My Soccer Girl!

Emma had so much fun playing soccer this summer. It's hard to believe it's almost over (one more game). We have a bunch of 4-year-olds in our ward and neighborhood so we did what we did with Jaxson when he was 4 and started our OWN little soccer club. It was so fun with Jaxson, but I dare say I think this year has been even better. We've had the BEST coaches... four dads from the ward who volunteered and have been so cute with the kids. They do games and drills for about 30 minutes and then play for another 30 minutes (or until the kids get tired). Although I DO often have to BRIBE Emma to play, she's done better than Jaxson did, who would wine and cry about being tired. One time he stopped in the middle of the field, sat down and started crying, "My vitamins aren't working! I can't run fast enough!" Ha! I love that memory. Anyway, Emma did her fair share of laying in the field, but she enjoyed playing goalie (because she could use her hands) and I was just happy that she went after the ball a couple times! For me, it's all about getting out with other kids and exposing her to the sport. Her doctor says soccer is the best sport for young kids for exercising. One time she came over for her water break saying, "I am sweating everywhere mom!"

Yellow Lions vs. Blue T-Rex's (we are missing a few in this photo)
After the practice/game, we have all the kids run through the parent's arms while they cheer!
I love this photo of Emma sitting right in the middle of the opposing team! (there really is a game going on at this point, believe it or not!)
Yeah... another typical soccer stance! She's lucky she didn't get trampled!
Oh, there's my girl going after the ball! I knew she had it in her!
Playing Goalie
Getting important direction from Coach Chris

CHEESE!

Who wouldn't want to miss bedtime for this?

Well, the FIRE FLIES have RETURNED! Emma has been asking for months when the fire flies would come back. We were coming home late after picking them up from the "date night" sitter and saw them flicker away. They've actually been out for a week or so, but I hadn't told her before then because I didn't wanted her to be up so late past bedtime (boring mom, I know). It was too dark to catch them that night (you have to actually see the bug when it's NOT lit up to catch it!). So we promised the kids they could stay up the next night to catch them. So, last night, they excitedly loaded up their bug catcher with over 10 fire flies. Then Emma marched them up to her room to sleep with them, hoping they would glow in the dark through the night. Yeah, they don't like being in the house too much... no glowing. But, they were alive the next morning! I forgot about them until tonight when I went to let them all out. I am surprised most of them survived that long in captivity! It would have been a different story if Emma got her HANDS on them during the day!

Strawberry Picking

For several months now Emma has been asking when we can go pick berries. We've tried to find a day to pick strawberries all month, but time has run away from us! So finally, today (at the end of the season), we went. Since it was Emma's special thing she's been wanting to do, I made the conscious decision that I was not going to be in a hurry. No rushing the kids... nothing to have to hurry back for... we were going to go at Emma pace (VERY slow). I suspected that the berries would probably be small ones (since we are at the end of the season) and when my suspicion was confirmed, I told the kids and Emma was SO excited! For her, the smaller, the better (it means that they are baby berries).

I love this picture of Jax and Emma with our prize
Emma strolling through the fields looking for baby ripe berries
She was so cute just singing away while she picked
Yeah! Look how many we got!
After we weighed in, we had a little picnic lunch next to the apple orchards
I brought extra water to wash some berries so the kids could taste the sweet rewards of their work
We bought some already picked berries to take home and make jam and freeze
Yummy YUMMY Strawberries!

"I LIED!" (a glimpse into the mind of Jaxson)

I just have to post this story for my memory sake because it is so representative of my son's personality and the honest, sweet little boy that he is:

A few weeks ago, before school was out, there was an ice cream social at the school that we were planning all week to go to. Before we left, Jaxson had a break down about something (insignificant, I'm sure) and threw a big fit. I was trying to get him to walk home from a neighbors house down the street and, being angry, he flat out disobeyed me and yelled that he didn't want to go to the ice cream social. Well, unfortunately for him, his little fit cost him the opportunity to go. He was SO UPSET!.. to the point that he could hardly speak! Yeah. So, we ate dinner while Jaxson sat in a 'time out' in his room. I knew he was excited about the ice cream social, but I didn't know it was THAT big of deal! When I went to talk with him (when he could finally speak) it came to my attention that he thought we were going to an ice cream social at the LIBRARY (not the school) which he "promised" he would go to. The week before, some library representatives visited the school to talk to the kids about the summer reading program and ice cream social and had those kids who "promised" to go raise their hands. Jaxson repeatedly cried, "I lied!" He was more upset about lying than he was about the social. Once I explained to him that the library social was the following week, he immediately jumped up happy and relieved asking, "I didn't lie?" Then he ran downstairs to eat his dinner.

Jaxson is such a genuinely good kid. I rarely have to question if what he is telling me is true. It feels good to be able to trust him so completely and I only hope it lasts as he gets older.

Contrasting to THAT story is a great illustration of Emma in a conversation we had the other day. She said, "mommy, Jaxson just spit on the Hungry Hungry Hippos game!" I had just put the game away and Jaxson had been outside ever since, so I doubted what she told me since she LOVES to get her brother in trouble! When I told her that I would talk to Jaxson about it, she immediately recanted saying, "NO! Don't ask him about it, okay?" Hhhmm... sounds like a little white lie to me! No guilt on her shoulders whatsoever, just her little mischievous mind at work! Does anyone wonder why I worry about her as a teenager..?

In reading this, one would think that I have a "favorite" child. Contrary to what it may seem, I DO NOT love Jax more than Emma. It is just fascinating to me just how different the two of them are from one another. I am REALLY excited to meet their little sister and learn about HER little personality as she grows older. I love my little Emma who is sweet and who still captivates the attention of Kolby and I to the point that we find ourselves just sitting back and smiling back and forth to each other while watching and listening to her. Her little mind is always reeling over every little detail of things. She doesn't miss a thing and her curiosity and excitement keep our lives interesting!

All that said, I am STILL nervous for her teenage years!

Front Yard Pool... Homemade Graham Crackers... good memories

I LOVE watching my kids BE kids!
I love how vivid my own childhood memories become when I watch them play.
I remember the feeling of the HOT cement warming my body from the chill of the hose water.
I remember the itch of the grass all over my wet skin, but not caring about it.

I love hearing the squeals of delight ring from my front yard as the kids play for HOURS. I find myself wanting to foster as many memories as possible for my kids. Sights, sounds, tastes... Lemonade, licorice, and daddy's homemade graham crackers. It is days like today that remind me why I LOVE summer so much!

Jaxson sharing a piece of "daddy graham crackers" with Emma
Backward!
The kids are way too big to go down the slide together, but they did anyway.
This picture is actually from the other day when the kids were doing slip and slide. Emma was so fun to watch. I love their red little knees and bruised shins afterward!

Sulfur Springs Hike

Last week, some friends from the ward and I took our kiddos out for an afternoon hike in the South Chagrin Reservation (about 25 minutes from my house) to an area called Sulfur Springs. It is a great hike through a shallow river with a couple waterfalls the kids can play on, slide down, and swim around. Jaxson LOVED being around so many BOYS and as pokey as Emma is (we brought up the rear on the whole first half of the hike), her little friend Lily helped to prod her along on the second half and she got more and more comfortable. I realize that learning to walk quickly on uneven terrain is something that you learn. At least it is something that will take lots of doing for Emma to get comfortable with. I guess that is my excuse to take my kids hiking a lot this summer! We will definitely be going back to this spot. Everything was so beautiful and green.Here is the whole crew!
Hangin out in the falls
Jaxson showing off the cut on his arm he got when he slipped and fell on a waterfall
I love how GREEN this picture is. It does it justice better than all the other pictures
Little Sister and me
THE BOYS (minus a couple)
My friend Terri offered to pay a quarter to anyone who would go all the way under the water (which was pretty COLD!)

Emma and Lily
I LOVE this picture of my handsome boy!
The girls encouraging each other to explore a little.

No more Training Wheels

When Jaxson's Grumpa B-Man was in town a couple weeks ago, he took the training wheels off Jaxson's bike (and Emma's, which is smaller and easier to learn on). He did not pick it up right away, but it hasn't taken him long to figure it out. He has been riding Emma's bike and we just got his bigger bike fixed and ready to go. He kind of had to learn all over again with the bigger bike, but he's got it down great now. He wanted me to get video of him to send to his Grumpa

B-Man (see below).

Home made Ice Cream Baby!

Does anyone out there from Utah remember "Snelgrove Ice Cream?" Well, we do! It went out of business last year, but for us, we've gone without it for three years, since moving here. Snelgrove made the BEST burnt almond fudge. It is the first ice cream Jaxson ever tasted... at about 3-4 months old! Yes, he loved it, and so did we! I have really missed it since moving here. Well, since Kolby seems to be on a kick for trying all kinds of new things in the kitchen, we have benefited from him trying his hand at home made ice cream. I dare say he has perfected it!... both custard and non-custard ice cream! YUM! I don't know how many batches he's made, but we pretty much have a constant supply in our freezer so far this summer and last night, he made "BURNT ALMOND FUDGE!" I can't get over how close it is to the Snelgrove kind! Well, better actually, because it doesn't have all the "extra" stuff they put into store bought ice creams. It is SO CREAMY! He is all about the science behind it and is trying to perfect the "creaminess." I say he's got it down. So, if I end up gaining too much this pregnancy... I blame it all on Kolby!

Backyard Campout

Over a month ago, Jaxson wrote out some plans for a "Backyard Campout." He wrote out the names of everyone invited (our family), the time and date (a random 7:13 on June 12th), then he drew a picture of a fire and started collecting sticks all around the yard/neighborhood to use for our fire. Needless to say, this was a big built-up event. We weren't able to do it on the exact day, but on Tuesday this week, we followed through on his plans. We barbecued hot dogs, roasted smores (or as Emma would say, we "marshed mallows") The kids got to stay up late and watch a movie, Underdog, in the tent. Then we slept through a very rainy night (okay, everyone slept soundly but ME who had to use the bathroom but didn't want to forge the rain... oh the joys of being pregnant!) It was so fun to watch the kids and see how excited they were. You know when their voices raise an entire octave out of excitement? Yeah, that's pretty much how it was all night! Pretty sad that our tent takes up most of our miniature backyard!
Eating hot dogs in the tent
Can you tell we were swimming all day with the way Emma's hair looks?
"Marshing Mallows"
We used the sticks the kids collected for our fire
Yummy!
You gotta love how MESSY smores are!
The good thing about camping in your backyard is that you can still do evening baths before bedtime. Here are my clean, fresh-smelling, sunburned kids before bed. Emma is yelling, "CAMPOUT!"
Watching Underdog in the tent
The kids couldn't believe we let them stay up so late.
brushing teeth before bed (yeah, I know, I go overboard on pictures!)

sound asleep in the rainy morning

Swimming Update

Awhile ago I posted about Jaxson joining the swim team. Well, for a little update on that... we went to the first practice this week. The coaches encouraged everyone to NOT sign up until after the first couple practices to make sure the kids liked it and could handle the intensity. Jaxson was wide-eyed at ALL the kids there (the team is pretty big in the summer). He was lined up to do his first lap (in which all eyes are on him to see how he does) and he was nearly shaking saying, "mommy, I'm scared!" Of course, I told him he'd do great. And, of course he had to go to the bathroom because of his nervousness! So, his turn came, he got in the water, and started off on his lap. He did awesome! I think he swam the best that I've seen him swim. He made it about 2/3 down the lane, stopped, grabbed onto the robe and just started sobbing saying, "I can't do it!" I think he worked himself up too much. He got out and cried in my arms saying, "I don't want to do swim team!" I felt so bad! He really tried so hard and I was so proud of him! He said he just wants to keep doing lessons.

In the end, I think he felt disappointed that he didn't finish; but I don't want him doing anything that stresses him out like this did. He was really intimidated by all the kids. He agreed that maybe he could try next year. For this year, I think he is just excited to be able to swim well enough to jump off the diving board.

We talked that night with daddy about the lessons that can be learned from his experience... 1) It's okay to be nervous; that is a normal feeling and even great athletes feel those feelings. 2) The important thing is not whether or not he finished, but that he DID HIS BEST. and 3) It is important not to give up or rule something out because of a bad experience.