First week of summer!

Last week was our first offical week of summer, and it was CRAZY!

Sunday we went to the Royals game--free Build-a-Bear day! Very exciting.You might remember  this trip to the Royals game two years ago, to get a river otter and that was Macy's Jumbotron debut. The received polar bear's this year and no one was on the Jumbotron, but it was a great win and a great (hot!) day.

The rest of the week was crazy busy. Macy attended a basketball camp. She did great, learned a lot, and came away with two shirts, a pair of shorts and a basketball that glows in the dark. Can't ask for anything better than that!

Kaylin wasn't old enough for basketball camp, so she did tennis camp at the same time. She's ahem a little uncoordinated like her mother and sat down on the tennis courts a few times, but she seemed to learn a lot. She's been hitting tennis balls in the driveway, and using correct terms and form, so she learned something.

After camp, we hustled to swim lessons. I hesitated to do all this in one week, afraid it might wear them out, but we decided to do it anyway. I took snacks for inbetween camp and swim lessons, and made sure they got to bed at a good time so they were rested.

Swim lessons continue this week, and we are enjoying just laying around, going to Oceans, and packing for our camping adventure this upcoming week.

Quirky Part Two

A while ago I wrote this post, naming some of my quirky tendencies. I felt like sharing some more of my strangeness especially since we will be on vacation with my brother next week and I wanted to give him more ammunition  to make fun of me.

1. I'm a creature of habit. In a parking lot, I tend to park on the same side every time, usually in the same row if I can. In a store, I go in the same bathroom stall every time, if it's available, or I go through the same check-out line. At school, I buy my lunch from the same lady, even if her line is longer and even though she's not the nicest lady.

2. I prefer glass over plastic when choosing a glass out of our cabinet, and I don't like the thick glasses, only the thinner ones

3. I LOVE the smell of coffee, but HATE to drink it.

The Final Frontier

Big day for Macy yesterday...after YEARS of waiting PATIENTLY (insert sarcasm) Macy was finally tall enough to ride the Patriot at Worlds. The final frontier of roller coasters.

Side note--In October, she was 53 1/2 inches tall, just 1/2 inch too short. In April, she was about 54 1/2 inches. And last night? she was about 55 1/2 inches tall. The girl has grown 2 inches since OCTOBER, and is a mere 7 inches shorter than me. Not that I am keeping track or anything.

Our routine is the girls ride with Bobby first--not sure how that started, but it's our tradition now. Here is she--have you ever seen a more excited smile?????

Because she is our roller coaster junkie, she LOVED it! She rode with me right after, and she kept saying "You're going to love it" and "You go upside down 5 times!"--as if I'd never ridden the ride before!

And in true Macy fashion, she threw a fit when we left because she only got to ride it 2 times. :)

Looking forward to a fun summer of roller coasters, swimming, and generally being lazy.

Taxi Service

Mom's Taxi Service Monday-Thursday this week:

8:45--drop off Macy at basketball camp
9:00--drop off Kaylin at tennis camp
Walk 3 miles
10:15--pick up Macy from basketball camp
10:30--pick up Kaylin from tennis camp
Peanut butter crackers and water in the car
11:15--drop off both girls at swim lessons
Read book and return phone calls
11:55--both girls finished, home for lunch

Whew. What a busy 4 days!

Like Night and Day

It's amazing how different the girls are.

Macy, the oldest by 2 years in case you aren't aware, is shyer, more reserved, more responsible, more dependable. She's also highly emotional. She very much has a "who is going to see me, does this match, is this what everyone else is wearing, is my hair combed" attitude. I see so much of myself in her that's scary. Most of the time we butt heads because we are so alike.

Kaylin, the younger by 2 years in case you weren't keeping track, is spunkier, not shy in the least, not responsible and very spirited. She very much has a "who cares if I'm wearing pink shoes with an orange striped shirt and a blue polka dotted skirt with food all over my face" attitude.She is my little shadow, always hanging on me or holding my hand or wanting me carry her (at age 6!)

Why am I sharing all this with you?

Tonight we went to Oceans for the first time this year. This is the third year we've had season passes. Previous years we just hung out at a few of the pools, the lazy river, etc. because Kaylin wasn't tall enough for the water slides. We'd try to convince Macy to do them with us, but nope. No dice. She was content to hang out in the pools.

Kaylin is now tall enough for the water slides, and it was like a brand-new waterpark for both girls. Suddenly, because her younger sister could ride the water slides with her, Macy was finally confident enough to do so. Funny how the YOUNGER sister was the one to convince the OLDER sister to go down the huge water slide. Funny how Macy needed the company of her sister to do it.

I have blogged before about their differences--Birth Order Analysis It was over a year and a half ago, and is still the same!

Nothing wrong with either personality--I love both of them for their different personalities, and wouldn't have it any other way!

Helllllllloooooooo summer!

Summer is here!

The girls got out of school last Friday. Here's Kaylin on her first day as a kindergartener, and then her last day.

And here's Macy on her first day of 2nd grade, and her last. Notice the wonderful peace signs they both had to flash. Very classy.

The girls both had fantastic years at school. and had wonderful report cards with no issues. Kaylin's reading is AMAZING for a kindergartner, and Macy is reading well above grade level too. Both are well-behaved at school (can't say the same at home!)

Because of lovely snow days, I had to go until yesterday. And because I am moving schools, I had to pack my room and clean everything out. I didn't trust the school moving people, so our garage is full of furniture to store until I can move in in August.

And so today, on my first full day of summer vacation, I am laying around on the couch with an upset tummy.

Hot Air Balloon Festival

Saturday night a friend and I took our kids WAY out south for a hot air balloon festival. It was very crowded, but very cool. It was the 2nd annual one, and it was neat for the kids to see the hot air balloons fly right over the top of us.

Here's my snaggle-toothed beauty. That front tooth is hanging on by a thread, and she can push it over the top of her lip, making her look like she has one tooth.

Love this shot of Macy--she was looking back at her friend.

I won't narrate about the hot air balloons,but let you enjoy the pictures. I took 211. As usual.

For these last two, once it got dark, they had the fire light up the inside of the balloons. It was pretty neat to see, and we could get right up there next to the balloons. It scared the crap out of the 4 kids the first time they turned on the fire, and they took off running and yelling. After that, they calmed down and didn't want to leave! It was after 11 by the time we got home. Love that our kids are so flexible and have ALWAYS been that way.