Noah always becomes obsessed when presented with new hobbies. He gets that from Jenna :) After vacation he's been all about the yo-yo. Have to admit he's pretty good.
Pretend to be adults
We don't get the opportunity to dress up very often but when we do...it always seems like its July. :)
Cam Gets Her Ears Pierced
Those eyes
They always see right through me.
Noah's 11th Birthday and Downtown Obstacle Race
As always, Noah's birthday party was delayed due to the end of the school year crush. This year though we had a definite end goals. The Jones Center was having a kid's obstacle race the first weekend in June and Noah circled the date. He invited some buddies over for a sleepover and the next morning they would race. Friday night, we took them swimming. We celebrated low key on his actual birthday. He wanted cheesecake for both and we happily obliged.
Campbell also wanted to race so she invited a friend to spend the night (with the dual purpose of keeping her occupied from her brother) and they raced also. The morning of the race came and they went off in waves by age. Campbell's race was a half mile. She came through the first few obstacles in the middle of the pack. At the midway point though there was one boy in front of her. At the end, though she was in the lead. The final obstacle was a slip and slide down the hill. She sat down and started scooting and I had a flash she was going to lose first place by not just sliding. Luckily the other 7 year olds didn't know what they were doing either. So first place for the baby girl. The best part of the video is the finish line volunteers cheering on that a girl was going to win! You'll have to excuse the end where Oliver finds a bone in the video :)
Noah is such a competitor. He walked the course 3 times when we first got there. He kept asking me if they were doing the route twice since it was twice as long as the 9 and under route. After the 75th time of me saying I didn't know, he asked somebody 5 minutes before his race. Of course they told him the second half of his race was on the other side of the Jones Center. He went pale because he hadn't scouted those obstacles. He was panicked but it didn't show. He won his age group and he wasn't messing around with his slip and slide finish. I kept it running to see the gap to second place.
Can't make me...
For a kid that used to love the mirror, getting him for a pic takes an act of Congress. That's the 2017 Congress not the 1917 Congress.
Another Aquahawg
Last summer Campbell made it to the last level of HawgStart but didn't graduate in time to be invited to join the Aquahawgs before the summer league season. This year, she blew through it and now she's officially on the swim team with her big brother. I have never seen her as excited or nervous as she was before the last session when she'd find out if she made it. So this summer she will swim with the Rookie Hawgs in the NWA summer league while Noah swims long course with the Jr. Hawgs. I'd say no one could be more proud of her, but she's awfully proud of herself.
Springdale Schools video on Related Services
I've gotten so many compliments on this video but honestly it's because Jayden is so stinking cute. It was a much more pleasant experience making this than i anticipated. Trent Jones and his crew are very professional. They let me ramble on and on for an hour then edited it down to 30 seconds so it makes me look much smarter than I am. it was nice of the district to put a spotlight on my department and a couple of our amazing kids.
Easter 2017
For Easter this year we went to Little Rock to spend time with the Johnsons. For Christmas, Jenna had bought Ann and Campbell tickets to Riverdance and this was the weekend of the show. We thought we would parlay it into an opportunity to visit our old pastor in his new digs in downtown Little Rock for Easter Sunday. We were able to cram a lot into a weekend. Jenna and I went on a bike ride with a date night, the kids got some fishing in, the ballet, I was able to take Noah to Pinnacle Mountain and climb the hard side (I swear it wasn't that hard 25 years ago) Easter eggs, and finally the kids got to see the Big Dam Bridge after a year or two giggling at it's name. Solid weekend.
Spring Break 2017
Months ago Jenna had the idea to stay in a yurt at Petite Jean. We booked it so far in advance we really weren't counting down the days until it got here. There's something about camping that brings you together. I don't know if its the outdoors, being unplugged from our plugged in lives, or that you are just trapped together. I doubt it will be the same when they are teenagers but I pray it will be. Gallery below.
If only...
...we could let her personality shine through 🙄
Spring has sprung in Februray
80 degrees. 80...Degrees!
Holding his own
It cracks me up watching him swim with kids as tall as me. He holds his own but when they get out of the water I always think he's in the wrong group.
Does Uber Have Bike Racks?
8 miles into a 20 mile ride and rain with tornado watch hits. Forecast when we left said we had 4 hours before it hit. Sigh. To be a weatherman. That would be the life. Not right now because I want to strangle him Any other day though. Not all bad though because we just happened to be beside Mellow Mushroom. Looks like we have a break in the weather in 3 hours. #gonnabeabigtab
Christmas 2016
I almost titled it "An Embarrassment of Riches." Christmas was a mixed bag this year. We got a good solid 19 day break from school, including a week before Christmas. So we got plenty of time to just hang out as a core group. Then we traveled for the south Arkansas tour. It felt rushed like it always does but it was still almost a week from home. We had nice visits with everyone. Jared and his girls were only in town for one day so we didn't get much time with them. Holly and the AZ crew weren't able to make it at all this year so that was a bummer too. It was also our first Christmas without toys, which Jenna celebrated but kind of struck me with melancholy. Happy holidays to everyone. I sincerely hope it was filled with love and joy.
Jenna and Her Wily Ways
How did I become a cat owner? One day I will have my answer from her!
Glowing Balls and a 10 Year Old
I've recently learned that when 5th graders find out what testicles are actually for, they no longer find them funny. "I married a nutcracker!" doesn't even get a smirk. "My balls are glowing. Do you think I need to see a Dr.?" gets an eyeroll that would shame a 13 year old.
Happy 7th Campbell
I pray life brings you as much joy as you bring to life.
So far so good
Bluest I've ever seen it.
Kitchen Hacks
So this just happened. I was cutting up apples. Cam came running in, "Dad you're doing it wrong! I saw a kitchen hack that says to slice them in a tic tac toe pattern and its faster and easier. She even timed it to prove it."
She was right. It is easier and faster. When did 6 year olds become experts at kitchen hacks?
