Summer Spoiling

Our summer is off to a great start! We have not set our alarms, and we have enjoyed some slower mornings. They usually begin around 7:30AM with breakfast and sending our first photos to Daddy. Hi Daddy, we miss you!

After breakfast is finished, we head off to the day's adventure. This week included park play dates, YMCA workouts, pretzels, water balloons, a movie with friends, and chalk art. 

Usually we return home by 1PM, and Eli is ready for his nap. Emmy, on the other hand, has given up naps for good it seems. She entertains herself in her room, playing with toys, coloring, and even decorating her bed. 

I fit in some grad school work, usually on our back patio. It is shaded during the afternoon, and it makes for a tolerable environment for paper writing. 

Boomer arrives home between 5PM and 6PM. We'll have dinner shortly after. Then it's bath, a little tv time, and off to bed. One night this week, Boomer and I even got a date! Thanks to my sis, we went to a Dash game with our friends Jenny Alyn and Seth. The kiddos loved having Aunt Megan over. She was the cool aunt that gave them ice cream after dinner, complete with M&Ms on top. If you can't tell, they have been a bit spoiled this week! 

Spa Day (and Emmy rides a bike!)

Here is Part 2 of our weekend! It's been such a full weekend that I decided to split it into two posts. First I can't forget that Eli got a fresh cut for summer. Look at my handsome boy!

On Saturday, Megan, Mom, and I enjoyed our annual Bakewell Girls Spa Day at the Grandover. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we had a few hours of pool time both before and after our massages. We read, talked, and just enjoyed each other's company. This tradition is one of my favorites! Afterwards, we met up with Dad to see the new Top Gun movie. The original soundtrack is one that we listened to on every road trip growing up. Over the years, there have been a few movies that we have gone to see as a family of four, and this one was at the top of the list. So good! (Plus it was a nice treat for Dad to buy popcorn and drinks!) A big 'shoutout' to Zack and Boomer for watching the kids while we were away the whole day.

Emmy had gotten an invitation to a birthday party for one of her classmates, Violet, for Saturday, and it mentioned hay rides and horseback riding - how fun! But knowing that I would not be able to take her, and since it was at a tricky time (2:30PM - right in the middle of Eli's nap), I didn't think she would be able to go. However, it all worked out with Boomer taking her and Grandpa coming over to watch Eli. Boomer sent pictures of the party, and it looked like a blast. Emmy was so brave to ride a horse without any hesitation. She also loved sitting in the big chair with her friends and having her face painted. My, how parties have ungraded since my day!

And as if the weekend wasn't full enough with a graduation, baseball game, and horseback riding, Emmy surprised us this evening by riding a bike for the first time! We were going to go for an evening walk (hence Emmy only wearing flip flops and not tennis shoes) when she asked to bring her bike. It had been given to us a few months ago by one of my parents' neighbors. I pictured either Boomer or me having to carry it around the neighborhood after Emmy tired of it, but she very quickly started pedaling all on her own. Using her cousins' balance bike the last two summers no doubt has helped her - she skipped training wheels altogether! She still needs help getting started, but I don't think it will be long until she is doing it on her own. What a big girl! Our summer is off to a fast start!

Emmy's Preschool Graduation

Friday marked the official end of the school year for Emmy and Eli. I finished my last teacher workday a few days beforehand on Tuesday, and I used the kid-free time to knock out several things on my to-do list: a Goodwill run, a thorough house cleaning, a trip to the Verizon store, and of course, grad school work. It felt good to conclude the school year and now turn my attention to being Mommy for the next two months. 

 

On Friday morning, the kids cooperated so that I could capture a last day of school picture. Check out the comparison from the beginning of the year!

It doesn't seem like they change too much when you see them everyday, but then a side-by-side comparison really shows how much they have grown. They both have had such wonderful school years, and we could not be more thankful for where they are and the people that have been caring for them. Not only was Friday the last day of school, but it was also Emmy's graduation day. Earlier in the week, her class had a graduation party, complete with Chick-fil-A for lunch and with each graduate getting to make a Build-A-Bear puppy dog. Emmy named hers Butterscotch.

The graduation was in the afternoon at 4PM. Grammy, Grandpa, Aunt Megan, Zander, and Maddox were able to come, along with Mommy and Daddy. Emmy was all smiles coming down the aisle. I wasn't quite sure how she would react in front of such a large crowd, but I was so happy to see her being the bubbly Emmy that we so often see at home. There were three graduating classes, and Emmy's class, the Penguins, did a few phonics songs, and Emmy even read from a book with two of her other classmates. During the slideshow presentation, the students exited and re-entered with their caps and gowns. Each graduates' name was called, and they were presented with a Bible. It was a very special ceremony. Emmy has grown so much this year academically, socially, and spiritually. She is very excited to be going to kindergarten. She loves school, and right now, she says that she would like to be a teacher when she grows up. Depending on the day, sometimes she also wants to be a cupcake maker. We are so proud of our Emmy girl!

Mrs. Cassi and Mrs. Melissa

After the graduation ceremony, the fun was not over yet. We joined our Sunday School class at the Dash game. The game had actually turned into a double header from a rain-out the night before, so when we got there around 7:30PM, the second game had not yet started. Emmy loved hanging out with her buddy "boy Emerson", who had also come from the graduation. As it got later, Boomer had his lap full with both kiddos wanting to be near him. We didn't quite make it to the end of the game or the fireworks. Emmy and Eli were still in good spirits when we decided to head home during the 6th inning. Even leaving early, it was quite a late night. With ice cream and late bedtimes, we broke all the rules on our first night of summer!

Here's a look at the Kennedy 2022 Summer To-Do List!