First Steps

Again back tracking to before the kids were out of school but I do not want to lose these moments.

June 4th I took the tiny team to the boys school for a picnic.  The babies love to go their and have lunch with their brothers.  Their school thankfully has  times constantly we can go and join them for lunch.  But this lunch was special.  It was after the moving up ceremony.  In Montessori you stay with your class and teachers for 3 years at a time.  This year Gregory was moving up from lower el to upper el.  But something I did not know is one of his main teachers is moving up with him.  Yes a teachers he has grown with and learned so much with for the last three year will now be one of his teachers for the next 3 years!!!  I love it!  She knows him, his learning styles, his quarks, God is so good and has provided him such a great person to continually help him grow.

I did not get to many or really any pictures of the boys.  I spent most my time chasing the girls.



As well as a friend of mine, his daughter was also more interested in playing than watching her brothers.  They are all great friends and his 3 fall in the missing ages of mine.  They love to play.

But I did get one of them and Evan's ostrich.



He worked hard on the ostrich report.

I laughed at this one.



This was the boys motorcycle.  From when they were the same age as baby cakes.  We gave it to the school years ago and lo and behold here is Gracie riding it 10 years later!  maybe it is not the same one, but it looks just like it.

It was such a nice day the weather was perfect, not hot, not cool, not windy like it often is at these picnics just wonderful.  And babycakes wanted to take advantage of the warm weather and soft grass to take a few first steps!

Yes she is the youngest one I have had start to walk.  She was 10 months then.





She had no need to be nervous because she had the tiny team ready to catch her if she would fall.





Pretty Faith



And her pretty butterfly dress.  She is in a butterfly stage now she love them.  I wonder if we could be moving on from Dora?  I don't think so.  She knows the Spanish word for butterfly, mariposa, thanks to Dora and me.

Oh sweet Gracie, she got the hang of it but since then has not really "walked" much.  Steps here and there.



All my kids started walking at a year or just after.  Ironically all at Massanutten and we will be going there again in 19 days for her 1st birthday.  It's hard to believe she is almost 1.  It however will be harder to keep up with her once she is off and running.

Gregory's skating party

Over a month ago we celebrated Gregory's 10th birthday.  He is a firecracker baby and although that sounds cool and for the first few years it was when you get older and want to have friends over for a party it sucks having your birthday on America's.  No one could ever come they were out of town or spending the time with their family.  We could never have a party for him that was not family.  Finding cakes however no problem.  Before it would get close to his birthday we would poll friends who would be able to come and nothing every worked out.  This year he is turning the double digits.  He really wants just two things a big party and a new ipod.

In order to give him the big party we held it the beginning of May.  He was super excited!  He counted down for the longest time.  It was a skating party.  The boy  loves to skate.



I did not actually get many pictures of him because you could never catch him.  But here he is in the purple with his best friend.



I got lots of pictures of this little guy.  He is so cute and more my speed.  My 2 year old nephew Jacob and my mom.



Evan had a good time racing around and especially doing the limbo.  They do that at all skating rinks out here, do they do it everywhere?



And Smiley I think just showed up for the cake.

These two girls, should I be worried?



Motorcycling with Pepa.



He loved it and everyone had a great time, except my brother who fell and split his chin.  He spent the party in the ER getting it glued back together.  I felt horrible.



But happy birthday party to our double digit 10 year old.  You are a wonderful boy who deserved a wonderful party.

The last day of school

Yes it was a bit ago still in this month though.  But since ever blogger I see post first day of school pictures, which I am guilty of too....



August 2012

and then post last day of school pictures. Which I have never done so directly but the last week of school is nothing but picnics, pool parties and feild days which I always post pictures of and will do soon again.  But here, they are now 3rd and 4th year students.



People post them for comparison but I don't think they have actually changed all that much.

However for 2011-2012 I can see them growing up.



And from 2010-2011 should I cry?



And of course they had to go to school gangnam style.



Love them HATE that song.

The community circus

It has been a while since I have been to the blogging site I have not had the minute to sit down.  I wish I would have because all the time I have not been on here nearly daily we were having wonderful memories I want to record for my memory and our history.

As I mentioned before, Memorial Day week was great, I had so much fun.  But I never got to share the best part of it.  To back track earlier that week all of us went to Ringling brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus and had a great time.  We all really enjoyed the show and it was still very fresh in our minds.  Surprisingly it still is almost a month later.

Gregory had a chance to be in a community circus.  The opportunity came unexpectedly and fast but he was more than happy to do it and we were so excited to watch.

A group of kids had the chance to participate in a 3-4 hour master circus class tought by Ben Sota of Pittsburgh’s Zany Umbrella Circus.  He was such a nice guy and clicked beautifully with the kids.  He also studied his trade at the San Francisco Circus Center, the Trapeze Arts School and Acro Sports, and recently earned his PhD.  I did know you could get a doctorate in being a clown?

Mema and Pepa came to watch Gregory.




Gracie was ready for it to begin too.



And what a get up Gregory  is dressed in!  He is adorable.



He is the one in the middle of the picture with the mask, Mr. Clown.

And his first performance



A bit goofy.



But his second preformance blew us away.  He is so fantastic and talented



He was so proud we all were.  He has never done anything like before.



What a kid what a performer!






They all did excellent.  What a cool experience.  And he loved it too.



It was my favorite part of the day, weekend.

Hacked

I have been having lots of blog trouble.  Apparently mine has been hacked by 991 porn.  So if you see post that aren't from me and rather disturbing I am sorry.  I will try to get it resolved soon and tell you all about 2 birthdays, a trip to the ocean, camping, and the end of the school year madness fun.

Memorial Day Weekend

It was super fun.  The kids and I and my parents went to have some fun at a park near my home.  It was not hot dogs and hamburger type of fun thankfully.  The kids and I will have our hamburgers tonight at a benefit night at where else of a better place but Fuddruckers!  We are looking forward to it.



Dinner!  (I had started this post a few days ago)

  Fuddruckers was great and best of all the kids behaved beautifuly!!  Second best, we hopefully raised a lot of money for the school.  I have not got the totals in but we saw many friends there.

Back to Memorial Day.  At the park was so many activities!  The older two got to try canoeing.



They paddled around in the stream splashing each other and having a great time.





It is not the first time they have been in a canoe but it was the first time without dad or me, well just dad.  I don't think I have ever took them in a boat.  I stand on the sidelines and take pictures.



Evan



Oh how she wanted to play in the water with the big brothers.



And Grace, content to be held and played with on her memas lap.



We saw there the biggest bullfrog I have ever seen!  It might be the only one  have ever seen because I have never seen a frog so large.

Neither has my princess.



This frog was probably the size of my 2 year old's torso.

They told her she could touch it.






She thought twice about it.  She was a little unsure.



But at the end of the day what kid can resist?



YaY!  Little Princess Faith!
She touched it.  I would not.  Maybe kiss it?!!?   :) But I do not want to touch it.

The boys also continually over and over raced each other to the top of a rock wall.



Then would jump down



And do it all again









And of course again the princess stood in awe.  Wanting to do whatever  the big brothers are doing and  I have no doubt she could.



Ah good day.  I tried to get a picture together  of the kids and me since none could be took at the school play, it did not turn out well.



But the one of the kids and my parents much better.



I will post the best part of the day later!