The Start of Summer "Break"

You would think that with summer, we would have more free time, right?  It appears that we have the exact opposite.  The first week of summer "break" we had dance rehearsals and recitals almost every night.  T-ball was also still going on, and Nick started summer wrestling sessions and also went to Florida for a convention for 5 days.  Immediately after recitals, Gracie and Owen started at Lily Pad 3 days/week while I work and Gracie has started gymnastics at a Club in Ames.  She is also in swimming lessons for two weeks and her days at Lily Pad are very full of activities.  She goes to Slater to swim once weekly and has one other field trip every week.  This week he got to go to the science center in Des Moines.  She is so excited to be back there this summer.

 

Owen is also still excited to be at Lily Pad.  They get out little pools at the facility once a week to have their swim day and they walk to a park whenever the weather allows.  He can't wait to be a preschooler in August, although I have my doubts because there are still some days that he doesn't want me to leave him a school.  However, if I come too early to pick him up he ignores me or tells me to come back later because he is playing or having a snack and he's not ready to go yet.

 

 Here is Owen after a shopping trip to buy new summer clothes.  He's excited to show them off.

Gracie warming up for tumbling at her rehearsal for dance.

Waiting at dress rehearsal

Ready to go for her recital...boots and all.

Daddy stealing some time with his little girl.

Owen waiting for Gracie after her final recital.  He's such a trooper.  He sat through all three recitals and was so good hanging out with all the girls.  We took a couple breaks to go watch high school softball games, but spent most of our time at the middle school helping Gracie.  I know there are a lot of pics of Gracie, but Owen is usually right there with us, too.  His time in the spotlight will come soon enough.

Owen's nice shiner.  He and Gracie were playing "catch" with the swing and apparently he wasn't ready. 

Gracie's first day of gymnastics.  She did great.  She tried out the Advanced Tumblebugs group and they moved her up a level.  So now she is in Success I.  We'll see how it goes.  So far she said her favorite part was playing on the bars.  They work the girls pretty hard when they're there and it's good to see Gracie doing something she likes so much.  She says she wants to keep doing it.

Another pic of Gracie on the beam.

First time camping this year.  I set up the tent but couldn't get the rain fly on by myself.  We just stayed in the back yard, but the kids had fun and we got to do a fire.

Last t-ball game of the year.  Gracie is ready for coach-pitch next year.  Owen can't wait to play t-ball too.  I think the hardest thing this year was the first day of Gracie's practice when Owen thought he would be on a team too.  Nick was coaching Gracie's team, so Owen and I went along to watch and I told Owen that I would play catch with him and pitch to him.  He wanted to wear green for his team, because green is his favorite color.  He figured it out about 5 minutes into the practice that he wasn't on a team and was devastated.  Lots of tears and asking "where's my team, mom?"  Broke my heart.  I wanted to cry with him, but like I said, his time will come.  He settled for riding his bike to the park and playing there instead. 

Gracie playing first base

Gracie at the bat

This is what happens when Owen is given Spiderman shaving cream.  The water was blue.  He said it looked like the ocean.

Last night we joined Nick's mom and headed to Boone to watch Jeremy play in the Boone Municipal Band.  Gracie helped Joslyn eat her dinner.

So, lots going on so far this month.  I finished my last course for grad school and start practicum and internship in a few weeks.  I will be completely done in March 2015.  I also found out this spring that I will be full time at the high school again this coming school year instead of going back and forth between the middle and high school. 

My mom came up for dance recital, and brought my Grandma Jeanne to come watch.  I was so happy to see them both there.  We also visited my Grandma last week and the kids and Nick swam in her pool for a little bit.  Last weekend we went to Muscatine to help celebrate my twin nieces' birthdays.  They turned 2!  We stopped at Nick's mom's to help with hay and let the kids ride horses for a little bit.  It was a great weekend!

This coming weekend we might go camping and then next week we will be back in Muscatine for the McNary family reunion.  We will then leave from there to head to the Ozarks for a week.  Never a dull moment!