June

June started with a field trip with Charlie and his class to the zoo.  We arrived really early so I let Charlie sit in the passenger seat while we waited for his day care friends.  He was so excited to be in the front and to have access to all of the "cool" things like the radio and glove compartment.

For a kid who seems to be growing up too fast, it was reassuring to see that he was happy to have me there and that he (occasionally) still wanted to hold my hand.

We spent approximately 10 (yes, 10) days caring for Leo, our neighbor's dog.  Leo is a sweet rescue dog and we loved caring for him but after managing his indoor, diaper-wearing ways and his anti-seizure medicine, I think that we may have a second career in doggy home health.

Lucy loves to get to watch one of "mines shows" like Daniel Tiger or Doc McStuffin and if she can park herself near one of us, all the better!

 In a quest to find an outfit for cousin/family pictures, Lucy and I spent an inordinate amount of time in the dressing room.  She insisted that I snap a few photos of her potential dresses.  I don't know that we'll see her expressions mimicked on any runways soon, but she sure thought that she looked cute.

Charlie continued to perfect his Darth Vader.  That boy is loving some Star Wars these days.

The kids enjoyed some time at the Science Center.

And enjoyed the beginning of summer. Lucy constantly copies Charlie so at some point we'll have to explain that she shouldn't be taking her shirt off outside.

 We had a great day with the Grandma Kathy and the Gehl cousins at the Putnam Museum in QC.

 

Charlie identified those displays that he wanted to pose and be photographed by.  First up, the mummy!

Then a somber-looking Abraham Lincoln.  Charlie told me that he wasn't going to smile because he knows that Abraham Lincoln was shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth...it might not be long before his American history knowledge surpasses mine.

Finally, an action shot with cousins!

The kids were crazed one day while waiting to go swimming and I used my "mom" voice to tell them to calm down.  It must have worked because they stood at complete attention while waiting for me to finish getting ready.

The kids and I had a quick trip back to Cascade and we enjoyed getting to spend some time with Claire and Hannah who were also spending the night.

A quick, late-night photo with Grandpa Bill in honor of Father's Day.

Enjoying dress-up and make-believe with more Gehl cousins.

In a house full of girls playing hotel, Charlie was designated as the hotel handyman.  Much to his cousin's chagrin, he insisted that the fire drill was going off and that everyone had to evacuate their rooms.

Due to all of the mandatory "evacuations", Lucy found herself enjoying some quality story time with Uncle Marty.

We ended the month by celebrating Beach Day at school.  The flamingo headband only made it through half of the day, but it was well worth the $3.99 at Party City.

We can't wait for some pool time and other summer fun in July!

May

We had a lot of fun in May and it was a great way to ease into the summer!

Miss Lucy refined her hoarder tendencies.  One night when she was supposed to be falling asleep, I heard lots of activity and found that she had made a little campsite for herself - complete with dolls, water, a picture from her dresser, backpack and pillows.  Asking her to smile while I took her picture probably wasn't the best deterrent.

I've documented the odd love that our kids have for statues (think mannequins in a department store). Well Charlies' become pretty interested in presidents and has declared President Lincoln as his favorite president so you can imagine the sheer joy of spotting a Lincoln statue outside of Scheel's.

We enjoyed an awesome Sunday afternoon by heading to an I-Cubs game.

 And surprise, surprise, Charlie found a statue outside of the stadium and wanted to hang out for a bit.

Between the snacks, the kids play area and the splash pad,  I think that the kids and I saw a total of 10 pitches.

We had a quick trip back to Cascade over Mother's Day weekend where Lucy and Nana enjoyed a story and

 we were able to see Grandma Gehl and most of our Gehl cousins (we missed Claire who was at a soccer tournament).

I went to the mommy and muffins breakfast at daycare where the kids were so excited to give me their gifts.

 We're still encouraging Charlie to draw arms on his people so that they aren't misinterpreted as something else...

 Lucy gave me a flower pot with the year, her name and footprints in the shape of a butterfly.

 I managed to keep the plant alive for all of 6 days, which is some type of record for me.

 Lucy "graduated" from her tumbling class and was only a little miffed that her moment in the spotlight was cut short by Will, who was eager to get his medal.

Lucy giving her "so excited" smile.

Charlie and I went to Charlotte's Web at the Des Moines Playhouse.  We both gave the performance thumbs up although Charlie asked one of the cast members after the play if they would do a Star Wars play next.

One night Lucy was acting like a crazy lady.  With her tumbling medal around her neck and her hair half-dry, we call this her Doc from Back to the Future look.

Lucy really liked the cupcake band-aids that I bought, so much so that she needed a lot of them one night.

And so did her puppy.  Miraculously, her injuries were healed when she realized that the cupcake band-aids were gone and the plain brown ones were the only ones left.

One morning while trying to get us out the door, I heard uncontrollable giggling.  I found Charlie carrying Lucy around because she claimed that her feet were broken.  Poor kid must have carried her for a good 10 minutes because he broke a sweat by the time that we were getting in the car.

Excited with her new rain boots that could get wet, Lucy was happy to help water some plants.  I'm amazed to report that despite being flooded by Lucy, the little plant in the picture survived.

I helped chaperone Lucy's class trip to the zoo and it was as relaxing as you can imagine.  There were lots of potty breaks for the newly-potty trained crew and we all spent more time in the bathrooms than we did seeing the animals.  

Waiting for the train ride to start.

Lucy and her crew - a good time was had by all and I was happy to join them for a few hours.

Last Friday was Charlie's preschool graduation.  The photo below is random, but you'll see the pure joy in his face as he was running to us with his diploma in hand.  His excitement was infectious.

A diploma with signatures and all - he's a legitimate graduate!

I mentioned to Charlie that we could go out to eat on Friday night to celebrate or maybe get a special dessert.  He agreed but then suggested that we get a dog and name the dog "Fish."  An A for effort.

Finally, happy 47th wedding anniversary to Papa Steve and Nana Jan.  We were able to meet them for brunch on Sunday and we were happy to help them celebrate this milestone.