N. @ 7 years old

I know we all say this, but seriously where has the time gone...how is my first little boy already 7?!?
Here's a bit about N.
*He's a super-great kid, who always tries to do what is right, always tries to follow the rules, and sticks up for what he knows is right.
*He is a great helper.
*He's an awesome big brother--he truly loves his little brothers, although he tends to smother them a bit at times.
*He LOVES legos--has way too many sets. He bought a remote control electric train lego set for his birthday which he loves. His and P.'s room is the lego room, from which E. is always getting shut out, because they're little pieces everywhere.
*He loves to read, especially the Magic Tree House series--he has read them all now except for the most recent #53 that just came out last month. He reads in his bed every night...he has his flashlight and a little shelf that holds his books. He also loves to read about space, likes the Fly Guy series, and Eric Carle books. He loves series of books and likes to read them in order. I love that he is my book worm--just like I was as a kid and still want to be as a mom, but sometimes life gets busy;)!
*He loves soccer--has been playing since he was 4 1/2.  Our town started their own teams last fall but playing in the forney league, so he plays with all boys from his school, and is really enjoying it. In fact, I gave him the option to try baseball out (he had wanted to play previous years, but I wasn't ready for the committment), but he said soccer was his sport now, and wants to be a professional soccer player when he grows up (he thankfully has a few back-up professions though such as train engineer, pilot, and artist).
*He loves all his cousins and family. He still loves hanging out with Aunt McKenna!
*He loves to play planes fire and rescue--him and P. will set up these elaborate airplane hangers and roads to create their planes and cars world.
*His fave food is Asian orange chicken, and he is always bugging me to make it (frozen food section from aldi).
*Fave shows and movies--Odd squad, Wild Kratts, Planes fire & rescue, Cars
*Still loves to play games especially at Oma's house
*Likes routines, habits, traditions
*Went fishing at our family reunion and loves it, so S. went out and bought him his own fishing rod, and they hope to go fishing soon
*Loves art & painting
*Loves to play games on my phone and the ipad

We love you sooooo very much N.!

P. @ 4 years old

P. is our imaginative, super-silly 4 year old!

• Is our fix-it/worker-man--always using his tools to fix and build and organizes them into his shed or workshop--he has turned one wall of our living room into his workshop at the moment with the play kitchen as his tool bench and then all of his tools and tractors parked to the side of it. While lots of his play is pretend, he takes it VERY seriously and believes he's a real worker-man.
• Can be a bit emotional, a perfectionist, and hard on himself...this has seemed to be a new phase right now--I'm not loving it, because I want him to know that he's one awesome kid. 
• Basketball is is favorite sport--we signed him up for a little rookies course through a rec center and thought it would be the perfect thing, because he's said he's wanted to play basketball for years, as we've watch N. play soccer. Well, he melted and melted because he couldn't dribble to proper way with his fingertips, because he couldn't do jumping jacks, and couldn't quite make a hoop--most of the other kids were just having fun and couldn't do it either, but it's a course for 3 & 4 year olds just teaching them basics. He was doing better than the majority too. He also missed one class because he was sick and another because we were out of town, so maybe we'll try again next summer. His last class he did better--when S. told him to pretend that when he hit the net, he made a hoop, and for some reason that did the trick, and he had a great time.
• He constantly says he's not P., but "I'm papa with a mustache." My dad, his papa, has a mustache, and he wants to be just like him, in fact most of the time he says he is him and that there are two papas. Papa loves basketball, has lots of trucks for work and tools...a few weeks ago, P. got to hang out with papa in the building behind my family's house, where he got to watch papa load the box truck, take a ride in his big white truck, the box truck, and on his tractor.  It totally made P.'s day.
• Doesn't like to draw or write...he gets easily frustrated when he attempts, we've tried to be super encouraging, but he's so hard on himself. Good luck to his future teachers!
• Loves playing with his brothers--him and N. share a room, and wake up early to play legos and read books!
• Is becoming more of a picky pants with food--but his faves are mac n cheese, chicken nuggets, strawberries, meat & cheese sandwiches, chocolate chex, waffles with cream cheese, and anything chocolate
• Fave tv shows--team umizoomi, paw patrol; fave movies--disney cars and planes
• Loves giving E. kisses on his head, but doesn't love when E. destroys his creations
• Loves his aunts, uncles, and cousins, and grandmas and grandpas
• likes to give S. "squishy" hugs when he leaves for work--basically he squeezes your cheeks and gets close to your face

june in pics

who knew toilet paper could be so fun!

Last day of first grade...

P. joining right in with the 1st graders playing computer games...

His very sweet teacher--he got the agreeable attitude award from his classmates...

Just some fun/craziness...

Nautical themed baby shower I threw for a friend--I didn't take very many pics, but I thought it turned out super-cute, and the food was delish--we even had an ice cream sundae bar--perfect for summer!

Post-birthday pics!

My sister and her 4 kiddos came to visit my family, so we headed over to play...

P. spraying me with the hose...

They were doing a car wash...

Swinging with grandma...a very sweet moment...

Climbed on the ride-on car on his own...

Climbing on the fireplace--he thinks he's big stuff...

More climbing on P.'s bed...

My crazys!

N. was working on his lego poster for his birthday, and P. was helping or hindering!

Soccer camp...

Pushing the stroller at soccer camp!

All 3 of my boys had some fun playing at the mall...

Visited my brother at his fire station--they got to not only sit in the truck, but go for a ride...

Spraying the hose...

Dinner after the fire station...P was playing the guitar...

Having fun with friends!

E. loves to get into the recycle stuff...

Pushing a toy at oma's

Snow-cones and ice cream for Cindy's and P.'s birthday!

P. chose McDonalds for dinner on his birthday--I actually got him a happy meal and he had no clue what it was:) He was all looking for his food, and we told him to open his box...

Setting up the house for P.'s party---had to play in it before...

P. the fireman...

 

Arboretum on N's actual birthday!

N. chose pei wei for his birthday dinner...

P. testing out his birthday balance bike...

We went to toysrus for the boys to spend some of their birthday money--and they gave them balloons for their birthday which E. had a blast with!

P. picked out a chain saw with his birthday money--he wanted to go outside as soon as we got home to try it out...he was truly disappointed when it wouldn't cut down our tree...

S. and I were asked to be the leaders for a company of 30 kids at a multi-stake youth conference that included around 700 youth 14-18.  We were a bit nervous--being super outgoing is a bit out of my comfort zone, and we wanted to help the kids have the best experience possible, but I can say this, we had an AWESOME weekend. I became attached to these kids I had never even met before, and I am excited to see where they end up in their life--they have great potential and great plans! It was also great to work with my husband--we had a great time and were exhausted by the end.

Getting ready to play Stomp the Balloon...

Out company won the silver in the jump rope Olympics event--it was timed and we had to get everyone in, jump one time, then out, without the jump rope touching anyone or you would have to start over again. Our group really came together and worked really hard and were encouraging of one another...

Building some kind of art with canned food that was to be donated...

The kiddos stayed with Grandma and Papa for the weekend, and they came home exhausted too--they all 3 fell asleep on the drive home at 11am!