Swimsuit Mania

I think it is official that I have seen my kids wearing their swimsuits more than any other piece of clothing this summer. Plus, we still have two more months of summer. We are either at the pool or at someone's house where they have a pool.

Ethan making the baby pool a wave pool

Mom has friends???

Yesterday I was making a pie to take to a book club and curious Ethan happened to notice what I was making and started asking questions.

Ethan: ooohhh, Are you making a pie for dessert Mom?
Me: Nope, this is for my friends, but I will save you a piece.
Ethan "You have friends????" The expression on his face was priceless. Like if I had totally surprised him.


Then I started to wonder what Ethan must think of my social life. It got me thinking that he must assume when all of us moms get together it must be to only let the kids play. He has no idea that we enjoy each others company just as much as he enjoys his friends company. I wonder if he even notices that we talk to each other while he is playing. He may just think the world revolves around him and his friends.

Well what really cracked me up was earlier today we went to a friends house for dinner. All of the older kids were sitting at small table by themselves having their own conversation. Out of no where Ethan tells his friend Sami, " Hey, my mom has friends!!!". He didn't say it like it was common knowledge but more with a weird look on his face insinuating that it was just bizarre for his own mother to have friends. He just only thinks of me as "his" mother but not as my own person.

Dora Dance

Isn't she too cute! She loves her Dora.

Firehouse Tour

Yesterday our playgroup got the chance to tour a Firehouse. We got to see their trucks, uniforms, all the gadgets along side the trucks, and even got to spray the hose. Of course, since water was being sprayed out like a sprinkler, the kids had fun running underneath it. Thankfully, the Fireman were smart enough to leave that surprise to the end because all the kids got soaked. Ethan was watching his friends run in the water and asked me if he could go. I told him sure. Then he said that he didn't want to get his clothes wet so he asked if he could go naked. I laughed and told him that if he wanted to get wet, his clothes would have to get wet too and reminded him we only lived 3 miles away. He decided to let loose and joined his friends. By that time Gracie was already exhausted so she was already in her stroller with a snack and didn't feel like running in the water. I think everyone had a great time and it was nice for the kids to see the trucks up front. Sorry, there are a lot of pics but it was a really fun day.

All the kids with the fireman

You can see Ethan is loving it

The fireman showing the kids what he wears

Looking at all of the gadgets

Gracie was running everywhere

Annalise and Gracie playing. They are about a month apart.

Gracie trying to lift a heavy helmet

Gracie in the front seat of the truck

Can you see how strong willed my daughter is!
She wouldn't look at me

There's my photogenic child!

In the front seat

Amelia and Ethan.
She is one of his best friends

Here is Ethan's other buddy Jeremiah. We were stationed with the Clarke family in Ohio and now stationed together again here in Texas. Plus, we were in the same playgroup there too. The boys are about a month apart. Annalise (previously pictured) is Jeremiah's sister.

Ethan spraying the hose

The kids getting soaked. Ethan is on the far right.

All the wet kiddos

Another picture

Girl's Night

Last night was a chance for me to enjoy talking and eating without saying " No, Stop it, please eat". In other words, it was Mom's Night Out. I got to hang out with all of my friends and enjoyed a peaceful night of sushi and ice cream. However before I left for dinner I realized my toes were seriously lacking some color, so I whipped out the nail polish and painted them leaving the nail polish on the counter. Well, when I came home and went to check on a sleeping Gracie, I realized she also got a little pampered. Her toes were nicely painted the exact color of mine. It seems like Eric is more wrapped around her little toe than her finger. Although this morning Ethan seemed a little left out. He told me he wanted blue polish but Dad told him No.

Mini Town

Yesterday we went to a Mini Town which happens to be an indoor/outdoor play center. They have a pretend grocery store, school, beauty shop, bank, disco, movie theater, arcade, and pretend kitchen/living room area. Gracie and Ethan had fun pretending and enjoyed hanging out with some of their friends. Ethan really liked the grocery store and arcade. He would whip that cart around like a pro and load up on groceries. Gracie liked the disco and play kitchen area. She was holding all of the babies and didn't want to share. She loves holding a purse in one arm and a baby in the other. I have to get a picture of her because she looks so mature when she is holding her purse. She really liked the disco but only when it wasn't very full. She was shaking her little booty and laughing up a storm.

Ethan trying to put out a fire

Ethan on the teeter toter

Gracie on the other side

Gracie in the phone booth

Ethan and Gracie having tea

Gracie playing

Ethan making me a sandwich

Ethan and Samantha on the teeter toter.

Ethan showing of his moves.

Dress-up

Sitting in the back row with Faith at the movie theater.
Notice the cute kid chairs.

Gracie playing at school

Dancing at the disco

Our little party girl.

4th of July

This weekend was a busy weekend but it was a really fun weekend as well. Eric had a 4 day weekend which made both the kids and I happy. On Saturday we got together with our playgroup family and had a pool party/barbecue. It was a lot of fun but cooling off from the heat was the best part. Ethan enjoyed going down the water slide and hitting the pinata. I have to agree with him, the water slide was a lot of fun. Thankfully, everyone was so worn out that we all crashed as soon as we got home. But the quietness didn't last long because Ethan remembered that we were going to light fire works once it got dark. The excitement was just too much for him... all he kept saying was "I am so excited" over and over. Since we live out of San Antonio city limits, there are fields around us that have safe zones where you can come and light pretty much whatever you want in the safe zone because the fire department is present in case anything happens. They have restrictions but no one really followed them. Once we got there I knew Ethan would be fine with the fireworks but was worried about Gracie so it was touch and go at that point. Of course we only had sparklers and small fireworks but everyone else had bigger ones which were loud so I figured she was going to flip out at any moment. Just the opposite, she sat and watched them like she knew exactly what they were. She would point and clap and looked like she really enjoyed it. Ethan of course loved holding the sparkles and making weird designs. By the time we got home it was 10:00 and Ethan was nodding off but Gracie was wide awake. Where do they get their energy from?

Cool Gracie

Ethan going down a slide

The kids playing with their friends

Gracie getting wet

Ethan and Samantha hiding behind the whale.
Eric was shooting water at them.

Ethan running away after puling the handle that moved the bucket of water.

Gracie and Faith playing

They look at me like I am the weirdest.

Gracie enjoying lunch

Ethan hitting the pinata

Getting ready to go down the slide

Eric and Ethan about to get wet.

Ethan and Mommy having fun!

Playing by the baby pool

Dad taking the kiddos for a ride

Playing with Fireworks

Just relaxing

Too much fun