Summer Fun

Still playing catch up.  Pictures will be posted separately.  In the meantime, here is another post that was started, but never finished so as has been typical the past couple years, is about 6 months overdue.  But given the long, cold, snowy winter we have had in Wisconsin this year, maybe a reflection on last summer will help us forget that we haven't seen the grass in 3 months...

Some highlights from summer 2013:

• Returned to St. Louis where we met my aunt and uncle and parents as well as my cousin and his wife (who lives in St. Louis and had just returned from deployment the day before).  Some highlights include the Cardinals game, City Museum, Food Truck Friday.  At Food Truck Friday, the boys predictably wanted a quesadilla.  It took nearly an hour after Greg placed the order for one quesadilla to actually get it.  Really???  It only takes me 5 mins to make a quesadilla; 10 if the cheese isn't already shredded.  And it wasn't that good...
• The boys and I volunteered 2 hours every week at an organic garden, NuGenesis, often at the same time as Jill and her kids.  Nate planted all of the pea plants there and we helped plant many other yummy vegetables, nurtured them and harvested them.  I love that the boys could identify a pepper plant even before it grew peppers, knew the various herbs and Nathan would insist on picking a kale leaf every week and then eating it (raw nonetheless) on the way home.  I love kale, but I prefer it in my smoothies if raw or roasted as chips.
• We went swimming at Ottawa several times.  Nate is a little water bug and Cameron enjoys swimming if he doesn't have to put his face in and both of them are getting to be great sandcastle builders!
• The boys and their cousins had a fun day at Little Amerricka (minus the meltdown by Nathan who all of sudden decided he didn't want to go on any rides, but then he came around and had a blast)
• Lots of playdates with their cousins, the Buries, Levi, Drake (Cameron's friend from preschool who will also go to the same elementary school as him), the neighbors and more
• Zoo trips with the Buries and Ruethlings
• Their cousin Harper came and visited.  The boys sure had fun playing with her and showing her how to move around.  Uncle Tom had to babyproof their house after Harper got home.
• Vacation Bible School at Christ the Life (the boys' preschool).  Nate, who likes to be with someone in his family at all times, had a bit of a rough time adjusting.  Thankfully Miss Tanya would sit with him and he would calm down.  Both boys had fun with the daily craft project, including painting large rocks which are proudly displayed in our front yard (buried under a foot or more of snow...)

CAMERON

Cameron finished preschool and is excited to start Kindergarten this fall.  He has been working on telling time and reading.  Today he did a word search and found many of the words himself.  Some words he can read include:

• Up
• Dog
• And
• The
• To
• Too
• In
• It
• Is
• Big
• Ball
• No
• Off
• On

Cameron LOVES to build.  He saves all of our empty egg cartons and builds forts or other buildings for his trucks.  He is constantly creating different things with his Legos.  Usually vehicles or weapons.  Typical boy.  He also loves building race tracks for his Hot Wheels (or as the boys call them, Hot Tires) cars.

Cameron started T-ball and tennis this summer.  He has a decent arm in T-ball, both in accuracy and strength.  He also hits well, both off the tee and also when I pitch to him.  My main goal with T-ball was to help him learn the basics of the game and so far so good.  It is so cute watching the kids hit the ball and then forget to run to first base.  Or when they are on the base, they don't start running to the next base until their teammate is nearly on top of them.  His first game is Tuesday morning so I'm sure it will be endearing to watch them play "for real". 

Both Cameron and Nathan enjoy playing tennis in our driveway or with me on the courts.  It's hilarious when they play at home though as Jesse thinks the tennis ball is his and will chase it down.

Cameron also entered a bike race, the Kiddie Classic, in downtown Waukesha.  He was pretty focused and seemed to have fun, but I think also was a bit overwhelmed by all the spectators cheering.

I have LOVED having a 4 year old and want to keep Cameron 4 forever.  But when I tell him that, he says, "But I want to grow up so daddy has a friend at work" as he wants to be an engineer like daddy.  Though some days he will say teacher if he thinks mom feels left out.  Too sweet!


NATHAN

Nathan will be starting preschool this fall (two days a week) and then going to the preschool daycare after class as I am teaching a daytime section in the fall and spring.

He loves to read.  Many nights I will find him reading in bed when it's nearly dark.  He also reads in the car, in the big brown recliner, on my lap, wherever.  Right now, Scooby Doo books are the faves for both boys.

A recent milestone - he peed standing up for the first time on 7/12.  Yes, I know most of my 3 readers probably don't care as much as I do, but this is my record of the little and big things in my boys' life so I include the odd and mundane too!  He still has accidents as when he has to go, he has to go NOW!  Interestingly enough, he will get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom even though he has a diaper on.  I'm still not ready to night train him; think it will be a while still before I take that on.  In hindsight, guess we were spoiled with Cameron.  Once he decided he was ready to use the toilet, he just did it with very few problems. 

Nate has also been throwing some nasty tantrums these past few weeks.  I think the Terrible Twos is a misnomer - with both boys I felt/feel that 3 is more challenging than 2.