Backyard Movie!

The last night Josh was to be gone I wanted to do something fun and different for the boys - though warm, I thought they would still enjoy getting to watch a movie outside, something they haven't done.

Homemade marshmallows (both plain and chocolate chip), graham crackers, chocolate, berries and melted chocolate.

I attempted to hang some lights and made a poster for our movie - Despicable Me 2 ! The boys are really getting into the minion stage (years late I suppose). Thought it'd be fun to see the 2nd one so we're caught up to see the new one in a few weeks.

I was glad I took these pictures, because...about a half hour into the movie, our backyard sprinklers turned on! Yikes! Obviously the hubs and I totally forgot about that...(hubby later told me that the sprinklers don't even come on everyday, so lucky us that we picked the day they do!) Quickly I rushed around to gather my phone and laptop to take away (my electronics love to die via water, especially in the phone department!) The kids thought it was quite hilarious.

Smiling in the sprinklers

Probably can't really tell, but the paint is starting to run down our poster :( I quickly ran after the lights, too.

I got the kids changed and they continued to watch the movie (inside!) while I finished putting everything outside away. It wasn't really much use to stay outside since everything was wet...we'll have to try again on a night that the sprinkler DOESN'T go off, and when the hubs is home to help with the projector of ours this time. Well, hopefully it still turns out to be a memorable, summer experience for the kids! Mom gets an "A" for effort anyway!

SS: Week 3

We did it! We survived the time hubby was gone. It seemed (at the time) that it was going so dreadfully slow, but looking back it actually went by fast.

It began with us finding out who Nate's teacher is for next year - yay! (we are, though barely,right under a month until school starts again!)

We began the week getting donuts - something we haven't done in awhile - and swam with friends

We started our 2nd session of swim lessons - unfortunately this time around we weren't able to get the boys to do their lessons at the same time - Aaron went first followed by Nate. Nate would spend his time , though, in a splashpad while brother was learning.

This time around we were at a different pool - and Nate had his lessons in deeper water in a lane pool. I like his teacher better this time around.

We had a playdate at Aaron's friend Miles' house

More swimming at mommy's gym! Isn't Aaron a cutie?

Nate had just started karate...which unfortunately, though he likes it, since it's conflicting now with swim lessons in the evening we will probably have to cancel it :( Our goal through summer months is to make sure Nate is a good swimmer.

The boys were way more interested in their kiddie packs at the Summer Movies

It has gotten pretty hot here so we've been just staying home mostly in the afternoons. As with other weeks, they also went to Grandmother's and Nana's houses. We got to Skype with daddy some most days. I also wanted to stay home to prepare for Friday night (see previous post!)

Last, but not least...to make our last day without daddy (with lots of excitement nerves) go fast, I took the kids to a play place we haven't been to in years - Makutu's Island.

Great place for boy energy! Slides, tunnels...

Bungee jumping!

Thankfully there were some "in between" slides. Some things were too scary for Aaron.

Hubby got home safe and sound, barely in time for Father's Day! We're so glad.

SS : Week 2

We began our Week 2 fun on Sunday, taking the kids to a free afternoon at the Natural History Museum. If it involves dinosaurs that makes it a favorite right away!

Aaron looking for dino fossils

On Monday we began our last week (of the first session) of swim lessons.

Four days a week I have discovered needs to be continued! Repetition, repetition, repetition.

The kids were recommended to do another session of their current class (sessions are two weeks in length).

That same day, the kids went to Great Play for a play camp together.

We were glad then that we had special time with daddy on Sunday (and special couple time celebrating our 10th Wedding Anniversary Saturday evening...I promise in the coming weeks a "Hubby and I" post is coming up!)...as we found out on Monday that daddy's work wanted him to leave for a business trip THE FOLLOWING DAY! To Japan. No big deal, right? Two weeks in Japan on a 24 hr notice?!

Tuesday involved all of us in a state of shock that daddy was gone for awhile. That afternoon I took the boys bouncing...

Nate loved the new attraction!

Aaron giving me a silly face

The boys also attended Vacation Bible School at our church each evening. They consistently enjoy this each year!

On Wednesday I took them to a puppet show -

Sorry for the not so great pictures...

Nate meeting the star of the puppet show

The boys also had some time with both Nana and Grandmother, and we had a playdate with one of Aaron's friends (forgot to get a picture!)

This afternoon one of Nate's buddies from Cub Scouts came over for a playdate.

So, we've had an okay week. Busy is always the name of the game, especially to try and keep us all from missing daddy too much. He comes back in another week. Here's to hoping then that this next week really does zoom by!

Summer Series : Week 1

First full week of summer in the books! We hit the ground running...which we'll continue to do all summer long I think!

We had some leftover tokens from Aaron's birthday...so the boys wanted to use them up at Chuck E Cheese. An easy almost two hours!

Library time. We're making it a "once a week habit" during the summer.

Funny how I ordered Nate a workbook and he "didn't want to have anything to do with it..." then it arrived and he went right to work. I love that he helps Aaron with his "work". They've been doing it off/on.

Trying out a kids' fitness class at mommy's new gym! (more on that in another post) This was "scooter hockey".

Aaron doing his fitness class. Sorry, phone pictures aren't always the greatest! :/ Immediately afterwards I took the boys into my gym's pool/splashpad for a bit.

Swim lessons! The boys now go four days a week for almost an hour. I plan to continue these every week of summer. I'm glad I signed them up four days versus just one day lessons a week - my boys really need the repetition.

Cooking class! Nathan made New York style coffee cake crumb muffins. How about that?! I was slightly disappointed I didn't get to taste. Don't have pictures, but once we picked him up from this we got lunch and walked around the mall a bit.

Phoenix Zoo splashpad! I don't think Aaron has ever done them before and I know it's been years since we've been during the summer...so I thought it was finally time for a visit to cool off. We didn't stay past that.

Cookie time! (sorry for the bluriness) Our favorite cakery for cupcakes and cookies was celebrating their birthday/anniversary week so we took advantage of celebratory fun!

In addition to this, the kids have begun spending a few hours with both their Nana and Grandmother each week. In fact, last week they even got to sleepover at Grandmother's house! They really enjoyed that - swimming in the dark, hide and seek in the dark, sleeping outside in a tent, ice cream/brownies, staying awake until 10pm!...(it's ok, it's summer right?) So that again has been a win-win on all sides.

They've also just played at home...which I think is equally important for summer. Nice to have things planned, but "free time" too needs to be in there as well. To play together, or even, to each go to his room and play on their own (which they've started to do recently..) We need those breaks just as much.

So there you have it - on to Week 2!