the moments in between

ha. he remembers the important stuff.

took the boys to a class at the zoo today.

and when matthew got home, he asked them what it was about.

and ben chimes in with "we had animal crackers!  and JUICE!!"

because, really.  it's all about the snacks.

he's SIX!

and, yes, i'm totally late w/ this.  he was 6 on monday.  but i've been meaning to get a cute pic of him and the sun keeps not cooperating on the days that i actually think of it.  doh.  so, instead, here is a cute but slightly blurry pic of him on the carousel at the zoo on sunday. =)

so.  yeah.  SIX.  six years ago he surprised us by coming a month early, and he really hasn't slowed down since.  hard to believe that this lanky little boy whose head comes up to my chest used to be a 6lb peanut.

he is video game obsessed.  wants to make video games when he grows up, like uncle dan.  he's still a snuggler. loves his brother and is always ready to help him - and gets frustrated when ben doesn't want help.  he's finally getting his confidence back after the great kindergarten saga of 06 and no longer gives me repeated "i don't knows" and "it's too hards" - and is suddenly reading just about anything and figuring out anything i throw at him. 

he picked out this cake, which i called a rocketship cake, but was corrected - "that's a SPACE SHUTTLE, mom"  always orders the space themed books when we get scholastic book orders.  makes daddy happy.

snuggle time

aaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww..  sleepy wilson.  he's one month old today.  and to celebrate, i stole him from holly and forced her to scrap.  she made the cutest page w/ some yummy scenic route goodies while i got my fill of baby snuggles. =)

we also took the kids to a sprinkler park (pics here), but wilson didn't get to play.  maybe next summer. =)  hard to believe that this was our last summer playdate..  anna heads to kindergarten on monday, and we're off to minneapolis before alex starts school on the 23rd.  oof.  i'm going to miss our all day playdates - and the kids will, too!

how did i get to be in charge?

no, really.  sometimes this whole "being the mama" things is just daunting.

alex had a bad experience at the dentist yesterday, thanks to a hygenist who felt the need to threaten him w/ sending me out of the room and to tell me that he was playing me and i was coddling him.  VERY not cool.  i know my kid.  i know when he's playing me.  and i know when he's genuinely freaking out.  he has a hard time w/ new situations, and he's just a sensitive kid.

i was more focused on getting alex through it than how very WRONG that woman was.  so many things i should have said.  and i had an iffy feeling about it after our last time there - i shouldn't have gone back.  spent the rest of the day in angry mamabear mode.

so.  yeah.  not taking him back there.  we're going to call our dentist and see if he takes little kids, because i feel like the staff would actually LISTEN to me there, even if it's not a cool & well recommended pediatric dentist.  as an added bonus it's 2 blocks away instead of on the other side of town.

afterwards, however, was nice.  i had dropped ben off at my grandparents and alex and i had some time alone.  we had a nice lunch at noodles & company (his choice!  and i was sure we'd be having McD's or BK, so i was happy).  talked a lot about kindergarten.  he's excited.  talked about our upcoming trip to mpls - excited about that, too.  told matthew that we need to start each taking a kid out every couple weeks, especially once school starts.  it's rare to get one on one time w/ then.  would like to have more of it.

i took my new lens to the zoo today

i took the kids, too.

one was cranky.

one wasn't.

alex got to pretend to be a spider.

ben managed to enjoy checking out the fountains..  until he soaked himself while i changed my CF card. =P

and this one just cracks me up.

yep.  loving the new lens. 

almost over.

the weekend that is...  *sigh*

the swing set is almost done.  we have to put up the beams that support the rope ladder, add the rope ladder, install the tent over the top, screw in the rocks on the climber wall and put that in..  and THEN we're done.  we've been gone for most of the day and now it's raining....  and we need the neighbor dad to help w/ installing the top beam for the rope ladder.  so, hopefully over the next couple days, we'll get it all finished.

the boys love it - even if it's not finished.

AND...  i got these yummy little fontwerks stamps..  and anticipate that i'll be using them WAY too much, if i could just find the energy to scrap!

kelly's transforming car

we did bagels on wednesday, of course. alex had school but ben was with me. and kelly pulled up in her cute little minicooper as ben and i were walking in - and he totally missed her putting the top up because he was busy talking about something else. 

so when we walked out, i told him to ask kelly to transform her car.  and he didn't believe me.  so she put the top down..  and he stared.  and didn't say a word.  and didn't say anything as i put him in our car.  or for a couple minutes of driving.

then from the backseat, i hear him say "mom - i wish *we* had a car that transformed."

heehee.

ETA: matthew just asked ben if he'd told alex about kelly's car.  and ben said "hey alex - kewwy's car can TRANSFORM! i think it's HOT SHOT!!!!"

pass me a kleenex

the last time leaving this classroom

the last time running down this hall

the last time "hiding" in the corner outside the front door

the last time climbing the tree

the last post preschool crazy time outside w/ your friends.

my big little man is done with preschool.  waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

good things

*tomorrow is bagel day! =)

*the bits and pieces that will eventually make this:

are hanging out in our garage.  here's hoping that by next monday it's together properly. =)

*these stickers:

i couldn't figure out how to use them for the longest time and now i'm grabbing them as a finishing touch on almost every LO.

*this picture of alex and anna:

can't wait to scrap it but i have some things i have to get done first. =P

*gmail giggles with gabby, bridgette, doris & holly.

*boxes of scrap goodies in the mail:

this isn't all mine..  some of it belongs to the above gmail buddies.  most cost effective to order together and get free shipping, especially when i already had boxes to mail to all of them!!  it's so fun to order together and check out what your friends are going to be playing with..  and it totally opens your eyes to products you would have missed otherwise (and i'm still kicking myself over opting to not get the w r memory keepers chipboard letters!!

no, really. it was a rocking party.

had a wee little party for ben's buddies and their alex aged siblings today.  so, basically, the neighbor boys and holly's girls.

and despite this picture (taken by holly):

i can assure you that a good time was had by all. =)

the cute little three year old, for good measure:

how old is he again?  oh yeah.  three.  three's a hard age, ya know:

takes a LOT of concentration to get those fingers up there. =)