Summer Recap - August

At the start of August, Olympic fever settled over our house. Kaden loved watching the Olympic coverage with me during the day. We talked about the different countries we saw represented, and looked up pictures of their flags and found them on the map. He learned about several new sports and adopted a new hero: MICHAEL PHELPS! Our boy probably could have watched Olympic swimming all day, every day if I let him. We have such a patriotic little boy!

painting Olympic rings

When we could, we did get outside to play and run off some energy. I'm thankful for our nice screened-in porch out back with a built-in ceiling fan. Late afternoons when it was nice and shady out back we'd play in the water or blow bubbles and draw with chalk. Audrey loved laughing at her brother's silly antics and watching him throw a ball around.

Of course, August is always an exciting month in our household because we get to celebrate Kaden's birthday! Kaden is really into outer space right now, so we threw him a small rocket themed birthday party party.

I made him some cosmic pancakes for breakfast, then he opened his gifts. Books, a toy rocket ship, and a pintsized putter were among this year's birthday loot!

We parents also look forward to August because it means the kids will go back to school! Kaden returned to the preschool at Alice Drive Baptist Church this fall and is doing pretty well, all things considered. We are still struggling with some discipline issues, but he is learning a lot and has great teachers! Mommy is very thankful for the break every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning to get some cleaning done (or take a nap) while Kaden's at school and Audrey is napping.

 In August, I took over as our squadron's spouse social leader. We call that person our "Lady Dealer" (since our squadron is known as the Gamblers). My first big event happened the weekend after Kaden's birthday. We had an olympic themed naming, complete with patriotic decorations and attire, silly "olympic" events for the ladies to compete in (including pin the medal on Michael Phelps!), and lots of funny stories shared about the 3 ladies we named. It was a lot of work, but was a big success and helped us get to know each other a lot better.

 Right after the naming I scrambled to get us ready to travel for over 3 weeks. We planned to spend 1.5 weeks in California reuniting with all of James' family, and then we'd fly to Colorado for his 10 year Academy reunion. Packing all the stuff we needed to survive for that long away from home with 2 small kids was no small feat, but worth it for all the sweet memories we made (and the extended break from the heat!) See the next 2 posts for more pictures!

Summer Recap - July

 We spent the 4th of July at a resort in Myrtle Beach. It was extremely hot and humid, but thankfully there were plentiful ways to stay cool on the beach. We played mini golf, splashed in the pool and waded in the ocean. Kaden was always a little unsure of the water and took a while to relax and take a dip, but Audrey is fearless and loves to swim! One of the reasons I chose this hotel is because we'd be able to see the fireworks from our balcony. They were small and far away, but the festive display made it feel a little more like the 4th of July for two exhausted parents of littles!

The view from our room! Not too shabby

Click here to watch Audrey splashing in the pool

The rest of July was pretty much spent trying to survive the summer heat and keep up with our active children. Thankfully, Kaden enjoys many indoor activities like reading, building with blocks, and doing arts and crafts projects!

Audrey was 4 months old at the start of July and was starting to learn new skills. She could totally hold her head up while on her belly and was starting to explore and experiment with the way her body works. She found her toes and came very close to laughing! We also stopped swaddling her at night, which was a big milestone. She was also beginning to look interested in trying solid foods but we knew she needed to wait until she turned 6 months old. However, we tried to make her feel more included during our mealtimes by setting her up with some toys in Kaden's old high chair.

It was clear in her 5 month photo shoot that she has a big personality. I love her big open mouthed smile and sassy spirit!