Columbus, baby J, movies & more!

Another poolisde weekend in the books.  Never ever will I get sick of our backyard vacation.  With the intense summer sun and our pool solar cover we had water temps up to a heavenly 96 degrees last week.  Borderline hot tub & fine by me.  Though come Sunday after a couple days of clouds the water dropped back to where we heat it, 88 degrees.  Still super warm, but poor little Teagan was unpleasantly surprised by the "cold" water as she took her first dip in the pool cannonball style.  Cried cried cried!

Straight chillin

Poolside cabana for rent

Little Emerson had the pleasure of meeting the Detroit Zoo penguin this past week during our weekly pizza and live music night. Look how thrilled she is to be held in 90+ degree heat while her sisters (not pictured) frolic in the zoo splash pad.

We lost Sydney almost a year ago and Parker still draws pictures of her every single day :(  The girls have been asking for a new puppy but I am SO not there yet.  But hey, it looks like Parker would like a bunny and fox too so I have some options!

Ahhhh, the memories being made all on our court.  Nothing like a late night outdoor viewing of Zootopia with popcorn and the neighbor crew.  Such an enjoyable night.  Made for some cranky pants the next day but it was definitely worth it.  

A couple weekends ago we made the trek to Ohio to see baby Jack.  Full steam ahead!

The girls loved being able to meet prince Jack.  It was so heartwarming to see all the cousins together :) 

E looks HUGE next to J!! 

Do you think Parker is a proud cousin or what?! :) 

The weekend weather was insanely hot so we stayed indoors at the amazing Cosi Science Center.  So much for the littles to touch and explore.  Later in the day we wandered out to the Jazz & Rib Festival and enjoyed the super cool riverside splash pad.  These girls have it made!

Ready to enjoy another week of amazing temps!

Pure Michigan

This has been the summer of the heat wave.  Days full of 80 and 90 degree temps have made for plenty of enjoyable days poolside. And while I will never complain about the heat, I definitely welcomed the cold front we had this past weekend.  And by cold front I mean like 68 degrees and cloudy in the AM.  Cold enough to find the motivation to bust out the single and double BOB and take a jog on the trails to our downtown.

All three girles were able to enjoy all the park had to offer.  Play structures, hide and go seek, the river, and plenty o ducks.

After we burned mad calories from our run it only made sense to stuff our faces at the best coney spot our town has to offer.  Bacon dog and cheese fries, coming right up.  Run, eat fatty food, run back home.  It's all about balance, right??

We also stopped by the library on our adventure.  The big girls took their obligatory picture with Andy (the statue), played with everything the library had to offer, and checked out some books.

Then it was off to the next spot, Dinosaur Hill.  The mission was to uncover a turtle egg.  If you were able to locate one you were awarded the most special turtle pin you've ever laid eyes on. Mission accomplished. 

Emerson was clearly not as excited about this as #1 and 2. 

What a fun filled day it was spending quality family time in the town we love :) 

Another place we love is the zoo, especially during Wednesday nights in the summer.  On these nights the zoo is open late, live bands play, and drinks are served.  Yes, please! 

Emerson dominated pizza crust while P & T dominated their dance moves.

And finally, what a difference a year makes.  2015 versus 2016 :) 

June cont

Preschool: been there, done that! Parker’s graduation ceremony was a lot of fun.  Watching the song & dance portion, something that P had been working on for weeks, and seeing her get her diploma was simply the best.  Hard to believe that in a matter of months we will have a kindergartener on our hands.  Eeeeek!

My poor, sweet, can do no wrong Emerson has ANOTHER EAR INFECTION.  Yes, another ear infection even though she had tubes put in a short four months ago.  This baby cannot catch a break.  

I could feel a fever on her Sunday night though our thermometer was on the fritz so I wasn’t sure of the actual temp.   A little Advil helped that night and a little more the next morning.  We had an appointment scheduled for vaccines and by the time we got there her fever was almost 103.  Quick ear check confirmed another infection.  I am hoping this is not going to repeat itself over and over again.  Our pedi doesn’t want her on any more antibiotics (though she is on one now) and we’ve already had tubes so…..I’m not sure what the solution is.

All I know is that someone was less than thrilled to be waiting 20 minutes at Kroger for her meds. 

In other news, I have discovered that the S women all have Fedoras.  And I love it :) 

I also love our new wood floors! You can catch a glimpse below in the 2nd pic.  The final piece of this home reno is the kitchen.  We basically have to turn the kitchen upside down and remove the huge island and panty so that will be intense.  But after that we are on our way to have a home with all brand new flooring  from basement to first floor to second floor.  Giving this home the face lift it deserves! 

Emerson is becoming a little daredevil.  One of her fave things is to rock herself on this horse and fast as she possibly can while looking completely innocent.  Once that gets old, she tries to use the horse to help her climb onto the couch.  Cannot take our eyes off her for a second! 

Parker & Teagan have been dying to start a garden but we have backyard problems to the tune of about 11 deer who will chomp that up in a heartbeat. So we improvised and brought the planters up to our tallest deck which is above our walkout basement. We bought  the seeds & the dirt, found some unused planters and off the girls went.  I am pretty proud at how diligent they have been with their seeds.  Daily they check on their plants and make sure to water them.  Being able to see them grow gets the girls super excited.  I don’t like gardening (bugs + dirts + time suck + weeding = the worst) but I love that the girls love it.  Maybe next year we will invest in some legit large planters and kick it up a notch. 

First thing in the morning: tshirt pjs ad rain boots :)

Dance recital was fun as always.  I love getting to watch the girls do their thing.  The costumes this year were some of my favorite ones.  Parker’s dance was the Sound of Music and Teagan was the Muppet’s.  Both outfits were spot on. 

And, as always, we've been having lots of fun with Snapchat.

Adios! 

May & June

Let's blast a few weeks into the past and catch up on my crew.

Two weeks ago was the highly anticipated parent observation day at dance.  Only three times per year are parents granted permission to come in and observe the progress of these little tappers/ballerinas.  Love watching them show off their new skills! After class the girls were presented with trophies honoring all the progress made during the year.  Teagan was SO excited to have her own piece of bling to proudly display on her "special shelf" in her bedroom.

While dance is done for the season, we're already thinking about next year.  Parker's teacher, Miss V, has been chatting with me about having Parker dance competitively as she thinks she's ready based on her skill set. Miss V grew up at DSD, dancing since she was P's age, and now teaches.  Both of her daughters dance competitively and P is BFFs with her youngest.

The time commitment is intense though, especially for a five year old.  8 hours per week during the summer and six per week during the school year.  Geez.  So to compromise for now we're looking at doing half the commitment.  Three hours per week during the school year for jazz, tap and hip hop, two recitals and two regionals.  Teagan will still take one class of tap/tumbling.  I'm looking forward to the new classes, costumes, and lasting memories!

Parker is ready for it.  Right girl?!

Not only did dance wrap up but soccer did as well.  I was so proud of Teagan for tearing up the field in her first season.  She participated in the drills, scored goals, and followed the coaches instruction. Way to go! Poor thing was pretty sick for her last game though.  Could barely move, let alone run, and kept asking if it was over.  Finally it was and she was able to chill in the stroller while Parker played. By the time we got home she had a 102 fever and was exhausted.  A Disney movie and early bedtime was the cure for this illness as she woke up the next morning feeling 100% better.

Parker killed it this season.  Endless goals, great defense, crazy hustle...major improvements from last fall.  Soccer will remain on our schedule right along with dance.

No matter what sport, Emerson will be there to cheer her biggies on! Though in reality, she loathes being stuck on the soccer field for 2 1/2 hours.  All she wants to do is walk all over the field--perhaps trying to keep up with P & T--but that's not the best idea unless she wants to become a human soccer ball.

My sister had her baby! My sister had her baby! So we made a quick trip to OH to meet the little guy. I don't have any pics as he was in the NICU but soon enough.  What I do have though is a group pic with a scowling Parker.  This mean mom couldn't locate the hospital play area and that + lack of sleep = angry face.  

Baby Jack was born in an OSU hospital and the decor was spot on.  Go Bucks! Look at Emerson imitating Brutus.  I mean, it's in her blood after all.  

Back in our state we've spent the majority of our weekends hanging out around the house.  For the most obvious reason--the pool-- but also because Emerson is an epic snoozer.  Girl will sleep, no joke, from about 7pm until we have to wake her at 4pm.  That is 21 hours! TWENTY ONE HOURS! Every single weekend.  It is insane. 

When she is up we take full advantage of our E time. Teagan teachers her how to draw.

We take wagon rides around the sub. 

And we act super cute :) 

Teagan also acts super cute when she picks out her own outfits.  And when she says things like, "I like Daddy's car more than yours because Daddy drives a Cat-illac and I love cats." This kid! 

Up next: recap of Parker's preschool gradation, the girls dance recital, and our new floors! The living room and dining room are completely done :)