Some new skills

The kids had the opportunity this week to develop some new skills. First, Nola is walking up and down the stairs like a champ! Nola also loves to climb up into her booster and onto our bed - strong girl! She is also practicing less desirable skills including pinching, hitting, and screaming. Brenner told Grandma that he was ready to go back to school.....that will change as he gets older. Another first was a trip to the movie theater for the first time. Papa and Brenner saw Ice Age 3 in 3D! Brenner loved it but was too small for the seat - while sitting all the way back, the seat would fold up on him so Papa had to drape his leg over BHP's seat!

 Papa is very proud of Brenner shooting his bow. Check out his hand on the release - just like Papa!

 Nola thinking "I am not so into this bow thing."

 Brenner has not been interested in his bike for months. Papa finally convinced him and he loved his "Tonka" with the flames. Love that helmet, Grammy!

 Nola also took a spin. Kim - still have that kids helmet I loaned you? Nola is on the move and needs one!

 Nola accompanied Aunt Lynnie, Grandma, and me to get pedicures. The gal kept asking Nola if she wanted her toes painted. "No." was the answer for two hours....then as we were getting ready to leave Nola said "Yes" What color she was asked. "Pink". Too cute - she then went around and showed the whole shop her toes (color was strawberry margarita!).

 Two silly kids in the tub!

 Papa in the tent!

Our good friends Jerry and Itati came for a visit. We didn't get pictures of them, but did manage to snap this one of their dog Cosa. Brenner was in heaven!

Operation Overboard!

This week was VBS at our church and the theme was Operation Overboard: Dare to Dive Deep With God. The kids had a blast and so did Matt and I - we were Mr. and Mrs. Scientist in the Discovery Zone! More about that later......It was a fun week but boy were we tired by Friday!

The kids ready for church on Sunday. Yes - we were up early enough that we were not rushing around - truly amazing!

Nola with her buddy Morgan at VBS. They loved chasing the bubbles! Nola loved VBS..she got ice pops, candy, etc. Sigh - all that contraband :(

Brenner hugging Ocho. In order to make Ocho appear, the kids had to clap eight times!

Here we are teaching Brenner's class (3&4 year olds) to make lava lamps - they loved it. We did two experiments a night and we were told that our class was a favorite among the kids (3-10 year olds) - yeah! We had 5 different classes with a total of 55 kids. I really cracked up once when Matt tried to explain "buoyancy" to 4 year olds.....he started laughing and said "let's just say it floats"!

Closing ceremony at VBS. Thanks to Grandma Val, Aunt Lynnie, Uncle Chris, and Colten for coming to Brenner!

Brenner got hold of the camera...Nola was wanting to sit how Mommy was sitting!

Is your nose clean, buddy?

Papa and Brenner working on their pushups.

Nola and Brenner playing doctor.

Happy Birthday, America!

I am very thankful to live in America! Wonderful family, friends, career while enjoying freedoms daily that many in this world do not have. I am also thankful for the laughter that my children bring to me.....we had some doozies this week :) Nola is so talkative and likes to repeat everything or ask "why" a million times a day. She also has the tendency to say "alright" which I finally figured out came from me! Brenner has been a super helper in the garden. He calls the spaghetti squash "my boys" and was very adamant that he had to save and take care of them when the heat killed the plants. BHP also told me "I killed a pollinator!!!!!" to which we told him that we needed those for the plants. His quick response "It was only one." Nola likes to do her own thing while outside and we learned our lesson this week. Nola was playing behind our bench where we were relaxing when she showed up with balck all over her face. Hmmm...I don't remember black chalk...oh, no! some sort of mold spores. After a call to Poison Control and some investing, we determined it was slime mold and non-toxic. Whew!!! Gotta watch that one...well both of them really!

For the 4th we headed to our friends the Schultzs for swimming and BBQ. Brenner is still a bit scared of the water so we have to ease him into the water. Here he has a little water cannon.....

Later Brenner showed us how he can tread water! Go Brenner!

Nola enjoyed the water as well!

Nola also let Uncle Shawn hold her - this was a first and he loved it!

We watched Fire in the Sky in Columbia. Before the fireworks, Brenner, Nola, and I chased lightening bugs!

All that fun wears a girl out! As you can see, Grammy, she continues to love Woody and Jessie!

Later in the week we turned the sprinkler on at the house. Shortly after I snapped this picture, Brenner soaked me with the sprinkler. Don't worry, I held him down and got him back! A while later I was carrying Nola when she said "Sweaty, mommy hot!" Too funny!

Saturday morning we headed to the Katy Trail early before the mercury hit 107 (ugh - but no need to dwell on that). Nola and Brenner were very excited! Nola looks ready for adventure in this picture!

I love this picture - just my Nola and me :)

Love this one too - Brenner, Nola, and Papa near the tunnel......

The kids insisted on running through it multiple times! We also did a hike along Diana Bend. From the top you can see the cell phone towers near our house. Brenner was quite for a minute before observing "Look at that amazing world out there." Smarty, perceptive boy that son of ours!

On Saturday night, "Nant Nynnie" and "Chris" came to babysit so that we could go to a wedding. The kids were well behaved according to Lynn - whew! All that tunnel running must have gotten the daily dose of orneriness out! Thanks again, Lynn and Chris!!!!!

Another week of adventures!

The weather has just been ugly - over 100 degrees in the day and 75 at night! At our house that means lots of grilling and watering (garden and children)! Our blackberries are done, but our zuchinni and yellow squash are florishing. The cucumbers are coming on but Emi has been munching on them! Oh - and a few jalepanos and banana peppers. The garden is a wonderful learning tool for the kids!

Brenner helps Papa find squash bugs in the garden. Yesterday, they found a "tomato worm" (really a catepillar) on the tomato plants. Matt told BHP that it would make great bait for fishing. Brenner answer was "NO!!!!" so know "Pilly" is living in an ice cream bucket on our front porch. Brenner feeds him and takes him out (see his hand in the picture) although we warn him not to handle him/her too much (ah - memories of the dead robins earlier this spring!). Brenner tells us "We will wait until Pilly turns into a chrysalis." :)

Some friends came over last weekend for a BBQ. Alexander enjoyed the four-wheeler ride with Nola, Papa, and Brenner.

Papa is smoking hot....literally and figuratively!

This picture cracked me up - think of those gals at the auto expos showing off cars! Too funny!

I debated posting this picture but it was so funny when Brenner proclaimed "We are the pooping Parkers!". Good grief!

This week was VBS at Brenner's preschool where they went on "An Amazing Desert Journey". Here are the three stooges - Brenner, Copper, and Xander with their leader David. The closing ceremony started off with a hot dog dinner.....and cookies.....

So we headed outside to let the boys run off some sugar before heading to chapel. Here Cooper is showing off the sign language they learned for the Lords Prayer.

Matt came up with a great energy burner...he would hold all three boys, then release them to race up the steep hill. Nola wasn't sure what to think!

Check out that great smile!

Nola in the tub....lately she has been intent on washing Brenner's toy ants...one by one. And she can count them up to 4! Nola is caring and independent. This morning she kept asking "Want some (cereal), Ironman?" while playing with Brenner's action figures. She even tried to get them to "hold in hand, peas". Last night Nola impressed by putting her jammie pants on by herself while beaming "Look at me. I've got pants on!". Did I mention that she is growing up too quickly?

On Saturday we helped Cousin Colten celebrate his 16th birthday! It was a lot of fun. Nola wore her beautiful dress Grandma Val brought back from Hawaii! She looks so grown up in this picture :(

Aunt Lynnie and her Nonie Bear! So cute together. Anytime Nola is on her toy phone and you ask her who she is talking to the response is "Nant Ninnie" because Lynn calls her everyday (almost) to sing to her. One day that concert lasted 10 minutes!

Look at the big girl eating.

Nola didn't have any problem devouring the cake, but it did take two hands :)