The coolest toys ever.

So here is a closer picture of the wooden toys we got from Selma's friend for Zach's birthday present. Im so amazed at the quality of work this man does for a hobby, these toys are truly incredible. I can't wait to buy more from him. And they were one of Zachs favorite gifts. He gives them a two thumbs up!

AC Gilbert House, Salem Carousel, and snow cones in one day!?

yum yum!


Zach was a little afraid, so Mommy and him rode in a wagon instead of a horse. Mommy got really dizzy.

Eli on the cool horse

We love the AC Gilbert house. Its alot like the Childrens Museum in Portland, but in my opinion...much cooler. Plus since we'd been last time, they had updated and changed a few things which were fun to see. And of course we LOVE the park there.

Eli putting on a play for me in the junge theater.

Learning to write DOG in Chinese.

Partying penguin style

Just after Zachs 3rd Doggy theme birthday party last year, Zach announced for his next birthday he wanted to do a penguin party. I sort of thought he'd change his mind, but by spring time he was still saying penguins. Not any of the penguin movies, just penguins. Just penguins I found out, is not the easiest of themes to find. So it took some creative moves, but we pulled it off. A penguin party, on a nice summer day.

The desert table, protected by the Penguin pinata.

Sushi! (rice crispie treats with dried fruit in the middle rolled in purple fruit roll up, so yummy!)

7 layer dip. see the cute little olive penguins on top!? I planned to make a whole tray of these cute little guys, but they took forever to make...so I made four. Which worked out perfect, the oly 4 kids who wanted some got one!

Ta-da! So those of you who dont know, I always make a special cake for my boys. So Zach got an igloo cake and little penguins. It tasted much better than Eli's fondant clown cake, I found a recipe for frosting dough...which tastes MUCH better and smells much better than fondant.

Some of the penguins are having a snowball fight...and see the little penguin in the door! He was Zachs favorite.

Opening gifts. This was his favorite gift, wooden toys made by my good friend Selma's friend. He's 85 I believe she said, and he makes all sorts of them, they are really amazing. Zach hasnt stopped playing with his 5 since he opened them. He tells everyone "my Selma's friend made them"

Oh how I wish I had the video going at this time. This card Jake got him, its huge and it sings that song from Shrek, "hey now youre an all star get your game on....", and Zach went totally crazy. He started out dancing to it and then just went nutts! He was so happy and I dont think Ive ever seen him preform for a group like that, being our shy child. He was dancing and turning red and then yelled "turn it off, Im going crazy!!!!" Too funny.

"Bendaroos, like I see on my tv all the time!"

Make a wish! Happy Birthday to you!!!

So you can kind of see it in this picture, but the cake was also covered in powdered sugar so when he blew his candles sugar blew all over Jakes hand. Special effects, I planned it. haha

Forget the fork or hands, lets just get down to business.

Gweny was pretty much the only one who adventured so much in the pool. It was a decent day but not too warm. Kids got in and out, but Gweny was in it quite a bit. She had blue lips at times.

Pinata time! (Luke)

Gwen

The penguin fell, so we beat him on the ground.

Eli smashed his head in. Such violence, poor poor cute little penguin.

CANDY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grandpa Nick brought a pinata for Zach, so we had two pinatas to beat. The kids all went home with gallon bags worth of pinata suprise. By this time, the kids realized pinatas are built to last a long time, so Zach created the "charge and hit" attacks.

Grandpas pinata had money in it...notice adults are on the ground this time. haha

I cant believe my baby is 4. Time flies when youre having fun. He's very happy to be four. He starts preschool this Fall and he's growing up so fast. For a couple months we've been in "butt wipe training" so that he can take care of business if need be at preschool. This whole time he's been very stubborn about it and wouldnt want to do it himself. Occasionally he'd try and we'd have to finish. On his actual birthday, the day after his party, he announced he had to go and went in the bathroom. Whe he was done he yelled "Im done" like normal, to get us to come wipe him. I yelled back to wipe and Id come check. Before I knew it I heard the sink turn on and I ran in thinking he decided not to try and would try to get away with no wipes at all. So I walk in to him washing his hands singing his ABC's and I ask if he wiped, he says yes, so I say let me check and he did! I just looked at him and said did you wipe on your own? (I knew he had, it was more of a proud question than anything) and he looks at me like Im the most clueless person around and says "Mommy, Im FOUR." So this age must be a big deal for him, because as soon as he knew he was four, he magically learned to wipe his own bottom.

Happy 4th Birthday big boy, you'll always be my baby.

Safety Camp

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this camp. Its held in town by the police department and park & rec. Its for children going into kindergarten or 1st grade. Its a week long, every day for a few hours. Last year we signed Eli up because with me being a little bit of a helicopter parent and him starting kindergarten I wanted to make sure that if I were to let go some of my control, that he was well prepared for school and the dangers of things out there. Of course we teach our kids safety things, but theres just something about hearing it from others that sometimes kids grasp more. Safety camp totally met my expectations and then blew them totally out of the water. I wish that there was a safety camp for every age and all year long. Eli officially graduated his 2nd and final year of safety camp last week, and next year Zach will get to attend his first year. Seriously, I cant say enough about this camp and what its done for my feeling safe and trusting that Eli has so much safety knowlege in his brain and its given me that strength and trust to let Eli a little more free in certain situations. I would recomend the camp to everyone, so check it out if your child is in that age group next year...or any year after. Its the best money ever spent. And like I said I could go on and on and on about how great it is...just trust me on this one and sign your child up, you wont be dissapointed. And there are some amazing people who run it. So, heres some photos. ... in some what order.

Safety camp banner and logo thats on the campers shirts.

Eli's group. The "Blue Man Group". The blue team and they were ALL boys in the group. Eli was very excited one of his friends from his Kindergarten class was in his group. And I was so impressed with his counselors. The camp is organized and over seen by adults (police department and park and rec and some volunteer), but each group of kids has teen counselors..middle and high school kids. Last year the counselors were good, but this year Eli's were GREAT. "M&M" and "George of the Jungle" were their camp counselor names. They are the two on the outsides of the top row. (The teen in gray was a volunteer but not with a group, she helped with snacks and crafts for all groups) I was so happy to see that both the counselors for his goup had all the kids names memorized in the first day and they were really great with the kids. So fun and carring at the same time.

I think this picture just shows that Eli is big enough that he's too old for Safety camp next year. He was getting a little too tall for the cars, and had a big bruise on his knee's from peddling and hitting his knee's on the steering wheel.

Bus safety.

Animal safety.

Learning about Firemen and their suits.

Lock 'em up officer!

Stop drop and roll!!

Eli loves to volunteer to come up front at things and be the helper.

The entire camp (morning group).

Eli and some of his blue group buddies hanging out with their counselor George of the Jungle.

Eli getting his graduation diploma from Officer Gwen Jons (I watched her two sweet boys in my daycare years ago when they were just a little younger than Zach and Eli are now!)

Giving high five to the Old Fashioned Festival Queen and Princess's after getting his diploma. A friend of mine from High School, her little girl was in this camp this year also. Durring the graduation there was one little girl who when she got her diploma and shook Officer Jons hand, she totally stopped and did the hand shake pose for her moms camera. Becca and I both laughed that we forgot to "prep" our kids for photo ops. haha It was pretty cute though.

My proud little graduate. He is already a little sad that he can't come back next year, but atleast he can say hi to returning volunteers when we drop off Zach for his turn. One of the volunteer adults told him on the last day that she was getting teary eyed because she was going to miss him, that he was such a joy to spend the week with. Made Mamma proud.

(and p.s. I was not helicopter parent following around at camp. haha Gwen was nice enough and emailed me most of these pictures that she took all week long. I took the graduation ones)

Some random summer fun

So over the last month or two we've been preparing Eli for all day school, 1st grade! In doing so, that meant breaking him of naps. Yes he still naps. And he still needs it. Were a sleepy family. Unfortunatley Zach has decided that since Eli doenst nap, then he wont either. Which would be fine except he needs the naps still even more so than Eli does. I do admit, I do miss the down time but its also been really nice to just be free of the naps and able to do things any time of the day. But come 5pm or so, Zach starts to fizzle out. Usually we can keep him going until bedtime, but this night Jake was on the phone and me outside or something, and he fell asleep in his dinner. Oops. Were hoping that once Eli is in school all day that Zach will give in to naps again.



Jake was cleaning up our garden/flowers/yard one afternoon. He decided our wisteria needed some pruning. This is what I found when I came out to see how things were coming along. I had wisteria monsters!

Sherwoods Relay for Life 2009

Relay has become such a huge part of our family. The boys enjoy making special bags for Papa and finding them at night durring the luminaria ceremony.

Eli's bag

Zachs bag...which is a funny story. I handed the boys each a bag and said to decorate it for Papa for Relay and I let them do their thing. Eli's said "Papa love Eli" with a track drawn on the back with luminaria bags in a circle. Very creative I thought. Then Zach hands me his and it has three stick people on it. I asked him to tell me about it. So he proceeds to tell me that the one person on one side is me, the one on the other side is him when he was in my tummy and the person in the middle is just a person. I asked why he drew that for Papa and he says because he came out of my tummy. When I asked if he drew him in my tummy, why wasnt he IN my tummy on the page but instead all the way across the paper. He said no mommy, look better Im in your tummy. So maybe he was tired that day, or maybe I just wasnt understanding and using my imagination correctly that day? I thought it was cute though, and why it has anything to do with luminaria or relay or Papa...Im not sure. But I thought it was a cute little story. hehe

Eli listening to the band, Trigger Happy. Doesnt he look so tired? haha

Zach and Daddy snuggling listening to Trigger Happy.

Signing the wall of hope, Im in the white hat.

This year we hit Pacesetter! Love my committe friends Ive made over the years.

My most favorite Survivor friend, Selma. I heart this lady. (photo by Bruce McCammon)

We had a HUGE committee this year. I have made some really great friends in some of these gals and will always have a place in my life for them. (photo by Bruce McCammon)

This year I was Auction chair again. It was a very great year despite the economy! Well done job by all that donated!

I bought the boys these fun light up Relay for Life things, they love them. Unfortunaltey the picture turned out funny. They told us they wanted to walk the track alone so we said hold hands and go. They got about 30 feet and came back, Zach crying. I think they were pretty tired from their fun sleepover at Grandma Rita and Grandpa Hectors the night before.

Relay has such a huge spot in my heart. Losing my Dad at a young age, and watching him battle cancer for so many years before that...I cant imagine not having relayin my life and fighting for a cure so that others dont have to experience what our family did. Unfortunatley I am taking a year off from Committee. I have committed to some other fundraisers for the upcoming year with school and just cant take on both. So I'll have to find some way to stay connected to relay while Im not on committee. Maybe a team? Im not sure yet, Ive got a few months to decide still. For now, were enjoying the last couple weeks of relaxing summer!