Ahoy Mateys

I picked up some pirate party plates awhile ago on clearance and I hoped I could convince Jack that he wanted to have a pirate birthday party. In early August I started talking up how fun a pirate party would be and lucky for me he took the bait and was eager to have a pirate party! It was so much fun putting it together and I can't believe how many great ideas you can get from the internet for a party! It probably would have been way cheaper to just head to Chuck E Cheeses but he had so much fun and honestly I did too. We happened to be in Idaho this year for his birthday so we decided to have his party at my mom's house. On his actual birthday he was able to head to the cabin for the day with his Dad and Grandpa which he thought was really cool. It also worked out great because I was able to get everything ready for the big party. We had a treasure hunt, played pin the treasure on the map and even had a visit from a real live PIRATE! Grandpa Lee was such a trooper and worked all day rounding up his costume to make his surprise visit! The kids loved following him all around on the treasure hunt! We had so much fun and I hope he knows how much I love him and love to spoil him rotten! Grandma Myrna and Grandpa Knute even came for the party!
He loves his "wife" Ainslee. Whenever she would ask what he wanted for his birthday he would smile and say "just you!"

The pirate crew... Emma, Okie, Cooper, Jack and Ella
Arrrrggghhhh Matey..... she really got into it and was super cute!

When we got home we did even MORE celebrating and we were able to go bowling and to play laser tag with the rest of the family. Grandma and Grandpa Paxman also spoiled him rotten (do we see a theme here?) and let him choose what he wanted to do to celebrate his day. He chose bowling but most importantly wanted to go play laser tag. The whole family joins in and Ella and Jack both love to play it! And, I wasn't thinking and didn't even bring my camera so no pictures but definitely memories!

Thanks everyone for loving Jack and making him feel so special and important!

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Happy 4th Birthday to YOU

My Sweet Blue Eyed Baby Boy... I can't believe you are already FOUR! How did that happen? I am so lucky that you chose to join our family and that you made me a Mom. You have taught me so many things and most importantly you have taught me patience... LOTS of patience. You are smart beyond your years and too witty for your own good. You often sound just like a teenager back talking and weasling your way into getting what you want. I can often hear your Dad in the things you say and I think we may be in trouble in the future! You are so lucky that you are so cute because many days I am tempted to wring your scrawny little neck but then you look at me with those big blue eyes and give out your devilish little giggle and I can't help but love you instead! You have given me a run for my money but I wouldn't have it any other way and wouldn't trade who you are for the world. Next week you start your second year of preschool. It's hard to accept the fact that you are growing up. I know you will do great because you are one smart little boy! We love you to the moon and back, to Africa, and to the Ocean. (We play this game all the time and you love it!) Thanks for being our special little boy and putting such a fun spark of joy into our lives. Happy Birthday to you Jack- We LOVE you!

Chubby

I nearly busted my gut laughing when I walked upstairs at the cabin to check on Ella and found this. I was busy painting the kitchen and sent her upstairs to watch a movie while I finished painting. Apparently I didn't notice that she had managed to snag a whole can of chips to enjoy while watching her show. She must have ate herself into a BBQ pringle induced coma. I didn't get the best of pictures but I didn't dare wake her! She cracks me up sometimes!

Cuties

A few weekends ago at Grandma Rosie's we decided to do a spontaneous photo shoot. We asked Christina to come attempt to get a few good pictures of the monsters and I think she succeeded! Even though neither of them had a nap and had been playing outside in the pool all day I think they were rather cooperative and showed their spunk well! We may or may not have bribed them with Ice Cream!

Now I just need to go through the hundreds of pictures she took and pick which ones I want for my wall!!

Another Weekend of Fun

A couple of weekends ago I loaded up the kids and headed to the cabin to meet Grandma Rosie and Colty there. We had a great time and the kids absolutely love going there. We did some painting and we did some rock gathering until Colton spied a GIANT water snake. I am not sure I will walk around the cabin in flip flops anytime soon. Of course, he ran it down and picked it up to show the kids. Ella loved it much to my dismay and both of them thought it was really cool to touch. We had a long discussion afterward about how we don't try to catch snakes (bad example Colton) and if we see one to run the other way! After our busy day we gave Ella her usual bath in the sink but this time Jack was not going to be left out. He insisted they would both fit so they both wiggled into the sink for their nightly bath! Sunday afternoon out of the blue Ella demanded she put her swim diaper, swim "soup" and floaties on. She was insistent so we just let her do it. It wasn't five minutes after she got her outfit on that we experienced the worst rain/thunder storm that I have ever seen. The clouds just opened up and poured on us! She was so funny out there running around the porch in her swim suit and floaties the middle of this huge rain storm. Apparently she knew something that we didnt!

The boys loved playing out front in the sand pile that Boppy has made. I am pretty sure his intentions weren't for the kids to enjoy a day at the "beach" but they spent a good hour out there burying each other and playing in that sand. Colton is usually so good to Jack and will play, explore and entertain the little twerp most of the time that we are there!

Overall it was a great weekend as usual and we are loving having the cabin to go to for a mini-vacation! I hope my kids grow up with tons of memories there and that it will be something they will want to continue doing with their own kids!

Safety First...

We put the pool up in the front yard and all the neighborhood kids came over for a swim. Ella was alternating between riding her bike and swimming so she decided to just leave her helmet on no matter which activity she was partaking in! It actually came in handy several times as she came flying down the slide headfirst! She is such a little weirdo!

Obsessed

We had a very festive month of July because Jack is obsessed with fireworks and his Grandma likes to spoil him. He would want to call Grandma Nette EVERY day to see if she would take him to buy some more fireworks. All the neighborhood kids would wait until they would hear the first one go off and then Jack would have quite an audience for the rest of his fireworks display! He had a great time and Ella even learned to like fireworks before the month was over. He was especially sad to see the fireworks tents finally be taken down and I on the other hand was saying Hallelujah!

Boppy

Ella loves her Boppy and they LOVE taking naps together.

Potty Train- Choo Choo

I wish I could report that we were 100% potty trained but we are not. Mostly because of a failure on my part. I decided summer time for me is not the best time to potty train because we are far too busy and NEVER home! She will go on the potty whenever I remember to take her and when she feels like it. We will concentrate on learning this task fully later this fall and I am thinking (fingers crossed) that when I finally take the plunge she will be easy to train! But.... the whole reason for posting this picture is because it almost makes me cry. She looks SOOOO big and I have decided maybe not to potty train her because as soon as she is out of diapers I will officially not have a BABY anymore! I can't believe how fast they have both grown up!