Keeping Cool Indoors--July Edition

Here are some fun, crazy, and cool things we've done for fun in the past month or so...

hungry, hungry hippos has been played regularly at our house lately

 

hungry hippos along with candyland are the most requested family games before bedtime

 

cheesing it up for the camera

 

one afternoon we made cornstarch and water goo

(aka "oobleck"--name taken from a dr. suess book)

the boys picked their what color they wanted their "goo" to be for our science experiment

i know i made this stuff at some point in my own childhood, but i can't remember where or when

 

it results in a suspension that sometimes acts like a solid and sometimes flow like a liquid--

you have to try it to understand it--

it's super fun to play with...and kindof a stress reliever too

it was a good opportunity to talk with the boys about the differences between liquids and solids

 

good thing clean up is a snap--just wipe up with warm water!!!  yay for easy to clean messes!!!

 

later that evening we made "squid dogs" for dinner

just stab some spaghetti noodles into pieces of hotdog and boil for a few minutes

 

how can you NOT play with your food???  ;)

and finally an updated picture of some of our playgroup friends!!!

we met for lunch at chickfila!

what a fun time...we heart our friends!!!

Happy 4th of July 2012!

On the 4th, we celebrated by going to the parade in downtown McKinney. The kids really were looking forward to it this year...Anthony even remembered the horses and the firetrucks from the parade last year.

Ok, let me pause by saying this post stinks because I have no pictures of the actual parade. I guess I was too busy socializing trying to capture the excited expressions on the faces of my children.  :)

Also, let me add that I had prepped my kids for the parade based on the previous years' parades.  We first took Anthony when he was a baby, and we always meet up with our friends the Williams...it has become a little tradition of ours.  Anyway, we told the boys that we would hear some music while the marching bands go by and that people would throw candy to them from the floats.  Ummm, let's just say I'm really glad they got to see horses and firetrucks, because all that other stuff we told them about just. didn't. happen.  :(  not really sure what was going on with the parade this year, but as you can see below, we made the best of it, and the boys had a grand ole' time.  someone even threw out  a couple of toothbrushes from the last float, so they didn't leave empty-handed!  :)

anthony is super excited...

most of the kiddos congregated in "mr. william's truck"

our good friend kit graciously drove it out here and parked EARLY in the morning so the kids could be in this FABULOUS spot in the shade

 

100% smiles

 

anthony waved at everything that went by

little lucas sporting his shades

 

his favorite spot was on top daddy's shoulders

 

our little fam

 

happy birthday, usa!

Hotel Night!

After we got back from Memphis, my parents came right back down to Dallas after us. My dad had a work conference at a local church, and so my mom hung out with us all week. It was so fun! One evening, my mom suggested they keep the boys at the hotel so Mario and I could celebrate our anniversary, which was June 25th--the big #7!  We didn't get any pics on our date, but here are some pics my mom took of the boys' time with them at our house and at their "slumber party" at the hotel!

these two love reading and snuggling with their papa

riding the luggage cart at the hotel...

brings back some great memories of doing the same as a little girl :)

swim time at the pool! 

what a great idea, meme!!!

time to settle in for bedtime

and they're out!!!

(don't you just wish it happened this quickly?  this was after several hours of talking, giggling, and all things silly, i'm sure!!!)

thanks, meme and papa for the much needed gift of a night out!

happy 7th anniversary, honey...

i love doing this crazy life with you!  ;)

James and Reese--A Mickey and Minnie Birthday

Mid June we drove up to Memphis to celebrate James' 3rd and Reese's 1st birthdays! They had a sweet little Mickey/Minnie theme with lots of swimming and water play outside because it is HOT there this time of year--a few degrees cooler than here in Dallas, but it always feels worse because it's so muggy.  Anyway, we always LOVE going to visit our family...we miss them!  Here are some of the highlights of the special day...

Anthony enjoyed this little Ford pickup truck...

 

It was so sweet of James to share

 

my sister Michelle pushes Reese in the swing

 

Lucas was content driving this little pink car  ;)

 

Our family and some friends

I'm sure Mandy was hollering, "Who's ready for a hamburger?"  Haha!

You can see Justin in the back manning the grill

 

a couple more of the group--

that's my brother-in-law, Josh, on the left, and my Daddy on the right

 

Lucas was squirting everyone with this water gun...

guess he knew we all needed to cool off

 

there was lots of splashing going on in the little pool

 

sweet James was so happy on his special day

 

Papa helps Lucas blow some bubbles

 

that's a great blow, Lucas!

 

James has a turn too

 

Reese had some crazy hair after going from the pool straight to the swing...

i think she might need some new hairbows to tame it!!!  ;)

 

Mandy's decor was so cute!

I love the red and the pink mixed together.

 

Here's James' cake! 

Yes, she made it!!!  She's such the artist!

 

red, black, and white balloons on the birthday boy's chair

 

pink and white and baby minnie for the birthday girl's chair

these are reese's cupcakes

yes, mandy made these too!!!

 

so easy, yet adorable

you can never have too many cupcakes!

 

this was my favorite--the treat bags!

eek!  the minnie ones were so cute!!!

 

James is so proud while everyone is singing for him

 

big blow, buddy!

 

sweet reesey piecey!!!

 

just a little taste test to see how it is

 

oh, yeah!  this is definitely worth eating!

see her minnie ears?  aren't they precious?!?

 

and here's that sweet baby all dressed up in her first birthday outfit!

Thanks for having us, Mandy and Justin!!!  We all had a ball, and well, next year will be here before you know it!!!  Happy Birthdays, James and Reese!!!