Dance of the Animal Cracker Circus: Early 4th of July Festivities!

It looks like this evening (weather permitting) that my family and I will be celebrating the 4th a little early. Every year a local Church holds a fun early 4th of July picnic, car show and fire works display. Last year we missed it, and maybe the year before I can't really remember, but I know it's something my family generally always enjoys attending. So this year I was reminded about it so I can't wait to take the family out tonight to check it out.

Another thing to add to our summer fun!

We've been TRYING to set the tent up in the back yard but it just isn't happening. It's either way too hot or it's raining. Go figure! So we haven't been able to cross back yard camping off of our summer "to do" list. It WILL happen though even if it just ends up being pitching the tent in the living room and camping that way!

My daughter is through with summer school and is now waiting for kindergarten to start. She is excited to go to a new school and have a new teacher and make new friends, and ride a new bus. She keeps reminding her brothers that she WILL NOT be going to school with them anymore they will be going to a different school WITHOUT her because she is a big girl now and they are still babies (of which they protest because they are NOT babies).

This past Friday we went to the local library so Kams could do the Kaleidoscope program there ( a little craft project the library has for kids in the summertime). She has a fantastic time there! I took the boys down to the children's library area and they had a great time using the kids computer (they loved learning about the human body and playing in the art section of the computer program). The boys had a lot of fun with the train table too, though both boys managed to have a mini melt down a time or two! Just gotta love being "that mom" that has the sons that have melt downs disrupting the WHOLE library and everyone looks at you like you are the worst mom EVER. Oh please, like THEIR kid has never had a melt down before. Not like I just ignored them and let them continue their melt downs, I quickly nipped it in the bud and had their tantrums under control (which is not an easy task by the way, especially for those that know Keegan!!!)

Yes, believe it or not my sons CAN play together without kill each other.

See how nicely they can play together?

And see how quickly it can end? A tantrum was coming on here.

Keegan was pouting (in the green) and Marshall was ready to start a tantrum.

The library serves sack lunches during the week as part of a summer program, so after Kams craft project was done we all went upstairs and got a sack lunch and just picnicked at the library. We talked about the craft projects Kams had made in her class that day and talked about some books, and what we were eating, and what we could see out the big window we sat in front of. I really enjoy special moments like that! It's always a good idea to just sit down and talk to your kids.

Keegan enjoying his sack lunch at the library :)

Kams enjoying her sack lunch at the library

Marshall enjoying his sack lunch at the library, and I just realized he has the same expression on his face as the little boy in the poster in front of him!

Discussing what we could see out the window.

Can't have a picnic, without ants! Kams made this during her craft time at the library. That's a big ant!

She also made a snake during craft time. So the snake and ant sat about to eat a salad together.

Marshall and Kams being silly.

Cept when they've been talking to you for over an hour...and it's bedtime. Don't get me wrong I always talk to my kids at bedtime and we discuss their favorite parts of the day. However, poor Keegan has been having issues going to bed at night. He accidentally saw a commercial for World War Z and now he's terrified of zombies. So last night he sat there and talked and talked and talked and talked and talked for over an hour, refusing to fall asleep. Poor boy! I loved talking with him, and hearing him talk SO MUCH and SO WELL (after going from not talking at all last summer he now talks a mile a minute and tells the best stories ever though!!!)

This is why I hate having satellite now! Stupid commercials (on a KIDS channel no less)! Before we've just had Neflix and that was good enough for me. NO commercials. No hearing "I want this or that" during a commercial. Right now my kids SOOOOO want one of those "Squeezy Freeze" things or that Ice cream shaker thing they advertise on those infomercials in between cartoon shows. I'm not wasting money on those products that probably do not really work like they say they do, or break after so long. Or like that silly blow dryer curling device. That looks like a mess! If I tried that on my hair or my daughters hair it would be nothing but tangles.

Lately Kams has been all about My Little Pony and Hello Kitty. She prefers us to call her Pinky Pie instead of Kams. Crazy kid. She is alllll about the pink, and it's driving me a little nuts. I was never that mom who insisted on dressing her daughter ALL in pink. I gave her a wide variety of colors! She is now in love with pink. As I was putting her clothes away I noticed she has pretty much a whole drawer full of pink. *sigh* Where did this girly girl come from?

However DO NOT let the pink fool you. She will still pink (Haha speak) her mind and kick your butt if you mess with her, or challenge her. She is sassy and full of it. She is not afraid to stand up for herself or others. She is kind, and very unique. She KNOWS who she is and she isn't afraid to be that person. She is confident and brave!

My husband got to experience the Drive Through theater for the first time a few nights ago. I love having a drive through in our town! I was kind of hoping they would have something more child friendly playing so we could all go, but it was White House Down and World War Z.

So the kids stayed home with Grandma and we went to the drive in with some friends. It's always fun to be at the drive in! Minus the young drunk people next to us, they were kind of obnoxious and annoying!