mind that it was probably 80 degrees, and she was wearing short sleeves, a skirt, and sandals.  The pink wool gloves cracked me up.  Since I don't have a picture of her fashion statement, I needed to record it.

I want to remember how Phil brings home the strangest animals, and how seeing a baby opossum on our kitchen table doesn't even phase me anymore.

 The kids think it's pretty fantastic to help Daddy with the animals.

I want to remember our backyard owl.  This Barred Owl has frequented our backyard and must somehow know that an ornithologist lives on the premises.

 I want to remember how sweetly Clare "takes care of" Myles.  She wants to do anything and everything for him.  She crawls in his crib every morning as soon as she hears him wake up.  She makes funny faces and noises (some would argue that they are less on the funny side and more on the terrifying side) to distract him or make him giggle.  She is an outstanding big sister.  Seeing this picture also reminds me of the hours that I spend doing her hair. 
Day after day...braid after braid...snarl after snarl...and so on.

Isaac...oh Isaac!

Isaac, who was late to talk, is now a regular old chatterbox.  His standard greeting is, "My name is Isaac.  I'm free (three).  My burfday is November 9.  I'm going to get a biggg truck."

I want to remember the funny way he mixes up his pronouns.

"Yes her did."

"Us need to do that."

"Them are not here."

I want to remember his obsession with McDonalds and how he always, 100% of the time, calls in "The Donalds."

In wrapping up this post, I realized that I hardly made mention of Myles...our other child.  Yes, I do remember that we have three children.  Myles continues to be the perfect addition to our family.  He is 7-months-old today, and he has piercing blue eyes and a smile that melts my heart.  He still has a toothless, gummy grin.  We've been waiting for a tooth to pop through for the past two months, but he's in no hurry.  I'm in no hurry either.  I want to preserve the baby stage as long as possible.  Now that he is sitting up, scooting all over the place, and eating like a linebacker, I think the baby days are almost a thing of the past.

Even on the days when my 3-year-old steps on the bag of groceries in the car, and obliterates the loaf of bread and bundle of bananas, I want to remember that these three gifts are what made me a mother....the best job ever.

Easter Weekend - 2014

Easter is a special time for our family.  I think it might be one of our (or at least my) favorite holidays.  We sprinkled some traditional festivities throughout the weekend (dying eggs, hunting for eggs, and eating enough jelly beans and Peeps to put us into a diabetic coma), but our genuine focus was on the true meaning of Easter.
Christ is Risen!

 The kids (including the biggest one, Daddy) loved coloring eggs.

There was only one spill...

which thus resulted in half of the table being naked.  Take your pick! 

 We went to an egg hunt at First United Methodist (Clare's school and our other church).  

Myles was jealous that he didn't get to join the hunt.

Clare was excited about her loot.

The Allens joined us, 

and the three amigos (Clare, Isaac, and Grace) had a great time

Isaac and Grace have grown up together, and she is like Isaac's other sister.

Isaac was delighted with EVERY SINGLE EGG that he opened on Easter morning.

Clare carefully surveyed and organized everything.

 (Side note: In the days following Easter, I learned more about the personalities of my first and second born children.  Clare systematically chose which treat to enjoy, and she always asked permission before eating something.  Isaac devoured everything in almost one sitting, and had no desire to savor or save anything.)

                          2014 Easter                                                                                 2012 Easter

 Notice our wardrobes in the above pictures.  Phil and I were in Indonesia on Easter last year (2013) otherwise we might have made a three-year-fashion statement.

 So blessed!!!

I've had this vision of seeing our boys in matching shirts, and this was the first time it actually happened.  I didn't exactly envision the picture depicting a very unhappy 6-month-old, but you win some, you lose some.

Overall, Easter weekend was a big WIN!