Mommy and Me Date - Evelynn

I so love doing this!  We started these special "dates" with our kids a couple years ago when Evie turned 5.  As each kid turns 5 we start taking them out on dates.  Sometimes it's simple, like going to Costco, just the two of us, with a sundae to finish off the night.  Sometimes it's a bit more elaborate, like going ice skating and lunch or pedicures and treats.

Tonight was an impromptu date night thanks to one of my best friends on the island here.  Renea is my next door neighbor, life saver, last minute babysitter, and all around fantastic friend.  She had tickets to see a movie, but decided it wouldn't work for her family.  Instead she offered them to me!

So I decided to take Evie to the movie Max, about a military dog and his handler's little brother.  She loved it, even though she talked all the way through!  Cracked me up.  She said her favorite part was the happy ending.  My kind of girl!  After the movie she even was brave enough to touch the "working dog" the MWR had brought in to highlight how special these animals really are.  I was very proud.

After the movie we dropped by McD's for a late dinner and a yummy strawberry milkshake.  Of course I showed her the ONLY real way to eat a milkshake: with fries dipped into it.  She liked it or so she said, but she'll probably not do it again.

We had so much fun together tonight.  I so enjoy these one on one times with my biggest girl.  She is such a sweetheart when she's not trying to be in charge or fighting for my attention.  I adore her and her quirky thoughts that just pop right out of her mouth.  I swear that girl has not one thought that has run through her mind that hasn't come right our her mouth.  So funny.  At least you always know what's going on with her.

She is so amazing and I'm so blessed to get to be her mom.  She's pretty patient with my attempts to do right by her and I'm grateful for my right hand gal.

So love her!  Yay for mommy and me dates!

Onizuka Play Park

We are so blessed to live on base at this time.  In our neighborhood there are so many little play structures throughout the area that we are often at one of them just to get out some extra energy.  Tonight they were still a bit wound up so we walked less than a minute from our house to the big park in the middle of our neighborhood.  We love it.

Ally loves to play pretend!  These dials often become a computer, a cash register, a telephone or whatever other tool she might need.  She's so imaginative.

 Lizzy is such an adventurous little spirit.  I don't think anything REALLY scares her.  She's such an inspiration to me to let go a little bit more and smile.

 Vaughn makes me so nervous when he hangs out next to an open space like this sometimes.  He's still so little, but so brave...

and sometimes very naughty!  I told him to stop and he leaned out further!  Little turkey!

looking out over the park

Not one child can play on a jungle gym like this without using it improperly.  As long as there weren't other kids playing on the structure too, I stopped worrying about it and just let them have fun.

DC - Sing a Song of Sixpence

With our little Preschoolers we continue going through our nursery rhymes.  Today we read, discussed, and did a fun project for the Sing a Song of Sixpence rhyme.

The girls got a kick out of the fact that there were actual birds baked into a pie.  Ally giggled forever when they popped out and flew away after the king cut into it.

We read the rhyme a couple times and then we did a cool project.  We made little pies out of play dough and made imprints of the little birds inside.  We talked about what the rhyme said (like what is a sixpence?) and why it was popular.  The girls enjoyed the play dough!

 They did such a great job! Usually I'm a bit hesitant with play dough because of its inherint messy nature.  But the girls were clean and on task and when they were done, they were done.  Makes it easier to say yes next time.

 I love that look of concentration on their little faces!

HS Service Project

Every now and then we are so blessed by people with whom we come in contact.  Our neighbors here in Hawaii are really amazing.  The Nimmo family across the street have been a prime example.  Laura and Caleb have been great helps and good friends and their kids Caden, Lily, and Chase are wonderful additions to our fun activities.  The Nimmo family are fellow homeschoolers so when Laura asked if we wanted to participate in a Samaritan's Purse service project we of course said, yes!

It was a great project.  These are supposed to be Christmas gifts for youth in 3rd world countries that this Christian based organization already visits.  You get these plastic buckets and fill them with some fun things like plastic jewelry and crayons or action figures and cars (depends on if it's for a boy or a girl).  School supplies are a great additions as well.  And we also included some H&B things like a toothbrush, hairbrush, comb, and a fun pair of socks.  The kids had a great time and Laura really went out of her way to provide supplies and a location for us to do this.  It was such a great experience.  Each of the kids participated in creating a "present" for their own gender and then they filled out a fun little fact sheet about themselves.  We even added pictures!  It was wonderful.

 writing their info sheets and coloring their pictures

 the finished "presents" ready to be sent!

PS. we got a note later that said our buckets went to Bolivia.  It was so cool!

Basketball Season in Full Swing!

I have so enjoyed the PeeWee sports program here on base!  For a small cost Joe gets to try out a new sport, learn the skills for the first time, make new friends, get a t-shirt, and a ball!  He has done so well!  Makes me happy to see how much fun he's having.  It gives Daddy and Joe their own time and the girls and V get to be the supportive, cheering crowd for all of Joe's accomplishments.  It's been such a good thing for Joe's development.

We are continuing in basketball and Joe is doing such a great job!  He learns so quickly and though dribbling looks like THE skill to work on, he shoots well, and is a fantastic team player.  He doesn't mind running after the ball when it goes out, and he never hogs the ball.  In fact he helps his teammates catch the ball and then reminds them to take it to the hoop.  He's totally got a handle on this one.

 Lizzy is very happy for Joe!  He just made a basket!

 great shot, buddy!

 way to be patient!  

 go for it, Joe!

Tea Party

So Lily Nimmo is a best friend of our family and she lives next door.  She is spunky and stubborn and energetic and honestly, fits right in!  We love the Nimmo family very much.

For Lily's birthday she invited all three girls to a Tea Party.  I was so relieved that the invitation extended to ALL the girls.  So they dressed up in their very pretty dresses (minus shoes: we're still in Hawaii!) and they walked over to Lily's bday party.  It was Ally's first bday party and it went wonderfully.  They had a great time and Lily's mom, Laura made sure to send me some pix!

 Walking across the street to Lily's house

 waiting patiently at the door to joint the party!

 dancing girls

coloring activity

 singing their favorite song: happy birthday!

playing party games!

 They all had such a great time!

Silly Kids!

One of the best reasons for having a blog or writing about the family at all is the chance to chronicle the day to day silliness of raising children.  My kids crack me up, on a daily basis.  Having five kids under 7 means I have five times the chance of being stuck laughing till my belly hurts.  Sometimes it will be Vaughn who strikes a pose that just gets me or hearing Ally giggle like crazy that makes me smile.  The point is that having kids is hilarious and the proof is below.

went in to get him out and this is what I saw.  So funny!

So what are you seeing?  You are seeing my kids fill up a little blue bucket with water and then throwing it into the air to watch what happens.  The bucket did not make it through this activity, but we had a great discussion about how the impact of the bucket caused the water to fly through the air.  Yeah for random science lessons!

We so love our little pool!  Its free and open all year round.  What more could five outdoorsy kids want?

This pool is obviously kid-friendly!

What a great day!  The kids all took a minute to rest.  so cute!

Ok, seriously, how is this picture not just totally adorable?  Vaughn is never where I expect him to be when I go to do my last check of the night.  This one was just such a perfect example of my little V and his massive cuteness.

Basketball Season has Arrived! Be Warned!

Well, t-ball was interesting and football was crazy.  Let's see how sport number three goes!  Welcome one and all to PeeWee Basketball.  For another season daddy has decided to coach, which means that our fee is free.  I've also been asked to take photos for training purposes and the MWR website.  So surprised!  Can't wait to see how it all goes.  Wish us luck and GO JOE!  (I love saying that.  Can't believe I have a GI Joe in my house!)

 he's playing duck, duck, goose with other boys before practice.

 such a cutie this one!  Thx for posing boy!

Super cute.  He loves basketball already!  Good for you Joseph.  I'm so proud of him for trying all these different activities.  We're giving him a wide range so he can find something he really wants to put his time (and our money!) into.  Wish us luck!

Some Fun Moments!

We love to be together as a family.  Sometimes that means we get on each other's nerves, but sometimes you get great moments like these ones!

daddy can't sleep without a lovey, mommy! 

So, he just had to have one or two.

Then we get our special big firsts with Vaughn still.  This is a picture commemorating my baby moving to the table and out of a high chair for good.  Still can't believe it!  He's getting so big so fast! I can't tell if Vaughn or the other kids were more excited to sit altogether at the table.  Cracked me up.

Dino nuggets are always a hit!

And then there's Lizzy.  She went to her very first friend birthday party!  Max Kunz invited her to a baseball game themed party.  The favors were so cute and all these adorable little kids played a game of baseball.  Amanda was even sweet enough to catch a picture of Lizzy for us!  Go Lizzy! (Kevin aka Max's daddy, is the catcher.)

We are finally getting into a nice routine with school.  It was Friday Friend note day and Eve wanted a picture!  So proud of how quickly she grasps these English concepts.  What can I say?  I'm an English teacher by trade, it makes me happy.

Love that hat!  I swear if I were a mom into child modeling Eve would so be there.  She's blonde, blue eyed, and as skinny and tall as you can get at 7.  If I weren't so in love with her as my daughter, she'd make me a bit envious.  Good thing I'm happy being me, good thing for both of us I believe!  

So enjoying watching my kids grow up!  What a great time to be a mom.