Swimming

Today was a nice laid back day at the hotel.  Josh got a nap in the morning (while the others hung out peacefully).  Then swimming in the hotel pool for a couple hours.  Josh actually liked it this time, but only if I was holding him and no one else.  Then another nap for Josh while the kids hung out quietly and I read a book.  It was a miracle!  We finished up with dinner with Kent.

Sometimes we need Josh out of the way in this small hotel room, so we stick him in the playpen.  The kids like to sneak up on him and surprise him into his fits of laughter.  He was being a silly baby and squishing his face against the playpen.  I only caught it in a small part of its funny-ness.

Copley Square and Boston Common

Monday:

While Kent headed to work, we swam in the pool, stocked up on some groceries, ate lunch, and then headed out.

Our destination today was Boston Common.  On the way we stopped at Copley Square where some kids were playing in the fountain.  It's a hot, humid day so the kids got in too.  I really didn't want all of their clothes wet...but that was too much to ask.

After the fountain at Copley Square, we meandered through the Public Gardens.  We bought some cold treats and enjoyed the wildlife (squirrels and pigeons).

We eventually made it to Boston Common.  The kids rode the merry-go-round and then splashed around in Frog Pond.  Then back to the hotel to meet up with Kent for dinner. 

The sunset view of the Charles River was beautiful tonight.

Room with a view

Kent has to work in Boston this week, and since the kids are still out of school we decided to mooch along.  Work pays for a much nicer view than we ever pay out of our pockets.  I'm usually staring at the parking lot in a shady part of town in hotels.  This time the view is much nicer!  We're excited to have a week in Boston!

The Charles River.   Boston is such a beautiful city.

7 years old

Sawyer's birthday food requests for the day were:

Breakfast: Strawberries

Lunch: Strawberries with nutella, and pretzels

Dinner: Crepes

I fully intended for it to happen too.  But we had last minute art camp at our house today so Kent took him to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch.  For dinner we're getting Outback.

Oh and his birthday cake request is jell-o cake (Not jell-o poke cake.  Just "see through" jell-o shaped like a cake) with a chocolate Sawyer trapped inside.

I have no idea where he came up with that.

We're off to Boston tomorrow though so I told him I'd put the vile concoction together when we got back.  I'll definitely post a picture of that!

What a funny little boy!

I am loving the front tooth missing.  He looks just like the spunky little boy he is!  It suits him.

What is your favorite color?  black and blue

What is your favorite thing to eat?   ice cream

What is your favorite thing to do?    play video games

What is your favorite toy?    Pokemon and video games

What is your favorite book?   Pokemon

Where is one place you want to travel to?   I don't know.

What do you want to be when you grow up?   (shrug) A regular person

What will be the funnest thing about being 7 years old?   trading Pokemon

 

 

Happy birthday Sawyer!

Art Camp

This week McKinley has been going to an Art Camp organized by another mom in the ward.  It is every day from 9:30-12:30 and we each take a turn hosting the day.  It has been lots of fun for her! 



Art camp day painting by the Goodwives River in Darien, CT next to Elizabeth.

 Today was our turn since we are going to be out of town for the next two weeks and then school starts. 
I taught them about using warm and cool colors on the color wheel.  They did a self-portrait, then an acrylic water-drip painting, lunch of pizza muffins, flowers using pastels, sunprints, and finished off decorating owl cupcakes.  It actually worked out perfectly to have it on a Saturday so Kent could take the boys off to do something out of the way. 

The sunprints were my favorite today.

We feed ourselves

He loves to be sitting at the table where the kids are.  He eats whatever we are having, although for some reason our plates look tastier than his.  He smacks his little lips if he sees someone drinking from their glass.  He seems to make a complete mess of his body after every meal or snack no matter how benign the food appears to be.  Granola?  Animal crackers?  Disasters.  There's no wiping up to get clean.  We are washing off in the sink or tub nearly every time.

He is the sweetiest!

Our weekend

This Saturday Kent took Hayden and had a "Daddy/Hayden outing".  He's been needing a little manly time lately.  They got Pokemon at Target, some sports equipment, and then fun and food at Chuck E. Cheese. 

That night we grabbed some subway and had a picnic at the kids school park.  They had a lot of fun swinging, riding bikes, and playing a little sports before it got too dark and baby got too cranky.

Sawyer's bike is a little too small for him.  He still refuses to take off his training wheels though.  He'll be in for a shock when he gets his birthday present this year!  It's time buddy!

Hayden's tiny indoor legs had some trouble on the gentle uphill climb.  So he got off and pushed his bike and chased it instead.

Bubbers was very interested in grabbing handfuls of grass and eating it.  But there are a lot of poisons on grass for ticks, so I had to put a stop to it.  We left around 8:30.  He was a very tired little baby!