Booren Family Camping Trip

My brother Paul and I were supposed to plan a family reunion this summer. This is now the second time we have been in charge and have had to put it off a year, for what we feel are VERY good reasons. And for the second time, my brother Jared and sister Melissa have organized a pseudo family reunion camping trip. Six of us with our families joined up in a group campground outside of Springfield Oregon for 3 days of family camping fun.

Matthew couldn't come for the first two days due to severe seasonal allergies. Thankfully I had lots of help from everyone else. And thankfully Matthew found a way to join us for the last day.

In the meantime we played in the water, paddled around in the kayaks Jared borrowed for us, went for a hike, played games, and enjoyed being together. It was Cheeks' first time camping and she was absolutely hooked. I'm pretty sure she lived in her swimsuit for the better part of all three days. If we could have stayed another week, I have no doubt my children would have been totally game. But after spending three days using a port-a-potty, I was ready to go home. Flush toilets were never such a luxury.

One day we went hiking to a place along a small stream where the kids could play. Boy Howdy never ceases to amaze me. When we walk around our neighborhood he is overcome with heat and fatigue about 100 yards from our house. But when we go for hikes he will go miles without a hint of a complaint.

Cheeks did very well herself, although she definitely moves at her own slow pace. When we stopped at the stream I knew she wasn't going to leave dry, but I also didn't expect her to completely soak her pants. Walking back to the car started slow, but quickly turned to almost no movement as walking in wet jeans is uncomfortable. I finally took off her pants and had her pretend that her panties were swim bottoms. She was unconvinced. Finally I got the brilliant idea to transform her jacket into a skirt. That idea was much more palatable and she no longer feared being ogled by her cousins (not that it was an issue)

Boy Howdy LOVED feeling included in the bigger-kid games. He wasn't really, but he didn't know that. He got so excited that at one point he put a lantern cover over his head. Yep, that's my boy.

I think more than anything else, my children LOVED spending all day every day with their cousins. I'm so thankful for my brother and sister and their willingness to put stuff like this together so that my babes can forge these super special bonds.

End of the Year Water Balloon Fight

 As the end of the school year approached I asked Boy Howdy how he wanted to celebrate. He decided he wanted a water balloon fight. Great idea - especially now they make water balloons that are quick and easy to fill. But, did I mention that it has been a cold start to our summer? Too cold for swimsuits and getting wet. Not too cold  to fill up some balloons and let the kids throw them around. My dad was visiting and decided to play catch with Boy Howdy and his balloons. The result was a little too entertaining not to document.

Finally a few days later the weather warmed up enough to merit the official initiation of summer vacation. In true water balloon fight fashion the hundreds that I blew up and which filled several bins, were spent within minutes. But the kids still seemed to have a grand old time. Yay summer!!

Alien - the Plant

We have a plant growing in our house, or rather we did until I dismembered it's tentacle-esque vine.

I was walking through my room and noticed a little pale green something sticking out of my vent. My first inclination was to blame the kids for having stuck one of their legos into my air vent. But upon closer inspection I realized it was a plant. A plant that started from the outside of my house and had made it's way under the foundation wall and up through the dark crevices of my crawl space and into my room.

Strangely it felt a little creepy pinching off the growth. As if I almost expected it to squeal and wriggle from the operation.

Thankfully nothing has grown back. Even the outside plant, finally seems to have met it's doom (after unrelentingly growing about a foot each day).

Boy Howdy's Last Day of School

Sadly, this is the ONLY picture I have of Boy Howdy's last day of school. No in front of the door picture with him actually looking at the camera. No easily comparable to the start of the year picture. And if it weren't for Mother Marler, I wouldn't even have this picture. Thanks Mother Marler.

I had planned on bringing water guns to the bus stop with which to spray the kids when they exited the bus. But . . . it was only in the 60's his last day of school and it just seemed mean spirited to shoot them with water when it was so cold. Darn you Oregon.

We did it though! We made it to the end of the school year!! All hail summer vacation!!

Cheeks graduates from Preschool

It is amazing what a difference a year makes. At the end of last school year Cheeks was not a stellar listener nor did she seem to have any interest in her letters, or really anything of an academic nature.

I knew she was going to be the youngest in all her classes at school and I didn't want that fact to be a deficiency for her so, at the beginning of the year, she and I started working on her letters and numbers.

She quickly progressed through them, faster than I thought, and began working on legit reading. At this point she is pretty proficient, in both reading and numbers definitely ready for school. I am so proud of the progress she has made. But not only that, she has learned to listen. She has learned to obey rules. She can still be super squirrelly and  I still worry about her not being able to sit still, but she has grown by leaps and bounds during this past year.

Her class singing about going on a bear hunt

Her class holding up their achievement awards with their sweet teachers. Last year they asked each child what they wanted to be when they grew up. I think Cheeks said something like mermaid. I cringed. This year, thinking they would do something similar I prepped her. One day while we were talking about grown-up jobs I asked the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up. Boy Howdy likes to switch up his answers between police officer and engineer. Cheeks said she wanted to grow plants. I can totally see her doing that. She loves being outside, getting dirty and nurturing those around her. We looked up different professions that grow things and I - I mean we - we decided on horticulturist as her dream vocation. We practiced saying it so that she would be ready when asked.
Yeah, they didn't ask.

Cheeks with her special friend V. V is a year younger than Cheeks and will go to a different school but they became very close during the school year. At one point her mother and I finally got the brilliant idea to swap after preschool one day a week. I'm pretty sure it was the highlight of both their weeks. I'm sad we didn't think of it earlier.

Boy Howdy is oddly adamantly opposed to face painting, but when he's not there . . . Cheeks got up the courage to get hers done! Yay kitty cats!!

Cheeks and her grad classes, courtesy of Mother Marler and her last day of preschool photo.

Her first day of preschool as a wild and wonderful 3-year old. I can't hardly stand all the changing that has happened in the last two years.

Boy Howdy Graduates from Kindergarten

Thankfully Mother Marler came to town for both Boy Howdy and Cheeks graduation celebrations. The kids were so excited to have her here. Boy Howdy's graduation consisted of the kids singing their favorite songs from the year, watching a video montage of pictures from the year, and showing their loved ones their portfolios of completely adorable pictures. The part I loved most, other than my son actually participating in the presentation, was seeing the kids watch the video montage. They were genuinely excited for the kids in each picture, shouting out their names. It was obvious that Ms. Dunbar, an amazing teacher, had fostered a loving atmosphere amongst 25 or so 5 year olds. I loved that this group of kids had grown so close through the course of the year.

I loved going into her class to help out. I was always so impressed with how beautifully organized it was and how she never had to speak in anything other than a very mild voice to get everyone's attention. Boy Howdy grew so much this year, and I have no doubt it was in large part due to her and her wonderful assistant.

After the celebration, Mother Marler, Cheeks and I had planned to go pick strawberries. Boy Howdy begged and pleaded that we take him out of school and bring him with us. With the teacher's blessing, we agreed and enjoyed a gorgeous day picking the picture of perfection strawberries.

Yay for graduations! Yay for wonderful teachers! Yay for beautiful strawberries! And yay for super duper yummers strawberry pie!!!