This and That

Lucian was able to spend a Friday with the kids. He did have to stop in the office briefly and brought the littles along. I think Kyle recorded a voice over in the sound booth. I hope he got paid;) Side note: this boy carries things everywhere. Notice the multiple train cars in his hand.

They stopped for ice cream. I love Kyle's expression in this shot.

And Claire and Lucian played board games outside while Kyle napped. Somehow it turned into a photo session where Claire was posing up a storm. My heart melted when he showed me this one. She did this all on her own. 

We went out for dinner and then stopped for ice cream on what seemed to be a perfect summer night. We looked out at the river downtown on the way to our car. 

An awesome shot of Claire that Lucian took. The leaves from our birch trees make it look like fall!

My parents came up last week to help with the kids while I was shooting tv spots for a few days. I had an awesome view of the city from a rooftop downtown. I'll be back at it next week (and so will they). Thank goodness for retired doting grandparents!

Pierced Ears!

Over the 4th weekend I took Claire to get her ears pierced. She has been talking about it for a while. We debated having her wait for her birthday, but realized this way she will be able to change out her earrings around that time.

I give her credit, I was very honest about the process and that it would hurt. She was super brave and did not even cry!

Before photo

Waiting

One down...

and done!

She chose cute pink glitter hearts. I was so proud of her and kept looking at her for days and saying "I can't believe you have your ears pierced!" She looks so mature. She is doing a great job cleaning them daily and turning them. Only a few more weeks and she can change them out. She has some flowers all picked out.

Tooth Fairy

There are big changes happening for Claire these days. While eating lunch last week her loose tooth really gave way. I was happy she was with my parents so she wasn't scared. 

The following day she spent with Nana Kathleen, and what do you know, it popped out! Side note: fruit snacks are no match for a loose tooth! She was so excited.

The tooth fairy visited, but Claire was not at all interested in giving away her tooth. Instead she placed a note under her pillow saying; "Please don't take my tooth. But please do leave money." She endnd up with two gold $1 coins. Lucky gal.

Boats and Soccer

We were lucky enough to sail on a friends boat recently and even cook lunch. I had other plans for the day (like a Costco run) but when a friend invites you to sail, you should always say yes. Costco was still there the next day:)

We signed both kids up for soccer. It's just a 6-week course where the kids play fun games as a group to learn skills and how not to use their hands. I was really looking forward to it, but the first class was a complete disaster. Claire was terrified and wouldn't go near her team/coaches. She threw the ball and called it stupid and refused to move. Kyle just cried about wanting to play on the adjacent playground and in the end spent most of the hour on Lucian's lap pouting. Eventually Lucian left with him early detecting a potty emergency and I sat with Claire on the sidelines of her class.

Eventually, when Claire sensed I was quite sad about the whole thing, she offered to try one game. She kicked over cones with her ball in very close proximity to me and the sideline. And then agreed to join the scrimmage at the end. And what do you know, soccer is actually kind of fun. She has been great in the following weeks and is getting a work out too.

Kyle on the other hand continues to pout. Here's a selfie I sent Lucian one week when he was traveling. I don't have photos, but I did manage to keep Kyle out on the field this week! I felt like a teacher's aid, constantly engaging him and even carrying him out to the field on occasion. I did every activity with him and I'm hoping we can make it through next week too!

Beach Lunch

We took our lunch to a beautiful park on the Lake the other weekend. I love picnicking with the kids outside. They can be loud and messy and there are no dishes!

They enjoyed exploring the beach and dipping toes in the cold cold water.

Field Trip

Lucian was able to accompany Claire's class on a field trip to a sculpture garden. Always fun to see the moment-to-moment photos when he goes along. Here are a few.

The duo also met me for lunch in the afternoon before picking up Kyle. A lovely treat.

Claire Can Ride

The weekend of the 4th Claire mastered her two wheeler! We now ride as a family and she's able to join some other kids in the neighborhood. It is great fun to watch. We even had to get her a different bike since she outgrew the freebie you'll see in the video. She asks to ride every day and is really loving the confidence of getting around independently.

Strawberry Picking

We used the long weekend surrounding the 4th to really savor family time. One activity we sought out was strawberry picking. The kids really enjoyed it. Especially Kyle who ate more than his weight in strawberries.

Which way are the berries Kyle?

 Oh, you can eat them?

 Wow

 He can't stop

 Sweet girl

The attention span of a 3-year old didn't last through the whole process. But running up and down the rows held him over.

Our loot

Zoo Trip

Back in June I had a Friday off while Kyle's daycare was closed. The kids and I decided a trip to the zoo would be a great way to spend the day. The weather was great I really enjoyed the extra time with the munchkins.

Thank goodness goats are so docile. I think Kyle likes to hug them more than feed them.

And a little ice cream treat

Kyle decided he would rather eat my ice cream cookie after asking for a rocket pop. He gobbled the whole thing up. And throughly enjoyed it.