Grace Is This Many...

Jack Speaks Spanish

I'm not sure when or how it started, but Hayden thinks that Uncle Dan & Aunt Christina's cockapoo, Jack, speaks Spanish. I'm guessing the dog actually might speak Spanish, hence his insistence. He understands that Rogue speaks English - or responds to it when he feels like it...


Anyway, Hayden likes to have playdates with Jack, probably because the pooch looks like a stuffed animal and loves kids! They went to a dog park and Hayden was quite impressed there was a drinking fountain for dogs!

Outpost

Hayden met up with a crowd of his preschool friends at a local park today. A wonderful program is held there ever weekday. A business in the community puts on a craft and activity, the school lunch program provides lunch for all the kiddos, and a handful of churches recruit volunteers to run the whole shebang.

The kids had a great time...getting completely filthy. It turns out they thought one of the fireplaces there was a throne.

Isn't She Cute?

Karate

Hayden has wanted to take Karate for quite some time, but it never quite worked into our schedule...plus I'm leery of having to buy-in. I've heard you have to sign your kid up for a year at a time, some places take an automatic withdrawal monthly (like a gym membership) and while that claims to include everything - including the pajama outfit - you then get charged for 'extras' like when your kid wants to test for a new belt for his pajama outfit. Grrreat.

Anyway, the Rec Center came to my rescue yet again, having a short Karate class both boys could attend. They enjoyed it so much I'm thinking I might have to actually sign them up at a karate studio...after I have them do another round at the Rec Center :) Just in case they get tired of it.

Out of This World

Reid's birthday gave us another excuse to get out of the house - this time to Out Of This World, a local pizza and indoor playground. The rock wall, bouncy house and slide were of course big hits, but this week they had a magician for the kids.


Bayley has been very interested in magic tricks, not in learning the slight of hand bits, but in figuring out how the tricks work. He thought he spotted a trick - making a hankercheif disappear into an egg. Bayley saw the red spot where the hankie had been stuffed in...a few hand movements later and the magician cracked the egg onto a plate. Impressed Bay to no end!


Hayden just wanted in on the action. He stepped in on a trick Brandon was doing. Luckily, Brandon didn't mind.

Lean On Me

They aren't quite sitting up yet, but haven't they grown? Grace was 14 lb, 6 oz today at her 2 month check-up!

Helicopters

Aunt Lynn sent the boys helicopter as a big brother/birthday gift. They were a HUGE hit. The boys loved them on site, and then more once they got them to fly.

They had them flying through the back yard, then when they kept hitting the fence moved out front. When Daddy came home he decided to give it a try.

The helicopter wound up in a tree. It took Dad quite a while to get it down...using a soccer ball and a rake. It was more fun to watch Jeff decide how to get the helicpoter down than to watch the things fly.

When Pop Pop arrived he thought they were pretty cool as well...so cool that his attempt to fly the helicopter ended with one stuck in a neighbors rain gutter.

Burke Brother's Birthday Bash

I think this is the last year we can get away with doing a combo-party for both boys. It's been fun while it lasted! Since their birthdays are on a holiday weekend, hardly anyone is in town. Having their party be a laid back park affair has allowed us to invite a ton of kids, which gets a plethora of 'sorry, but we're out of town' RSVPs, and have a good showing of kiddos.

They made the rounds at the playground, ate pizza and cake, and used the parachute I bought for last year's party. We didn't even miss the bubble machine we learned was broken on the eve of the party :)

Hayden's Birthday

Hayden wanted IHOP for breakfast for his birthday...no clue where he got the idea since he's never been out to breakfast before...maybe he thought 5 years was long enough to wait. Lunch was Sweet Tomatoes. We'd been wary of going there with the girl in tow, but like always she was an angel. I kid you not, she didn't fuss until I was done eating, and she completely slept through breakfast. Perhaps that was her birthday gift to Hayden?

The neighborhood had a 4th of July BBQ. Uncle Matt, Uncle Dan, Aunt Christina, Grammo & Pop Pop all were there to watch Hayden share his birthday cupcakes with the crowd. He was thrilled by the watergun Uncle Dan & Aunt Christina gave him...so thrilled a water fight ensued. Fireworks topped off a night that didn't end until he was truly exhausted.