Just the two of us

I can not tell you how much I loved this week

So many times, I feel like I'm failing as a mom

I want to be their friend yet all I do is direct and discipline

Each time I have my children one on one {which isn't very often},

I tell myself that I need to make it a point to spend more one on one time with them

Something about having them one on one brings out the qualities I love about them

Full blood brothers yet SO DIFFERENT

This week Spencer was gone a lot (Orchestra and Art Camp)

I'm sure Parker was bored out of his mind not having his brother home to pick on him

I loved every second that Parker and I were together, just the two of us

Some qualities I love about Parker 

 Sweet, Caring, Attentive, Helpful, People Pleaser, Good Shoppper

All these qualities are great but being a good shopper came in handy this week

On Tuesday, we ran a million errands
I had a bill to pay at JcPenney's so we ran in and paid it
While I stood in line at the register, Parker checked out the boys clothes
He walked over to me and asked- Do you think I could start getting my clothes from here? {Adorable}
I asked him to show me some things he liked {Everything with the Nike trademark}
I asked if it would be okay if I took a peek at the dresses for an upcoming wedding
You should have heard my boy,  I'm sure the ladies standing around were in awe
Parker: Mom, do you like this one?
This one is pretty
I like this one, do you?
Try it on!
He zipped the back of the dress, said turn around and grinned ear to ear
He even went out and got me a different size
My heart beamed {He's going to make some lady very happy}


On Wednesday we shopped again
Just the two of us
Spencer was at art camp in Davenport and I had several store I needed to hit
Parker helped pick out his cousins birthday presents
He smelled soap at Bath and Body Works and picked his three favorite scents
We did a lot of window shopping
and
just had fun


It hit me that he's growing up and I probably won't get too many of these days

What is this? {Itchy, rashy and miserable}

I'm ready to put our little man in a bubble

Seriously, this boy is allergic to everything

We are planning a trip to the caves and canoeing

and all I can do is cringe at the thought of him being in the "outdoors"

Last year, we battled poison ivy for almost 3 weeks

I finally called his asthma allergy specialist after a week and a half and begged for a miracle drug

Parker woke up last week with what I thought was a bug bite above his lip

A week later and it spread

He's rashy, itchy and miserable 

I've rubbed Calagel on him, we've started steroids, I've washed bedding . . . .

Two days later his skin is pretty clear

After an evening outside in the warm air, he looks like this again

I was lying in bed last night praying for healing
I feel helpless, tired and frustrated yet our little man is so tough

This morning he woke up and things are looking better
We're thankful for rainy days so we can stay cool and itch free


I wonder what this is and  what tomorrow will bring

Photo Dump

I'm lost for words this week 

so I'll let some pictures speak for themselves

Feeding the ducks

We saw these babies the last week of school

Just a few weeks later - They're getting so big

Keeping Cool

I think it's time to set up the pool

Lots of ball games

We come prepared

Pitching practice 

Parker and his coach Hawkeye Style

A visit to the dentist

I mustache you a question - Who's your favorite dentist?

  Father's Day

Parker : I know what I'll be having for breakfast

Beauty in the yard

Praying Mantis on daylillies

Perfect eggs 

Summer break started last week

but SUMMER officially hit this week

90 degree days

Yeah, I'm not ready for this

I should have enjoyed those lovely 70 degree days while they lasted

Tonight we have a ball game and they are calling for severe weather

The only reason it's going to storm is because I got the job of hiring an umpire

A reminder text has been sent to the ump and drinks for the team have been purchased

It can start blowing any minute

We got a start on our Summer Fun List

When the kids are bored and their friends are gone,

they come in ask if we can go somewhere

Last Friday we went to the Discovery Center and today we fed the ducks at Weed Park

You know it's HOT when the kids are hot and ready to come back home

I think the Aquatic Center might get added to the Summer Fun List next

We have the fever {Baby Fever that is}

I never imagined that I would have baby fever

Once the bottles, diapers and sippy cups vanished, there was no turning back

We went into this marriage saying- 2 kids

There was absolutely no talk about - What if we get 2 boys/2 girls?

2 was the magic number

2 boys, 2 girls, it didn't matter

We were done at 2!

And we are still done

 BUT

Our neighbor had the sweetest little girl about 3 weeks ago 

This baby makes me melt

She makes me think that I would be more patient now as a new mom

Watching my boys hold her is PRICELESS

They LOVE her and think we should have one

We have a little bit of baby fever

Who needs summer break?

After running around like chickens with our heads cut off the last couple of weeks of school,

I decided that our first week of summer break would be low key

I think I may have needed a summer break more than these kids

If I've heard, I'm bored once -I've heard it a million times

Every morning Spencer gets up and wants to know what we were doing or where we were going

Can't we just relax and do nothing?

I LOVED our Summer Bucket List that we made last year

but at the end of summer, we still had things we hadn't accomplished and I felt guilty

This year I decided we would make a Summer Fun List
{A list of all the fun things we do this summer}
I'm hoping by going this route, we won't feel like we have to get everything crossed off the bucket list
and we can focus more on just having fun

We have made one goal-
We will be riding 100 miles on our bikes


Due to the excessive boredom this week,
I think we will be able to add some things to our fun list next week

Thankfully the cousins are coming tomorrow and will help entertain these boys for the next 4 days

Top Ten or so (Last week as a 5th and 2nd grader)

A quick run down of our last week of school

1. Spencer was picked to sing the National Anthem before the school talent show

2. On Tuesday Spencer graduated from fifth grade

{How can that be?}

3. On Wednesday the kids had Field Day at school

4. On Thursday Spencer's class went on a field trip to The Discovery Center

They were supposed to go to Sulsbury but it was flooded

5. Later in the afternoon, we spent the first 15 minutes of the fifth grade graduation party

in the basement of the bowling alley due to a tornado spotted in Letts

6. We had awards ceremonies on Friday
I'm still having a hard time believing that my son got an award for most well mannered

7. Last day of school = The best school meal you'll ever have
Hot dogs and hamburgers grilled by Chef Spies {Principal}

8. We celebrated our last day as a 5th grader and 2nd grader
with slushies from Kum and Go

Thankful to have another year under our belts