Ah, yes, the winter that never seemed to end and then finally mercifully did just before I developed a drinking habit. Mike made a fort with the kids and wondrous pile of snow dubbed Mount Prutsman. A very dreamy location 10 feet from the house that afforded us to not take a car trip to the local sledding hill.
Don't let this sweet face fool you. He is plotting on how to crush everyone and everything in his path.
Violet's bff Lauren. Vi is so enamored with this sweet little spark plug of silliness that she did not want to go visit her grandparents because she would miss seeing her at school for two days. I see a very long loving relationship......
The pinnacle of Mount Prutsman. This was also during the winter Olympics so I was asked to judge and announce each sledding run. Usually they ended in ties of gold or bronze if they wiped out.
Ice Cream at Friendly's for Vi's 8th birthday.
I don't know why this posted sideways, but you get the idea. She had a sleepover with her girlies and successfully turned 8!
Fast forward from March to May for my niece Bray's 16th birthday. Gulp. Yes, she has a driver's permit and is learning the rules of the road. Fortunately, she has my brother to teach her exactly how not to drive from his teenage years. :)
The randomness of these photos, of course, is because I can't seem to find 5 minutes to do a post. I have no one to blame, but myself and live in constant guilt of not documenting my kids one and only childhood. Moving on....
This is a pic of Camden in GranMary's forest of ferns in her dining room. I don't really know how he got in there (or managed to find a pacifier), but I do know he knocked over one to get out. He really can't leave most locations without dumping, wrecking, stomping, and demolishing.
Here we are at my nephew Spenser's soccer game. I don't think I have an actual pic of him playing soccer, but trust me it happened. Cam pretty much demands that you don't do anything, but pay attention to whatever he is doing at every moment. I don't remember the other 2 being quite this time-consuming, but again my memory is terrible...... I guess I should look at some old posts......
The fun of being outdoors at GranMary and Papa Al's house, a little golfing in the yard, bike riding, kickball, swing set, playground, pond, railroad, cartwheels and snake wrangling. The kids love it!
Fast forward again to a couple of weeks ago for Daddy/Daughter Night. Vi got to go out to eat and then Celtic music at the library. She has these 2 absolutely fantastically energetic brothers that can steal the lime light so it is very necessary for her to get a night out without the boisterous competition.
Memorial Day parade and picnic at Grandma Pat's house. A favorite for all! Vi's little cousin Lavanya and Vi's pal Keira helped collect the thrown candy! There was other family there, but since Cam has been born I feel like I don't take as many photos. Something I need to rectify.
Our first trip the Great Escape this year (of many since we have season passes)! Kolt doesn't remember going 2yrs ago and Cam wasn't even born. It is a definite test in patience and more patience. Mike and I both dislike crowds and hot sun so we really have to psych ourselves up and remember how much the kids LOVE it to get through the visit. Cam unlike his siblings was completely in love with the characters dressed up like a turtle and Scooby (don't ask me about the pairing). Pretty sure Cam wanted them to adopt him and immediately start a new life as a over sized theme park mascot. I was totally up for signing him over to a life of dancing the macarena and giving high fives to the children of the world. Again, the whole theme park experience is overwhelming to me, Mike slapped me, I came to my senses and we moved on with Cam screaming bloody murder at our hasty decision.
I was promptly kicked in the shin by Cam and then ran from after this pic. Just a glimpse as to why I thought the theme park mascot life might be a good idea.
Vi, Kolt and Dad did the log ride, while Cam and I took a stroller ride out the car. And by stroller ride I mean a screaming, punching, kicking fiasco. We had to pass the @#$$^$%^ Turtle on our way out.....
Daddy took Cam for his first haircut. I feel like this could be one of the awkward family card photos, right? Mike said he did fine. She saved his beautiful curls in the back, but cut off the mullet he was growing.
vi got a Magic kit from her Uncle Jim and Aunt Cathie. She did a lovely little show for everyone.
Cam truly believes in his heart he is a dinosaur. He gets red in the face, and his whole body shakes, he masterfully shapes his hands into flesh-tearing claws, it is a full body thing. It can be extremely funny in a store, when instead of saying Hi, he just roars at the person with so much conviction they can't help but smile. I then explain he is a dinosaur and they cower & cry in fear or at least in Cam's mind they do.
I completely laughed out loud when Kolt came home with this Pre-k school picture! He left for picture day with nice gelled-up hair. "Spenser Hair," we call it after his very stylish older cousin. He then ran around in the rain waiting for the bus so his hair was not so gelled-up as utterly soaking. Every time I look at this photo, I feel as if it's a portrait of his personality. A goof-ball sweetheart with every naughty intention a 4yr old boy can possibly muster in just one glance up. I love this kid.
This would be a rewind to Easter.
Not much to say about it because I really don't remember anything, but Violet surprising Mike and I with presents of chocolate. It was super sweet of her in a sneaky sort of way. She promptly told us it was nice to share.
Cam being a dinosaur.
A little love note for Daddy on his birthday. At this point who really cares when it was.....
