#22 a penguin & #23 a cow

A busy couple of days so here's a lot of pictures with a little bit of words :)...

Day #22...a trip to Penguin Park!  We have always heard about this being one of KC's best parks, but since its a bit of a drive we hadn't gone yet.  However, I think it was worth the trip!  It was great and even better that we had lots of friends there to play with!

"The Penguin"

{Lots of friends eating together!}

Then off to the ball fields...where Avery hit a "home run"...well not really a home run because every kid just runs one base at a time even if you don't actually hit the ball...but this hit did get the ball out to the grass!

Of course a slid into home was needed!

On day #23 we had a little water play at the gym!  I LOVE all they do for the kiddos at the childcare at the Y!

Then a little pillow fort building!

Some bubble blowing...

A girl and her dog eating lunch!

A little Popsicle making.  

{Made with strawberries and kiwi...yummy!}

A little trip to the dog park with Bella & friends.  I think our friend Leah got more dirty then Bella after holding on to a muddy Bella!

Some mulberry picking....

A trip for some ice cream....and a very scared little girl who DOES NOT like the "Eat More Chicken" Cow {she had the same feelings for KC Wolf last weekend at Touch a Truck}...you can't tell in this picture, but Ellie was keeping an eye on where that cow went and when he came outside.....well lets just say Ellie had to be put in the car and she wanted out of there NOW....I can't say I blame her for being scared of people in big costumes....they are pretty creepy....

Yeah for the weekend!

#21 pinterest hits & misses

Yeah for wet and wild Wednesday and for a day we didn't have to go anywhere!!!  Those kind of days are just so nice to have every now and then.

We decided to try out some "fizzy sidewalk paint" today.  It sounded like fun and it was a little bit of fun and made the kiddos happy.

It was however, pretty hard to "paint" on the concrete.

And wasn't quite as fizzy as we thought.

So the kiddos improvised...by just pouring the whole bucket on the concrete....

then the whole thing of vinegar ;).

I think they enjoyed just dumping water on the sidewalk after that and creating a stream that they then dammed up with sticks along the way.  Who needs Pinterest when you have creative skills like that :)?!

Here is something that we have LOVED off of Pinterest!  Our sponge bombs {as my kiddos call them}.  They have lasted since last year and they are still a favorite.  Just cut up some sponges and gather together with zip ties {I think the website says to use other things, but nothing held up like the little zip ties did...just cut off the end of the tie so you don't see it} to hold it together.

Fun times!

What's better then an arsenal of water guns in your pants :)?

But this has to be the best picture by far...my kiddos coloring together nicely by themselves.......heaven......here's a hint if you need a coloring page just do a google image search for __________ coloring page {exp. Dora coloring page, Pokemon coloring page, your options are endless ;)}.

#20 we {love} books

Here's a look at our morning + afternoon picstitch-instagramified 📷 {yes a completely made up word by me...by how I manipulated our pictures using apps ;)...I don't know what I would do without Instagram!}.

Fun at storytime in the park this morning for "thinking Tuesday"!

New books + summer ☀ reading programs are the best!  Yes, the kiddos are signed up for THREE different summer reading incentives...but I cannot pass up FREE books!  I think I might be a book hoarder...especially if you saw my attic and all the books I still have up there from my classroom library that I am refusing to let go of!

I beautiful day at the pool today!  I think this is the first time swimming this year where the water actually felt nice!!!

Hello there summer weather!!

#19 an 8:10 bedtime sounds good to me

The kiddos are starting to know the summertime routine a little better and the days are starting to slow down a bit more and feel more relaxing around here.  It's also heating up and it feels like summer now too on day #19!

Today on our Make Something Monday it was quite an easy one for me since we just took a trip to the library for a preschool craft they were doing.  The kiddos made faces on a cup and then planted grass seed to make "hair" for their person.  Easy and simple...the best kind of craft!

We also spent some more time playing in the sprinkler.  When my kiddos play in the sprinkler I guess they think they need to come prepared....with all their swimming gear!

Today was kind of a long afternoon...I think Ellie is trying to give up her naps...ugh....what do you do when NONE of your kids take naps anymore?!  I know, know make them take a "rest" time, but it never quite feels like a rest time for me anymore when they aren't actually sleeping.  But the best part of my day was since no one naps they were ALL ASLEEP by 8:10 pm {while the sun was still shining ;)}!! Hallelujah!!!  Good night!

#17 & #18 not a trip to the beach but...

We don't have a beach around here or anywhere close, but it doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves and spend a little time with our feet in the sand...

{Just a trip to the "little park" by our house and some sand volleyball with the kiddos ;)}

What else did we do this weekend?  

On Saturday, day #17 of summer, we got up early and went on a run/bike ride and we had friends come along!  I wish I got a picture of all the kiddos in the bike trailer/bikes...but here are my crazy three with a sleepy Bella.

Our run/bike ride happen to be going on at a Touch-a-Truck event so the kiddos got to play some games and climb in a few trucks too.

After a quick lunch at home off to another ball game!  Let's go Blizzards!

Then off to get more dirt at the compost facility...this is actually one of the boys' favorite activities because what boy doesn't love playing in a big pile of dirt????  Poor Evan had to miss out on the fun because he fell asleep in the truck while Ryan and Avery got the dirt.

{Avery's king of the hill...notice this picture was still taken in the truck because if I got out I am sure I would have been put to work ;)}

After going home and putting more dirt down in our backyard we head to the store to get some things, but just making a trip to the pet store to get some more goldfish for our pond ended up with purchasing..........................a turtle.  That's right Evan finally gets his turtle.  Apparently, it was promised to Evan that after the fence was up Ryan would get him a turtle for the pond.

{Well folks, that is the last of the turtle we have seen since yesterday afternoon........we will see......Ryan thinks that it will just stick around and live in our outdoor pond like a happy little camper, but we have several openings in the fence that he could easily make his escape to.  I will let you know if Mr. Turtle makes an appearance again....}

If that's not enough excitement for one day we also decided to take a trip to the Drive-In since it was a nice evening and the kiddos have it on our bucket list.

We went to see Epic {a cute movie....and we didn't even realize there was a pug in it!!!} and Star Trek 2.  The problem with Drive-In movies is that they have to start so late.  This is after an hour into the first show....Evan is passed out!

The other two were able to stay up through all of Epic {I wouldn't say Ellie was really watching the show at all}.  Then as soon as Epic was ending the rain started!  So we packed everyone into the car to watch the Star Trek movie since Ryan wasn't leaving without watching it.  Soon after the second movie started, with everyone in the closed up car with the windshield wipers going so you could still see the movie :), 4 out 5 of us were asleep.  No need to name names here of who fell asleep, but don't ask me either what happened in Star Trek ;).  After the movie was over we headed home at 1 in the morning...man that was a late night!!

So on day #18 we were hopeful that the kiddos would all sleep in with it being such a late night for everyone!  When I heard Evan up at 6:30 this morning I thought....oh no not already!  Like every morning he asked where Bella was and went to get her.  I told him that if he took her out of the kennel he would have to take her potty.  Well he did just that for me.  He came in said she went potty and then fed her her food.  Then the best thing ever happened ...he crawled back in bed and fell back to sleep!!! It was a miracle!  When I woke up and saw the clock said 8:45 and kids were sleeping it was THE BEST moment!!  That meant we all got our rest and went to the later service at church.  After a restful morning we headed to baseball again {man once we have more then one kid playing I don't think we will ever be leaving the fields!}

Then we spent a relaxing Sunday afternoon doing a little of this and that....

{This was Avery's first basket he ever made!!!}

Thankful for a relaxing Sunday!