Genetics Anyone?

Caught them all watching a cartoon the other day...no, this is not a posed photo.

P's Birthday Pics-finally!

Yes, I have finally gotten around to posting some pics from P.'s birthday. He is still as thrilled with his gifts today as he was when he got them. Thanks again to everyone for making his day so special!

Batman Party

We had P.'s friend party this past Saturday, and as luck would have it, we have no photos. I swear I should wear my camera around my neck. We had the basement "done" enough to transform one half of it into the batcave. The boys thought it was way cool and couldn't believe that we had actually written Joker graffiti on the walls leading down to the basement (FYI- these are about to be painted once we are done moving furniture, etc. down there). P. had a great time and so did his buddies. It was a fun neighborhood weekend, too, as lots of neighbors were out and about and the kids had fun catching frogs and lightning bugs as we all chatted and enjoyed the weather.

We are headed back to the Chi-town area this weekend for my sister's wedding. I will be sure to take some pics of the ring bearer and flower girl! K. is so excited to get her hair done and to be able to hang out with the big girls the morning of the wedding. She also told me she "needs" a pedicure. I think I'll be giving her one here at home just to make her smile!

We are also taking a small trip to Omaha to the zoo and water park. Again, will have the camera, so I will get some photos.

Fabulous Fourth

We started the Fourth of July weekend by celebrating P's 6th birthday, yes, he is 6 already. We then drove to Chicago for my sister's bachelorette party. It was an awesome time! The party was a rooftop Cubs game (they won). All you can drink, all you can eat...great time, great food, great company.
We had a BBQ for the Fourth and the rain cleared just as my dad was set to grill. Again, great food and great company. P. was pretty good with the fireworks this year, no panicking and he sat through the whole thing. He even said the grand finale was "awesome". M. was clapping, until the grand finale, which she did not find awesome, just loud and scary. K. was a riot. She watched from a blanket with Aunt Kiki and cousin Emma. You could hear her say, "That one was cool", every time another firework went into the air. She is the life of the party in our family, that's for sure!
On Sunday, as part of our "staycation" summer, we stopped at Lego Discovery center. P. was in heaven! He could not believe all of the things made out of Legos. And, just when he thought it could not be any cooler, he was in a room with a lifesize Darth Vader and Batman. I thought the kid was going to have to be peeled off the ceiling! We had a yummy lunch at Big Bowl and finished up the afternoon with some Lego building and a stop to spend some b-day money at the Lego store.
We arrived home that night weary, but happy...always a great way to end a vacation!

Mommy Time in Napa, California

No, it is not the fog, I actually took this one in black and white. The Golden Gate Bridge was awe inspiring and very shaky. I only made it about 1/4 of the way out.
The winery above is Clos Pegas. I don't actually like any of the wines they produce, but in terms of vineyard and winery, it is gorgeous and very impressive to look at.
The view from the tasting patio at Round Pond Winery. They are relatively new from my understanding, but I found a fantastic Blood Orange olive oil there!
So, as you can see from the pics, I just got back from a week in Napa Valley and San Francisco. My mom and two sisters and I spent our time tasting fabulous wine and fabulous food. Not a bad way to spend a week! Kevin took the kids to Kansas to visit his family for a few days and they had a great time!! Lots of time playing with cousins and they were even treated to the famed Mexican Fiesta. Apparently, M. loved the burritos (what doesn't she like?). P. was extremely excited to get an early birthday present from his Aunt and Uncle and cousins. We now have Anakin's Starfighter proudly displayed on the dresser with the rest of the Star Wars fleet.

M. has learned to go up and down the steps while at Grandma and Grandpa's and she has continued to show off her skills here at home. This is a very good thing as we can now get rid of the 4x6 boards that we've been using to block the stairway.

P. and K. are both doing extremely well in swimming lessons. P. is actually swimming using strokes! He can swim freestyle now and K. is able to swim with her face in the water without breathing it in. They are doing AWESOME!! We are very proud of them.

Six Flags Here We Come

We capped off our weekend with a visit to Six Flags. In the tradition of my family, I thought the kids would be free (had reading vouchers), but when we got to the gate, the ticket employee informed me the free vouchers were not good until the 15th. So, much like Polish Helmet Day, we bought tickets for P. and said K. was "almost three". Little white lies aren't that bad are they? Anyway, the first thing the kids saw when we entered the park were the characters, so we spent some time getting photo ops. Then we headed to the Carousel, K.'s favorite. We took a ride and then scouted out the first roller coaster, The Whizzer. P. and K. both rode the ride and had a blast! I was sure K. would go on being the daredevil she is, but had my doubts about P.
There was no one at the park as it was in the mid sixties and overcast, so it made for a perfect day for us to go. No lines! Seriously, we did not wait in one line all day.
P. tried the Demon, but didn't like going upside down and has declared he will never do it again. He LOVED the Dark Knight ride (went on it twice) and hit the Whizzer again with K. He also got Papa to go on the new water ride with him. The point of the ride is to squirt onlookers and other boats with squirt guns (and the onlookers can squirt you too). They had a blast together (as you can see in the photos!) We also braved the rapids and K. got soaked (we were a little wet, but she was like a drowned rat). M. tried the Ladybugs with P., but halfway through the ride she started crying and the only other thing she wanted to try the rest of the day was the train.
We are counting this first trip as a huge hit with the kids and plan on going back next year, too!

What a fun weekend!

We spent the weekend at my Mom and Dad's house. My mom is retiring this year, so we threw her a surprise party at the house with all of her kids, grandkids, and even her mom and sister were there to help celebrate. After the small gathering of co-workers had dinner and paid a beautiful and much deserved tribute to my mom, we headed out to a local establishment for some drinks and more good company (sans kiddos by the way...thanks Dad and Greg for the sitters!) My mom was shocked to see people not only from her current school, but from her previous school, as well as family friends, neighbors, you name it. People turned out enmasse to help mom celebrate and it was AWESOME!
Saturday dawned ( a little too early for some) and we got started with the preparations for Kristen's bridal shower that evening. The shower was again, AWESOME, and I think it is safe to say that everyone had a great time at the shower, too. I cannot believe how close it is getting to the actual wedding date. P. got measured for his tux this morning and he was a trooper. He is the skinniest little guy, but getting taller by the day...must be the Lynch genes in him.
Here are some pictures of the Friday night retirement party!