Summer Vacay 2015
Dear H, O and B,
We spent the last week at Lawrence Welk in San Diego. Grandma came out for the first half to celebrate her birthday (and your birthday, B) with us and we went to Legoland while she was there. We went to the beach, toured a beer brewing company, visited a children’s museum and had a great time in the pools and doing the activities at the resort. I absolutely love vacationing with you. It’s so fun to get away and have adventurous, uninterrupted time with you!
Love you,
Mama
Three.
Dear Benny,
Today, you are three. I really cannot believe that my littlest baby is 3! You have grown up the fastest of all.
You run around like a boy and you have a “crazy face” that comes out when you are really in a recklessly fun mood. 🙂 You are laid back until something goes awry, and then you let everyone know you are not happy by saying, “I am angry!”
You love being outside, and this is especially true if there is water to play with! About a month ago you came inside and asked me, “Mom, how do I change the temperature on the hose?” You were disappointed to learn that in Phoenix, all hose water is warm water!
Your favorite color is green, you love to eat and your favorite things to play with are still your Chuggington trains. Also, you LOVE The Berenstain Bears books… there’s nothing you’d rather to than listen to a story. You give loud kisses and say, “I WUV YOU!” a lot.
This was also the year of the mohawk. You really love that mohawk. You say, “Mom, I need my mohawk,” first thing many mornings. And if you take a nap or do an activity that causes it to flatten, you pat your head and say, “My mohawk is broken! Can you please fix it?”
Perhaps the most notable thing about your personality is your positive, fun and light-hearted nature! Everything is a party until you are told it’s not. A week ago we were sitting at a red light and you were saying, “L-E-T-S-G-O, Let’s Go! Let’s Go! Yay! The wight is Gween! We can go!” Even the changing of a traffic light is a fun, awesome thing to you! You make our lives so much more exciting, just by sharing your enthusiasm. I hope you are always excited about the little things in life. It will make your life so much happier!
To our family, you are Benny-Boo, Benny Boo-Boo, or Benicio. You aren’t always a big fan of these nicknames; often you’ll reply, “I am Bennett.” You have a few close friends and the happiest little life ever.
Happy 3rd Birthday, Bennett. We all love you so very much!
Love you,
Mama
Summer Fun: Week 5
Dear H, O and B,
Once again, in our effort to have the funnest summer ever, this week did not disappoint!
We watched sandwich bags explode, raced balloon rockets, created a working clock that used a lemon and an orange for power, went to swim/dive class, swam at Nana and Papa’s a ton, learned how Huge Golaith was and how hard it is to use a sling like David did to take him down, and went to the science center. Hayden, you took a popcorn bowl pottery painting class on Monday with Hannah Jane and had a blast. You also set up a family tree chart for your PTC taste test survey with Allie, which was a blast.
We are making memories this summer. It’s so fun!
Love you,
Mama
A few other memorable moments: 🙂
Summer Fun: Week Four
Dear H, O and B,
This was one of the hottest weeks in Phoenix EVER. So, we spent a lot of time swimming in Nana and Papa’s pool as well as inside doing other activities.
This week, we made ice volcanoes and DIY lava lamps. We also talked about how God is like air inside of a balloon – you can’t see Him, but you know he’s there because he changes things. This was especially fun because we partially blew up balloons and let them go — and they flew all over the house! It was hilarious and Owen, you laughed so hard over and over again until your face was red and your sides hurt!
Hayden, on Wednesday night, Meggy took you to go see a live performance of The Little Mermaid at the Arizona Broadway Theatre and you had an amazing time! After the show, you got to meet the actors and actresses. You got home at 10:30 and you were so deliriously tired that you weren’t even making sense!
On Friday night, Dad had to work late, so we met him for dinner at St. Francis.
We’ve had another awesome week!
Love you,
Mama
Summer Fun: Week 3 {VBS}
Dear H, O and B,
We had more summer fun this week because it was VBS week at the church we just started regularly attending! We have been very comfortable there for the last several weeks, so I decided to volunteer for VBS and get to know some people better. The only way to make friends is to put yourself out there and get involved! Madison and Andrew were with us for the week, too, which made the week even more fun and exciting.
In addition to VBS, Hayden, you had your first diving classes this week and Owen and Bennett, you had swim lessons with Mr. Christian. Summer is about to pass up the Christmas season as my favorite time of year. We are having a blast!
Love you,
Mama
VBS:
Swim and Dive:
Family Camping Fun!
Dear H, O and B,
This weekend we went camping with all of the families from the Girl Scout troop. It was so much fun! Each family planned some activities, so we had a lot of fun experiences!
Love you,
Mama
Summer Fun: Week Two
Dear H, O and B,
We had a great second week of summer! It was a short one because we left to go camping on Thursday. This week we did Skittles math, went to he Monday movie, made homemade bubbles, built a pool noodle ramp and raced marbles down it, went to the dinosaur play date at Peter Piper Pizza, oxidized pennies, hit the water park and acted out the story from Exodus 17 in which Moses gets a little help from his friends to carry a heavy load. We left to camp with the families from the girl scout troop on Thursday! It was a blast and will have to be a separate post! As always. I feel so blessed to be making so many fun memories with you!
Love you,
Mama
Skittles Math:
Homemade Bubbles:
Pool Noodle Marble Races:
Penny Oxidation:
Water Park: (Those little black dots on the rainbow slides are you, H and O!)
Moses, Aaron and Hur:
Summer Fun: Week One
Dear H, o and B,
We are going to have a very fun summer! We talked a lot about what we wanted to do this summer and Hayden, your big request was SCIENCE! So, I’ve planned some pretty cool science experiments/projects and we are having a blast!
This week, we went to the Monday movie, sewed and played in a table fort, acted out the story of Lazarus, went to the water park, built a solar oven and cooked marshmallows in it, went to the train park, wrote in shaving cream, had swim lessons each night, swam at Nana and Papa’s and ended the week with a stay-cation at a fun hotel for Dad’s birthday! We played some games and had other funny moments, too! It was an amazing week!
I’m having so much fun with you doing all of these activities! The house is messy, but I don’t even care!
Love you,
Mama
Table Fort:
Lazarus, come out!
Waterpark Wednesday:
Solar Oven:
Train Park:
Writing in Shaving Cream:
Swim Lessons: (O and B, you are in the same class this session!)
Stay-cation for Dad’s birthday:
Other Fun!
Playing Life:
Sneaking chocolate milk while Mom is folding laundry:
Using the mustache straw:
In the Books: First Grade
Dear Hayden,
This morning we dropped you off for the last day of first grade. This has been such an incredible year of growth for you.
You had THE BEST teacher this year. Mrs. DeStefano is one of the most dedicated, talented and naturally gifted teachers I’ve ever come to know… and I have known a LOT of teachers, both professionally and personally. She knew each of the students in your class individually and completely. She loved you, Hayden. She knew what you needed and she made sure you had it. Although you came into first grade reading above grade level, she made sure that you made progress this year. She encouraged you to speak up for yourself and coached you in some situations, which made you extremely successful. Your second teacher, Miss Coccia was amazing, too. It was her first year of teaching and together, she and Mrs. DeStefano were a fantastic team!
This year, you studied ancient Egypt, Mexico, the solar system and The Boston Tea Party, among many other topics. Mrs. DeStefano “taxed” you to use your cubbie several days to teach you what it must have felt like for the colonists to be taxed without representation. The room moms and I coordinated celebrations for the end of the Egyptian and solar system units. Your teachers arranged for 4 large telescopes to be delivered to the school at night for you to star gaze through one night in January. You dressed up as Charlotte for the read-a-thon. You took a field trip to the theatre to see Frog and Toad (a book that you read this year) performed live. You sang in two all-school concerts and joined the Passport Club, which you loved. You completed your first poster project and presentation (about sea lions) in May. On a random day in February, you cut your own bangs during a pronoun cut and paste activity! 🙂 Overall, you were very happy in school this year.
Outside of school, we had the first grade trunk-or-treat as well as a huge gingerbread party at Jack’s house. We had a Valentine party at the park at the end of the street and a few play dates with school friends! You also got your first set of stitches this year — on your chin. Your Daisy troop formed this year, too, which was such a life-enriching experience for you. You have developed a heart for service, too, as you were specifically impacted by both Project Linus and Feed My Starving Children this year. I say it all the time, and I’ll say it here, too — you are the best big sister in the world… you even decided to write the Spanish words for things all over our house with dry erase markers so that your brothers could learn Spanish, too. You also got your first “real” bible this year and have begun to read it. You were amazed at how specific the directions for the ark were for Noah… you are not one for being told exactly what to do. 😉
I’m most amazed, though, at the maturity that developed in you this year. You are thinking of things in such a dynamic and complex way, Hayden. It makes it easier to be your mom in a lot of ways, and harder to be your mom in other ways — but no matter what, I’m so glad I am. You are so very special and you mean the world to me.
Love you,
Mom
PS- You don’t know this, but while you are at school this morning, we are having a GIGANTIC water slide placed in our back yard! We’ve invited some of your friends from school (and Alex!) to come play this afternoon! It’s going to be a blast!!!
Last Day of First Grade:
A Few Pics from the Water Slide Surprise!
Four Point Five
Dear Owen,
Today you are four and a half! You are quite a guy! You have he most amazing smile and laugh! Your preferred activity is Mario Galaxy… although when that is not available you love board games!
I can’t believe we’ll be celebrating your fifth birthday in 6 quick months! You are a dashing little fellow!
Love you,
Mama
