Highlights from the Birthday Extravaganza!

There has been a lot going on lately, both because of Andrew's 5th, but also coincidentally just around the 5th birthday events. I have taken over a thousand photos and will do more event-specific posts at some point.  But... we are leaving for the beach tomorrow morning so all I can offer right now are my seven favorite photos from the past four days.

At Thursday's karate class, Mr. Mike invited ETHAN to participate (he can officially attend classes when he turns 3 in September)! He really did a great job and we are considering enrolling him early, probably in August.  I love the way he is looking up here, as if to say to the purple man, "Don't mess with my brother!"

Thursday was Andrew's actual birthday, and we celebrated at Red Robin with multiple desserts!

Once we got home Thursday evening, Andrew opened presents from family.  He donned his brand new Obi Wan robe as he aced another level on his Lego Star Wars game.  This  =  perfect Andrew birthday.

Friday evening landed us at another belt test!  He was awesome, and is now a yellow stripe belt.
 Next level is the coveted orange....

Saturday morning found us at karate and then his second ever swimming lesson.  He is a fish and LOVES it.

And Saturday evening was the much-anticipated party at Monkey Joe's with his best friends.  The kids had great fun.

After an evening at the bouncy house, we opened the rest of the gifts back at home.  He is really excited here about his new bedding set, as Auntie Christina peeks around the corner. :0)

Busy Bees!

Family is in town.  Andrew has earned his yellow stripe karate belt.  He had an amazing swimming lesson this morning.  This evening, we celebrate his 5-year-old-ness with a party at Monkey Joe's. 

There will be photos of all, just not sure when.... the problem with having a camera that totally rocks is that you take a bazillion photos that need to be gone through before posting.  (I know, cry me a river, right?)

See you when things calm down, blog.

Five Years Old.

Andrew, out first born, is five today. It's a day of joy and reflection.

One of my dear friends recently reminded me that, "The days are long, but the years are short."

Love you, our very first baby boy.

Baby No More... Big Boy Bed for Ethan

Last night was Ethan's first in his big boy bed.  The crib that was used by our little babes for five straight years is now officially in storage for future grandchildren.

We say this almost weekly: Where has the time gone?

100 Miles in 100 Days

Schoooool's Out For Summer!!

My plans?

1. Get to know all my boys again.
2. Purge our house of any item we do not need or use.
3. RUN (hence the photo I just took and posted here).

I recently purchased a great Hal Higdon (running God) app for my Droid that tracks mileage with GPS.  He gives you a complete schedule and plan, including 3 short runs per week, 1 long run, 1 cross-training day, and 2 days of rest (always Mondays and Fridays). 

My summer goal of 100 miles in 100 days will be easily attained if I go by Hal's suggested schedule.  The 100 days start tomorrow (the first actual day of summer break) and conclude September 10.  I will also be running a half-marathon by the end of August (again, IF I stick with Hal).  This will ease my anxiety for my first-ever actual half-marathon that Jon and I will be undertaking at Disney World in November.

Jon and I have three races lined up this summer: July 4 (4-miler), July 28 (5K), and August 4 (5K).  One of them benefits the Heroes Vest Fund, run in honor of a local 5-year-old K-9 police dog who lost his life in the line of duty. 

I love running!  And summer break!  Woo hoo!

School Changes and Hard Goodbyes

Today marked the last day for students in our district.  It was also Andrew's last day as a preschool student and Ethan's last day with his babysitter of two years.

Although Andrew will technically become a Kindergarten student in August, he will remain in the same school and classroom to finish out his third and final year with his Montessori teacher.  So, that goodbye wasn't too bad; it was only a goodbye to the "preschool" title and some friends who are rising 1st graders.

Here's Andrew today beside his school's student-created and student-maintained garden

Ethan's goodbye was a little tougher.  He has been with Miss Debby for two years.  In August, he will begin his Montessori journey (at a different school than Andrew's) in a 2- to 3-year-old classroom.

Miss Debby presented all her "Lost Boys" with an Avengers balloon and graduation Mickey. 
I took this photo once he got home.

Jon took this at this morning's final drop-off.  Wish he'd been smiling!  Silly guy.

And this terrible Andrew photo was brought to you by the crying fest that ensued this morning at pick-up.  Some rising 1st graders and their mamas were crying, so then the other students empathetically joined in, which was both sweet and sad. These are Andrew's three beautiful, PATIENT teachers.

I know everybody always says this, but time is moving SO fast! These young men were babies yesterday. I am very much looking forward to my time with them this summer before they begin a new chapter in their rapidly changing school lives.

Memorial Day Weekend Fun and Projects

To begin, I want to THANK our service men and women, both living and dead, for giving all they have so that we may be free.  Period.  So many people (including me) get sidetracked by the 3-day weekend fun that they forget the reason for the holiday.

That having been said, this time with my nuclear family has been amazingly relaxing and productive. There was bike riding, swimming, yummy grilled food, toy purging followed by trips to the recycling center and Goodwill, and we are about ready to move Ethan to the Thomas the Tank Engine bed (sooner than expected because he is now climbing freely from his crib at will).

In addition to the aforementioned fun, there was...

a lot of running

lawn care

a long nap or two (note Andrew's Woody/Buzz tuck-in that happened sometime in the middle of one of his naps)

hanging of two new canvases

finally getting around to covering the remaining five dining chairs

and today, right now, RAIN from tropical depression Beryl.  we had big afternoon swimming plans, too. [sigh]

The hard part about this weekend is that it totally feels like summer. And we still have school for one more week. Oh, well. Summer will be here in just five short days and we are READY.