I know, I know

Finally, at long last, long time no post, I'm a slacker, I know I know!!!!! So in order to make up for a summer's worth of stories, memories and pictures, here a few (well, quite a few) that highlight the fun!

Things have been busy and I have a bunch of photos to share! We've had a wonderful summer full of fun!

Working backwards from Max's birthday....Max and his buddy Chris used stuff they found in the dress up bin to compliment the power rangers suit Max recieved as a gift. Obviously a gift from one who does not know "the rules" about power rangers! Once I hid the nun-chucks (?) and informed the kids it could only be used as a superhero supplement, things improved. Although, Superman seemed to decompensate in the process!

The two pictures above are from Max's birthday party. It turned out to be a pretty cold day, so we had to change plans at the very last minute and not enjoy a day at the pool with a couple friends! And we had to scramble to come up with some games and activities for the kids to enjoy....many thanks to my wonderful neighbors for making that so much easier than it would have been without them! We are sooooo lucky! At any rate, balloons tied to ankles with ribbon, a water relay, bobbing for apples (Avery ROCKED that, by the way, as though that's a shocker) and 48 cupcakes later all had a fun and enjoyable day celebrating with Max.

I know it's sideways, but it's SO funny! Avery ended the day of Max's birthday party with a quick ride through the neighborhood. Catch me if you can red power ranger!

Oh yeah, and Avery got a bike for her birthday! The next few pictures are of her mastering the art of riding a bike in a dress. Not so great planning on my part, I'm aware. While she was a little shaky at first, be assured she not only has the hang of riding a bike like a champ, she stands up and today was working on skid marks (on the driveway, not in her pants).

Some of our neighborhood friends who come and play on a regular basis!
We just call her special and then smile and nod. It was her birthday, and it was before she realized she had a new bike. Plus, the green would not have matched the purple big girl bike.
MMMM....cupcakes. Princess cupcakes. Pink princess cupcakes, in princess wrappers, with princess sprinkles and sparkly princess candles to be exact. Per Avery's request, the cupcakes were exactly as she wanted. I'm still trying to figure out where that bossy streak comes from!
And we figured out that the only way to make all the kids sit down at one time is to promise cupcakes. It worked. I will now make them every weekend.
Mastering the art of stopping was tricky at first, but after 2 days Avery no longer needed to use her shoes to do the job. Having the most awesome big brother in the world help teach her didn't hurt either!

And last but not least, Avery is not amused by the attention getting antics of Savannah...much like their mothers :~)

Max finished t-ball and totally learned to swim, as did Avery (I'm not even going to ask exactly what went on those few days at Sandy Pines with Papa and Grandma Kate but they both amazed me with their abilities in the water!) He is getting ready for school and is very excited it's starting soon. He is going to play basketball this winter along with more advanced swimming lessons. He was fascinated by the diving during the Olympics and is interested in doing that instead of becoming a doctor now. He does not believe me that he can do both.

Avery is going to tiny tots tumblers class with Savannah starting in October. We knew dance was not going to be an option (have you met us?) and we're just hoping she doesn't get kicked out for breaking someone's neck. She really wants to play soccer and baseball and is none too happy that she has to wait until she's a bit older.

It's hard to believe that another summer has gone by. There was so much we didn't do that we wanted, and more fun and laughter than we could have imagined. We're looking forward to fall, football, chili cookoffs, and school functions! And probably more time on the computer as well, so the updates won't be quite so far and few between.