The last hoorah in a dirty pool.

After two months of constant use, our 2,000 gallons of pool water was beyond anything a chemical or filter could fix.  We decided to EMPTY it, and REFILL it.  About 30 seconds after I started emptying it, Tara called and wanted to know if the girls could come for a swim... YUP!  I plugged the whole and decided to drain it later.  We had a FAB impromptu pool party, and actually had the kids start emptying the pool with buckets and whatever else they could find.  For a good, solid hour they laboriously filled and dumped their buckets, working themselves into a frenzy like a monster was chasing them.  It was pretty entertaining!  After working up a sweat, Grandma pulled out the Edaleen ice cream and cones - officially a tradition now for all Grandma-attended pool parties!  

After Madelyn filled the blue bucket to overflowing with her small pail, Wyatt took a running jump and went head under (sorry ENT specialist - I told you it would be impossible to keep his head above water, tubes or no tubes!)

And Taylin even got to go in the pool for the first time - and loved it!

And no worries... the pool is filled up and warm again - anyone want a pool party?

The Air Show

What better way to enjoy the Abbotsford airshow than for FREE in the US of A?  There is NO BETTER way!  We headed out to Ryan and Tara's wide open field.  I think every year we do things, we get smarter.  This year we drove vehicles out into the field, and Ryan brought the patio umbrella.  Perfect!  We all found shade and then settled in for an afternoon of watching the blue sky.  Dad, Tyler and Tyson were fishing in Canada, and while we missed them, we still had a great time.  Mental notes for next year:  3pm is when the action really gets good, remember to bring LOTS of food for the kids to eat, and a rake to clear the field so that when the kids run through the sprinkler they aren't coming back to a bunch of dry grass and getting FILTHY.  Okay, I guess that last part doesn't really matter.  Oh well!  Want to know what they ate?  Chips, capri-suns, popsicles, licorice, candy and.... a LOT!

EVERYBODY loves Wayne!

These two are always special buds.

Oh yes folks - she smiles!

You know it's summer when...

The kids are in the pool by 10am.

The temperature hits 100.1

You have waffles and scrambled eggs for dinner.

You do laundry, and the only things to fold are underwear, swim trunks, and beach towels.



We've got big plans for the next two days of sunshine....  crabbing, camping, Birch Bay - yahoo!

Not a good sign...

I was sitting here at the computer, blogging, and I have the window open as the boys are playing in the backyard.  In my distracted state, I can see one of them tip toeing across the lawn, then running back, reporting, "Mom on the 'puter!  She's on the 'puter Wayne!" 

Suspicious.  Exactly what are they conspiring together for?

Hmm..  At least they are working together, not against each other.

Next thought... do I care?  How much damage could they do?


Uh-oh.  There two of them go, doing the army crawl, hauling the hose between them, back to who knows where.

Again... do I care?  Would you?  :-)

Mission Accomplished - only ONE in diapers!

 What do you know...  just a few weeks after his 3rd birthday, WYATT IS POTTIE TRAINED!  Yeaaah buddy!  He has been flirting with the big deed for awhile now, but after 2 boys, I am a FIRM believer in the "it's your problem" approach to pottie training.  I already know how to go to the bathroom, and certainly don't need to set the timer to take myself there.  If Wyatt was going to learn to go on his own - he was going to have to take charge and get the job done.  He's got plenty of role models and certainly plenty of pee...  and one day last week, he decided he wasn't wearing diapers any more.  Done.  He poops and pees on the pot, on his own, without being prompted.  In two weeks time, he has had one accident at Auntie's house, and one accident in the back yard (which probably wasn't an accident, rather a method of convenience.)  He still wears a diaper at night and naptime, but those are usually dry.  Yahoo Wyatt - you are a rock star!

Weston's Chores

One thing I remember about growing up in a family of 6...  We all did chores!  Our family of 6 is no different, and Weston has really been pitching in. At 4 1/2, he does way more than Wayne did at this age, partly due to Wayne's excellent example, I am sure!  Weston's latest word is "organizing."  He loves to organize his room, and understands the concept of order, grouping, and everything having a place.  We recently did a rearrangement (yes, again.  I am NEVER done organizing!) and we moved all of his clothes into his closet (after moving all of my photography and scrapping supplies out) and put a dresser and a different TV in his room.  We put up a folding table for HIS Lego's, and then we went to town on picking up all the rail road tracks and cars so that we could yet again actually see that his room does indeed have carpet.  

After the big reorganization, Weston was HYPER-vigilant about keeping it clean.  And then Wyatt and another kid (sorry, can't remember who was over) whirled through like a tornado.  Without a word, Weston disappeared for about an hour, only to reappear, asking for me to come and see what he'd done.  Expecting to see a train track, I was FLOORED to see that he had cleaned up his room - and done an amazing job!  Gone are the days of shoving everything under his bed - this boy knows how to ORGANIZE!

 

Back to School Shopping 2012 - Wayne

Back to school shopping was pretty easy this year.  I grossly overestimated how much Wayne would grow over the past year, and most of what I bought him last year was too big to wear, and is practically brand new, and FITS HIM NOW!  

Back to School Sizes for Wayne - 1st Grade

Shoes : size 3

Shirts: Medium

Pants: size 8

We went to Bellingham with Grandma and Addison.  Wayne and Grandma would have rather gone alone, but I invited myself along.  Grandma is a GREAT shopper and this year I needed the help!  Wayne only needed a shirt or two, but really needed a nice pair of jeans, shoes, a lunchbox and his school supplies.  We hit TJ Maxx, Fred Meyer, and of course - RED ROBIN!  For lunch, Wayne wanted to order mac and cheese with apples, but Grandma talked him into a corn dog and apples - we were at Red Robin afterall!!!  She later told me that she used to think our kids ate a lot of junk food, but as much as she's been watching them over the past month, she's realized that they really eat healthy, and usually prefer fruit to junk food.  Thanks Mom!!!  :-)

Later on that night, when Tyler was home and everyone was ready for bed, Wayne and Weston put on a fashion show with all of Wayne's new things.  They put together their own outfit combinations, and the one they were most proud of... Wayne's new basketball look!  Complete with a ball that they went and got from the garage.  Lookin' good Wayne!