Good night?

This is how Brogan has started going to bed lately.  First, he gets every construction vehicle he owns (there are 4 in this photo) and lovingly places them on the cushion next to him in the brown rocking recliner in our bedroom.  Then he gets his "night night" (the much loved and in desperate need of repair blue blanket) and his ipod (he has declared it his).  He climbs into the rocker and selects a movie to watch on the ipod (his current favorite is a flick about "diggers" and "monster trucks").  He will then arrange his construction vehicles so that they can all see the ipod too.  Then he will rock furiously until he passes out.  It might not be the BEST way to manage bed time, but it is working for us and when you have a 2 year old who has a routine that WORKS for them, you just don't mess with it.  Life is a little more peaceful this way.  He is suffering from a sincere case of "Worker" hero worship.  Fortunately SPS has graced us with some impressive construction projects this summer and there are "workers" abound.  Brogan waves to them all,  he showers them with questions and exclamations of excitement.  Usually he is wearing his "worker hat" (a yellow foam dollar store find of the century) to bed as well.  I snapped this picture before he realized it was missing.  He wears this hat *everywhere*.  Many other little boys have gazed at it with love and admiration at the park, the grocery store, the swimming pool, the dining hall, etc.  This is going to be our summer of Diggers and Dozers.  Bring it on.

OH, Sweet Summer!

Have we mentioned that we L-O-V-E "campus"?  "Campus" is what our children lovingly refer to Grandpa Schroyer and La-La's home on Lake Chateaugay in upstate New York.  We go there every chance we get.  We love it so much, we went ahead and bought our own home on the very same lake.  And yet, there is NO PLACE like Grandpa's place.  The fun never stops.  Whether we are swimming, skiing, digging in the sand, enjoying the hot tub, the outdoor shower, or the numerous aquatic vehicles (can you see the rack of boats?  There are more.) or hanging inside where chocolate abounds, toys (for kids AND adults) can be found in every nook and cranny, fresh popcorn is made, movies are watched and karaoke is sung (often times off-key)....campus is the place to be.  We spent our first week of Summer vacation at "campus".

Playing "mother may I" is one of the games the kids enjoy most.  No props or toys are required, but it is made infinitely better when Grandpa gets in on the action.  In the photo above, Cassidy is "mother" and Brogan is attempting to sneak up on her.  In the photo below, Brogan has gone rogue.  He isn't much for waiting his turn.
This may very well be one of my favorite camp pictures of all time.  This is Grandpa taking "one giant step" toward Mother...gracefully stepping over Kayla to complete his granted task.  It makes me so happy to see my children play with their Grandfather.  They adore him and he returns that adoration.  Despite all the fun and fancy "things" there are to do at campus, these are the times and stories and memories that we cling to when we leave.  We talk about them and frequently hear, "Remember the time Grandpa and LaLa...." and thus will begin a walk down memory lane.  The Schroyer family has some GREAT family stories (a single word like: TWIG conjures up giggles galore) and I love watching my children build and create their own "Schroyer Family Stories".  

Final Day of School

I'm doing this post for the benefit of my 2 girlies.  2009-2010 was a remarkable year for them.  Cassidy completed 2nd grade.  Kayla finished "Readiness" (full day Kindergarten).  They both made some wonderful friends and memories.  It's very possible that they won't remember these days.  Which makes me a little sad.  I've kept a journal since I was about 10.  I wrote things in there about events that happened that I honestly have no memory of...but I wrote about it.  So it must have happened.  These pictures and my little notes are my effort to provide a little bit of fun history for my kids.  I don't journal as much as I once did (in fact, I rarely write in a journal at all anymore) but I DO manage to update the blog monthly.  This post is specifically for my girls.  Indulge me, or feel free to skip it if you're not interested.

This is Mia (pictured above).  She is one of Cassidy's best friends.  She joined the class this year.  Cassidy's birthday party in August was the first class party Mia was invited to and attended.  They have been good buddies since.  She is a very sweet, kind, thoughtful girl.  Cassidy and Mia formed the "Best Friends" club together and were frequently coming home with grand plans for sleep-overs and play dates.  There were many frantic phone calls and emails between the moms trying to figure out if something really was planned for the weekend, as the girls would convincingly report it was.

This is Madison.  She is a gentle, quiet, spiritual, and kind girl.  She and Cassidy bonded after being teased on the playground for being "good girls".  They both believe in Jesus and although they worship Him differently, He is a central part in both their lives.  We adore Madison and are grateful that Cassidy had a friend like her to stand together with and give each other strength.

And now and introduction to Miss Cheyenne.  Another one of the "good girls".  We have several play dates with her and her little sister (Alexis, who is one of Kayla's best friends).  She is fun and witty.  She learned all the "signs" to the songs they sang at the end of the school year concert...but not everyone else did.  So she performed the signs all by herself.  So cute.  She and Cassidy laugh together, non-stop.  They both have a love of horses, dogs, and silly jokes.

This post could not be complete with out a picture of Cassidy and Teagan.  These two have been BFF's since the first day.  Teagan is sassy, fun, spirited and spunky.  We have Teagan to thank for Cassidy's "relationships"....Teagan was a match maker.  These 2 kiddo's got into mischief of one sort or another together quite often.  But, they were drawn to each other and no amount of persuasion could be used to separate them.  SIGH.  This is Teagan's last year as SFNH.  Cass will miss her dearly.  

*A note must be made here quickly that there is not a picture of Cassidy with Lily.  Lily is camera shy (or at least she was on THIS particular day).  Cassidy and Lily are also BFF's.  They were each other's very first "sleep over" partners.  They are so funny together and have dramatic role playing and imaginative story telling moments.  They feed each others creative side.  Lily is a gem.  I'm sorry I don't have a photo of the 2 of them together.  We'll just need to get one later on this summer when we get together for play dates.

Now, if you ask Kayla what the most memorable things about school was this year, it is, without a doubt, her beloved teacher, Mrs. Cheryl Bennett.  I have no doubt that years from now Kayla will remember her with fondness and love....and vice versa.  Mrs. Bennett loves the students in her class.  They know it.  We all know it.  But Kayla and Mrs. Bennett share a bond.  In the photo above, you can see the kids in her class all gathered around Mrs. Bennett.  She is looking at a book.  It is the book the children wrote for her as an end of year "Thank you" gift.  She cried.  They smiled.  They were so proud of themselves.  Look at those faces.  Those are some happy, pleased kids who have a REASON to be that happy.  Their teacher.  (See photo below)  

Now, although Mrs. Bennett was the high light of KK's year, her relationship with her fellow classmates was a meaningful part of this experience as well.  At the end of the year the students were asked some very basic questions like: what is your favorite part of the day?  What do you remember most? etc.  one of the questions was: My friends are: and then the kids got to list 2 people they were friends with.  The responses were written down and then hung up outside the classroom on the wall for others to see and enjoy.  I stopped to read them the last day of school and found them to be entertaining and delightful.  But, the thing that stands out in my mind most was that almost all of the other kids wrote that Kayla was one of their friends.  Kayla loves people.  She is kind to them and they respond to her.  She has a sweet little gift....she makes people feel important.  My cheeks hurt from smiling and I'm pretty sure a tear or 2 might have slipped down as I walked out of the doors of the school that day.  I have 2 little girls who have wonderful friends.  2 little girls who are influencing others for good.  Who are being kind and respectful members of their small society.  Little girls who understand that you can be friends with everyone and you should be kind to everyone.  Sure, they are "energetic" at times.  They get hyper and drive me (and other adults around them) crazy at times.  BUT, they are kind to their peers and the people who they see eye to eye with (literally) recognize the goodness in them and want to be part of it.  They don't realize it yet, and it will be many many more years (post teen, in fact) before they understand, recognize and acknowledge it, but there is greatness sprouting in them.  I love watching it grow...and I'm so excited to see what happens next.  There are many more adventures and school days to come but we are off to a pretty good start.

Now and Then

Remember this picture?  August 2009.  First day of school.  

The girls wanted to wear the same outfits to school on the LAST DAY of school, June 2010 as they did on the FIRST DAY of school...just to see how much they've changed.  Cassidy isn't wearing the same pants (she got taller) but....they duplicated things as closely as possible.  

FAIR TIME

My kids L-O-V-E the fair.  I have a general sense of dread and a raging case of germ phobia when we take them.  It takes every ounce of my control NOT to swab down EVERY ride before they get on...and each child once they get off.  I find community ball pits disturbing.  I have a physical reaction to the image above of Kayla IN such a ball pit.  SHUDDER.  I love the photo of Cassidy (yes, that's her) in the swing and all you can see are her feet sticking straight out.  She LOVES the swings and would go on them over and over and over again if we allowed her to.  Brogan was particularly thrilled with the motorcycles.  He admires them from the side of the road and was almost confused by the sudden permission granted to climb on one and give it a go.  This was a happy boy.  He still asks to go ride the motorcycles.  Oh, and he refers to fairs as "Parties".  We are certain there will be many more germ filled celebrations in our future.

End of Year Concert

See these Two BEAUTIFUL faces?  These are my daughters.  I adore them.  A few days ago they had their "end of year" School Concert.  Their classes each sang 2 songs.  Of course, every mom wants to say, and rightfully believes, that they kids are the STARS of the show.  I gotta tell ya though, I really think my little ladies shined bright on that stage and they sang their little hearts out.  I can't believe another school year has slipped past.  How amazing it is to watch them grow.  I miss those baby years of holding them close at night...when their whole little bodies would fit snugly in my arms.  But I am blissfully happy watching them accomplish and DO so many things....and they still fit snugly in my arms.  They just spill out a little bit more now.  

Mother's Day follow-up

My kids spoiled me on Mother's Day.  I don't know if a mommy has ever felt as loved as I do...not just on Mother's Day, but every day.  I have great kids.  I have a pretty snazzy husband that I'm still crushin' on after 10 years of marriage (incidentally, I met him when I was 18, which means that I have now officially known him for 1/2 my life already.  Cool!).   I could get all gooshy and fill this post with all the incredible amazing things that PROOVE my statements above, but...these images will do.  Sweet.  Little.  Munchkins.

SpiderBoy!

I think this picture speaks for itself.