Eight is GREAT!

Jack turned 8 and had a lovely time doing it.  On his actual birthday, Grandma Jeanne came over and we had dinner and ice cream cake (Jack's and Mike's favorite).  He got a Steph Curry jersey, a few sports posters, a fitbit, and some teeny mates and gift cards.  He was thrilled.
For a party, he wanted to have a few boys sleepover.  So that's what we did.  We had 6 boys, lots of pizza, lots of sprite, basketball, hockey, and ping pong games, and cupcakes.  Overall they were pretty good and Jack had so much fun!  I think he'd say his birthday was pretty special this year!!

He should know by now, that his Dad can't give presents without some kind of twist....

Peyton, trying to take control over the game as the referee

Well, we all know she can't be the ref and leave Maddie behind.  Maddie went inside and found her own "whistle".  It was the top to a recorder.....ha!!!

Thunder: 2nd place tournament finish

Jack's Thunder baseball team took home another second place trophy.  They played so, so good and lost to an unbelievably good team....but played them tough and only lost by 1 run!  Jack has slowly learned to be a better loser this year.  Their last tournament they got second and he cried when receiving his trophy....this tournament he was a much better loser!  Baby steps.....he's a competitive little sucker!

Good-Byes are tough....but we are moving on.....

Coach Larry.... The best!! Tears were definitely shed on the way home..... A farewell to teammates and a special coach is always tough!! They had fun the last two years and now are all off to new beginnings.

Peyton will have a new team, but knows a lot of the girls already from some soccer training stuff she does on the weekends.... Should be a good year, and years to come!

This guy right up there was a gem.  Peyton absolutely loved him and is sad to see him stay with the next set of younger girls.  She should be able to catch glimpses of him at soccer park and stay in touch with him.  His new teams are lucky to have him!  

Jack's new love

CHESS!!!  The boy cannot get enough!  He wanted to join chess club second semester of school.  They met once a week for an hour.  He LOVES it!!  He will take anybody on in a game.  He's constantly asking me, and I keep telling him I don't know how, and I kind of don't want to learn either.  So, instead, he corners anyone else he can find......Dad, Peyton, Grandma Jeanne, Grandma Farm.....I think he has legitimately beet them all at some point....

An Annie induced time-out

Peyton taking a little timeout during pitching practice, cause Annie wouldn't leave us or the ball alone.....

St. Peter Field Day 2016

The kids (and mine) favorite day of school.......FIELD DAY!  Natalie and I were in charge of the Watermelon game.....the kids had a relay race of rolling watermelons back and forth.  Well we bought 8 watermelons (knowing that some of them would fall apart), but eight wasn't enough!  So a few groups (Jack's was one of them), had to have old fashion foot relay races while a helper ran to the farmers market to get more melons.  Those groups felt gypped.....oops!  We will try to not make that mistake again.
During field day, the pre school teacher offered to babysit younger siblings while parents helped.  Maddie was thrilled to do this and had made many new friends by the time noon rolled around.  I think Maddie enjoyed her side of field day as well!

Jack working so hard, running his little heart out for his team....at his Mom's dud station that was currently out of watermelons.......

By the time Peyton got to me, we were back in business

 Lunch time

One more last, for Maddie.....

One last swim lesson and lunch date with the Brueggenjohanns before summer with the big kids.  We will pick up where we left off in the fall......last lunch date choice, McAllister's!  DUH!

Maddie's last day of school

Maddie was excited to have her last day of school.  She had such a FUN, FUN year!  Her teachers and her school were the absolute best.  They loved Maddie and found her just as funny and lovable as we do!  Her teacher wrote her a page letter and sent it in the mail to her after school was over...it's one for the baby book.

She was the second to youngest student in her class, but clearly didn't act like it.  Instead, she acted like the assistant teacher, instead of her student role.  The teachers embraced it and let her do her thing.....and found her funny and entertaining along the way.
 
Kirkwood Baptist was such a special school with very special teachers and we will miss it next year.  We decided to send Maddie to pre-school at St. Peter to have all the kids in one spot, with ONE DROP OFF!!!  One drop off is going to be life changing.....but we will miss her old school, A LOT!
She had a great last day of school and a great end of the school year picnic the next day.  I'm grateful for the two years we spent at the WEE center with such incredible people!  I kind of secretively want to become a preschool teacher there once I get Maddie in big kid school......maybe.....just maybe......

Maddie and Miss Julie

Maddie and Miss Heather (and Luca photobomber....funniest kid ever, and will be in Maddie's class at St. Peter)

A couple picots of their "candy race" at their end of the school year picnic...so FUN!

Just another night at the ballpark

This scene was too cute not to capture.  Maddie and her friends enjoying a little "side playing" at Jack's baseball game.  The girls with their little skirts flipped up over their bums was too funny!!

I'll take credit where credit is due.....she doesn't stand much of a chance of acting like a lady.  Her sister doesn't do it well, and quite frankly, her mother doesn't do it too well either......

Mother's Day

Mother's Day consisted of headed out to GiGi's to go fishing....the kids were SUPER excited!  They spent a few hours down at the lake and caught quite a few fish, too!  Maddie wasn't too much into to it (like her mother), but the big kids were loving it.  Jack definitely caught the biggest fish.  They then cleaned them up and fried them.  Peyton, Maddie, and I did not partake in the fish-eating....but Jack and Mike did!!
On the way home, Jack said, "this was the best Mother's Day ever!!"  HA!  Glad he had fun.  Mike later told me his Grandma said it was the best day.....success!