Cutest Pineapple Ever

Cameron came home from preschool today looking like a pineapple!  I had to laugh at that one.  They do some random things at preschool, but he runs all the way there and loves it!

First Day of 3rd and 6th Grades!

 Just like that, it's time for another back-to-school post.  Crazy.  It's no surprise that Kenzie chose an owl shirt for her first day.  Her pants also have owls on the back pockets.  She is nervous for 6th grade (her last year at the elementary school!).

Parker all ready for 3rd grade, in his Captain America shirt that matches his new Captain America shoes.  He was amazed that his shorts, which were too big last year, fit him so well today.  He is getting taller!

Cute kids.  A large mass of their friends passed by the house as we took pictures, so they ran off to walk to school right after this.  Parker did stop to give me a hug, though.  I hope they enjoy their year.  (Cameron cried that they'd left, but when I told him he could listen to Parker's mp3 player or watch TV all by himself without sharing, he perked right up.  There are some advantages to being home alone!)

Scales & Tails

 

Here is Kenzie touching a milk snake.  For our last act of summer vacation, I took the kids to this tiny place in West Valley called Scales & Tails.  They mostly bring their animals to demonstrations and shows, so their main office isn't much to look at, but I had gotten very cheap tickets and thought they might like it.

 Cameron checking out a monitor.  He was pretty tired from preschool and didn't want to touch or hold anything.  I had thought he might like it the most...

...but it was Parker who seemed to have the best time!  He was quite shy at first, but he was so proud of himself for being brave.

Kenzie wouldn't have anything to do with holding the snakes, but here she is holding Tortellini the Tortoise.  He peed on the floor either right before or after this picture, which was a main topic of conversation for Cameron for the rest of the evening. 

 Brave Parker again, letting Fuzzy the Tarantula crawl on his hand.  (Bleh.  I touched the snakes, cayman, tortoises, and iguana, but not the spider!)

 Cameron pretty much just wanted to stand here and taunt the crocodile.  He spent 90% of his time doing just that.

 And finally, here's Parker with Peaches, the albino Burmese python.  (Also the only snake Cameron touched, which I thought was funny.)  As we left, Parker said, "Best. Day. Ever!"  I guess this is why I take the kids to random things, since I never know what will be a hit with them!

Daddy's & Cameron's Birthdays

Our baby is 4!  Cameron has been talking about being 4 for so long, I think he was quite surprised it was finally true.  "I'm 4 now?" he gasped. 

He could not wait and opened all his presents before breakfast.

He was very excited about everything, as you can hear here.

When Parker picked out this set for Cameron (a backpack with a grenade, knife, and gun that lights up and makes sounds) he also used his own money to buy a matching set.  Parker was very eager for Cameron to open his present as a result, and they ran around all day having a great time.

The birthday boy with all his presents opened. 

Heading in to Texas Roadhouse.  I thought it was sweet.

We had two tables because there were so many of us.  I had to track down the waitress after they ordered, because the older girls didn't understand the menu and each ordered two full sized entrees!  I'm glad I had walked over and asked Kenzie what she had ordered! Parker did a good job sticking to the kid's menu on his own, thankfully.

Cameron didn't mind still hanging out at the table with Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, and Uncle Torry.  He started to slump over and get tired while waiting, but when his plate of chicken tenders and french fries arrived, he popped right up with his jaw open in excitement!  (At least Daddy can pick any restaurant for his birthday, because Cameron is happy with chicken nuggets anywhere!)

Cameron with his train cake.  There were little fingerprints in the side and a few small pieces of frosting missing.  Cameron's response?  "It's my birthday!"

I laughed at this pose.  He was just trying to get into his seat, but it sure looked official.  

Singing, "Happy Birthday," and blowing out his candle.  Once everyone left, Cameron took a bath with his new toys and went to bed in record time!  

Aloha

This was too cute not to post.  Cameron's preschool has been having a summer/Hawaiian themed week, and today they showed off their little Hawaiian dance and then had a shaved ice treat.  

Cameron is in the blue shirt in the middle (5th from right).  I'm glad he's loving preschool so far!

Wheeler Farm

Today we walked around Wheeler Farm a bit, as we always do at the end of summer vacation.  I brought the stroller just in case, but Cameron told me he wanted to walk on his own.  They really are getting so grown up!

Not necessarily mature, yet, though.

 Checking out the sheep.  I got a kick out of Parker.  He was in the zone. 

Barely managing to share the tractor!

 Pretty Kenzie, who did not wish to sit on the tractor anymore.

 Even the tractor became a weapon to Cameron.  "This tractor have a cannon!  I shoot it!" he exclaimed, and then made lots of sound effects while pulling levers.  

Checking out the duck pond.

Having a little picnic before playing at the playground for a bit.  They are fun kids, and it's sad summer is ending already!

Sandy Balloon Fest

Last year I had declared it to be a once-in-a-lifetime event for me to get up ridiculously early to watch the hot air balloons take off.  Famous last words... the Balloon Fest was this morning just over in Sandy, so we didn't need to leave until 6:45 (compared to 5:45 to get all the way to Provo last year).  Parker is amazed by hot air balloons, though.  It is cute to watch the wheels turning in his head.

This face says, "Boy it's early."  Kenzie was a pretty good sport.

Cameron finishing off his pink donut.  We stopped to get donuts on the way, and as we walked in, Cameron promptly announced, "I want a pink one!"  He hadn't even seen the case yet.  There was exactly one pink donut with sprinkles left, so he was happy.

 Speaking of donuts, I got a kick out of this exchange with Parker:

Parker: "Mom, what donut did you pick?"

Mom: "Old fashioned."

Parker: "Is that because it's from your time?"

Thanks a lot, Parker!

Silly Cameron

 Cameron is definitely our resident goofball.  He is always up to something.  Here he is trying out Daddy's new sleeping bag.

 He likes to get inside this tube (it's a goal for frisbee golf) and tell everyone he's a dump truck.  Here he fell asleep inside the tube!  (Do you love his choice of reading material?)

Taking selfies with Daddy.

Singing along to Parker's mp3 player.  I get a kick out of him in those big headphones walking around the house.

 I tossed the floor mat to the side to sweep the floor, and Cameron sat right down to do yoga.  "I do this at preschool!" 

We were joking the other night about being fancy with our pinkies up.  Cameron didn't really get it, so he held his other pinkie up while drinking his milk.  So fancy!

Rain Gutter Regatta

 

Here's our cute Cub Scout with his little boats, ready to head to his Rain Gutter Regatta last week. 

Getting ready to race his boat.  He only acted mildly interested in building boats out of recycled materials, so Chris helped him a bit to throw together the milk carton boat (he made the blue one out of a pool noodle at his den meeting).  Before he left, I made sure to tell Parker lots of things like, "It's okay if your boat doesn't go fast, right?  It's okay if it doesn't win?"  He agreed.

It was extra funny to me, then, that his hastily made milk carton boat won all of its races!  Parker was so pleased!

Proof We Left the House

After being cooped up in the house for almost 3 weeks straight, we are trying to get out and enjoy the last two weeks of summer vacation.  Cameron and Parker are good friends, and have been playing with Chris's old micro-machines each morning at the kitchen counter together.  I think Cameron will sure miss Parker when he starts school again. 

 Cameron insisted on swinging in the baby swing today.  He had a hard time getting back out!

This was from a few days ago at the Lego store.  They made a little Lego apple with a worm coming out of it.  Kenzie is always pleased to make something out of Legos!

The Lake

 I haven't posted much lately, since we all had bad colds the past few weeks.  It seems unfair to ever be sick during summer vacation.  We finally all felt better on Saturday and went to visit Grandma & Grandpa Arnold, so I took some pictures of the boys playing in the lake.  Kenzie paddled around in the canoe for a bit but didn't want to swim. 

The boys watching eagerly as Daddy reels in a fish.

 He's smiling sarcastically here since it's such a tiny fish, but this marks the first time Chris has actually caught a fish in my presence!  Usually he only catches fish on the times I'm not with him, so the 13 year streak is finally over!  He got a new fly fishing rod for an early birthday present and was playing around with it.  

 Another cute picture of the boys swimming.  They don't pose well for photos, so it's cute to get a genuine smile when they're having fun. 

Chris and his dad fishing.  That was our weekend, but at least we made it out of the house finally!