Those Summer Days

 

I feel like we are running a marathon and the finish line is Kindergarten! Of course I know better and realize that is only when we will kick it into overdrive, but I will pretend for now that life will eventually slow down.  That being said, I have really enjoyed our summer so far. For all of the whining and bickering and all out fighting, there have been equal amounts of sweet moments and fun excursions. I have become quite sappy and a bit reflective as our time with Emmy as a preschooler dwindles. I am embarrassed to admit, but many nights I find myself sneaking into the kiddos' room (they share a bunk bed now), choking back tears as I will them to stop growing up. Stop growing up, but have the mentalitiy of a 30 yr old. That would be just fine with me.

Late May

 These two stinkers took full advantage of a really wet yard and a muddy patch. Luckily Joel was laying sod the next day so we figured they helped till the ground. And make full body mud suits. Clean up? Not It!

 Next we welcomed the latest Ladrido Lane neighbor, Miss Clara! Emmy couldn't wait to get her hands on this little wee one (she takes after her mama) and we feel super excited to live across the street from such a cutie!

 What do you do when the hours are long and the weather is scalding? Play games. Lots. Of. Them. And please note that the children are still in their pajamas. I'm sure it was well past 10 and I am equally as sure that I was still in my pj's as well.

 Joel was a doll and took the two littles to Dallas for a weekend so I could play a bit with my lovely younger sister. I had a BLAST with her. We saw the Avett Brothers at the ultra cool Austin 360 venue, ate phenomenal food, shopped up and down South Congress and people watched to our hearts' content.

 This particular day we drove down to Lakeway to see some of our favorite peeps. Julie had this really fun slide in the backyard and all five kids played until they were tuckered out.

 Tuckered Out: adj., when an individual is so tired they actually fall asleep with a half-blown beach ball between their teeth.

 Joel has earned a new title in the Foshea household: Garden Doctor. You may not be able to see in the picture but he is actually using a syringe to pump this plant full of steroids. Just kidding. I'm sure it's some kind of weird, organic mixture meant to purify the toxins from the clorophyll or whatever. You see why Joel is the master of the garden and not yours truly? We would have zero to show for our garden if I were in charge. So thankful for my farmer.

 Milwood Baptist (home to our preschool) puts on these really fun Friday family nights where they have a bounce house, games, laser tag, etc. Emmy found the Dance Revolution and was in her element singing and flailing her arms to the beat.

 The very last week of June held a special treat for all of us. Nana and Pa invited Emmy and Boone to come participate in their church's VBS for the week. This was something both kiddos had been looking forward to for quite some time! A whole week in Dallas! When we got there, Boone found out Pa had bought a new bat and T-Ball set. Hours of fun. Bravo Pa, Bravo.

A whole week at Nana and Pa's house translates to a whole week of quiet in Austin. As we left Dallas I had a bit of a lump in my throat. For about 5 miles. Then Joel and I took a collective deep breath and didn't stop smiling even as we slept. We were granted such a gift - the Staycation. Austin is such a fun place to live but we don't get to take advantage of all she holds for adults since our fun factor usually has to include the littles. Which is great. Don't get me wrong, we LOVE our family. Wouldn't change it for the world. But it was fun to take a step back and remember who we are sans monkeys at our ankles. Our week consisted of Stand up paddling (SO FUN!), road biking, eating at fun restaurants (I don't think I made dinner once!), swimming and laying out at Barton Springs (always great people watching), Happy Hours at Chuy's, a really fun movie, and a super fun date night at the Goodnight with Kyle and Ali.  We kept looking at eachother with awe as we remembered how much we actually enjoy one another.

Chuy's had the best frozen Watermelon margaritas! Yum.

 We headed back up to Dallas the following weekend, excited to hear about all of the adventures our littles (and Nana and Pa) had. VBS was a total success and we have the crafts to show it. Emmy and Boone couldn't stop talking about everything they had learned and all of the fun people they had met. Nana did an incredible job of juggling these two monkeys along with volunteering at VBS all week. Thank you so much for loving on the kiddos the way you do. These are memories in the making.

Doing a little fishing before we leave. Pa's cows were very curious about our activities by the water.

Emmy caught a mini Mr. Whiskers.

Shooting at the turtles in the pond. Serious business.

 July 1st Boone turned FOUR! What the what?? We had a party at Nana and Pa's house and invited the entire Foshea and Gleason clan. I made the infamous fruit pizza cake and made it a "Superhero Party" by slapping a Spiderman candle on the cake and some superhero tattoos on the table. Boone had a blast "flying" around in his new Spiderman costume (a Mexican wrestling costume we bought at the Rodeo) and shooting webs with his awesome glove. It was a fun way to end such a glorious week.

One of the fun presents Boone got! This get up actually squirts water out of the glove and mask, but Boone decided it was his scuba gear. Thanks Owen, Rebecca and Maggie!

 Upon arriving back in Austin, Boone and Emmy were elated to find a newly erected bunk bed in Boone's room. They have been sleeping in the same room ever since and bedtime has actually been a lot smoother. Bunk beds are the best!

 The yearly celebration of our country's freedom from tyranny and pesky monarchies was upon us. Emmy and Boone decided riding in the neighborhood parade was way cooler than simply sitting on the sidelines cheering. So they decorated their bikes and had a ball waving to all the spectators. The parade ended at the park where we enjoyed a giant neighborhood picnic, complete with a wind ensemble and ultra hippy magician (who was actually really good) and all the hot dogs and hamburgers you could eat. Happy 4th!

We ended the day with some swimming, dinner at a friend's house and fireworks on top of a parking garage near the 360 bridge.

It was a perfect night!

Boone chose his firework watching spot wisely.

Lucy was playing DJ with Julie's phone. I'm not sure she ever actually watched the fireworks. Ah technology.

 The next day, we were invited out to Aunt Kara's lakehouse for some swimming and a ride on the "motor boat." Emmy and Boone both informed me this was their first time to ride an actual motor boat. I finally told them they could just call it a boat (and stop sounding like such hicks). The kids did great on the boat and were delighted to play for HOURS next to the dock swimming and looking for shells. Thanks so much MeeMa and Aunt Kara!

Kara asked if I wanted to ski. I thought she was joking. There were SIX kids on the boat under the age of 5. But kidding she was not, so we both took turns being flung around as her sweet mama drove the boat. You can't see it in this pic, but Kara's smile was so big and infectious as she ripped in and out of the boat's wake. She said it was her first time back on a ski in six years; translation: her first time not being pregnant in 6 years! So fun!

On the way home both kiddos lasted about 2 minutes before they were out.

 We're off to more adventures. I think we are going to try the Austin Mural Challenge: find as many iconic murals in Austin as you can before the end of summer. We found one just this morning on our way to the grocery store. I don't think it necessarily fits in the iconic category (scary octopus and a weird alien underwater scene) but a great start to our photo scavenger hunt! This may become a yearly tradition, we shall see!