Big Man on Campus...

We took Kaelster out for his SIX year old photos... finally.  Summer is not the best for stopping to document memories since we are full-speed ahead making fond ones.

Anyway, I still can't get used to saying SIX.  Like, six?  What?  I can't even possibly have a little love that old because they just barely started arriving!  It blows my mind.

And so does he... Behold:

 

This one here is a patented work of art by Kaelster himself... doubling over in mischievous laughter.  That's him all the way.

 

I commend all the photographers of the world who know to say things like, "Booger Pizza" and "Chicken Butt" and "Mom wears stinky diapers" to elicit these smiles.  I mean, that's a little untrue since I don't love it when we actually do go to order a pizza and this now favorite line comes out as do the giggle fits... but I suppose we have to pick our battles, you know?

I try whenever humanly possible to catch the brothers being brothers as well.  Since we had time and coordinating duds, I snuck in a few of the infamous trio.

 

I think I'm in love...

Yep... in Love.

Fo Sho

Let's SAIL-ebrate...

And so it was that the little cousins of the land came to party with Kaelster.

We were missing our Logan cousins and our Washington cousins, but the show must go on!

The show had been "choreographed" by the Birthday Boy down to every last detail... He wanted pizza and root beer for lunch followed by cupcakes and giant Otter Pops.  Then we'd head out to the lake.  Phew.  Nailed it.  No pressure.  :)

When we got in the water little man big dude was the first to jump in for a ride on the ski trainer.  

Whew... nailed it.

Until this.

But he smiled the entire time, even on his way down!

After his dismount a couple of the cousins only wanted to ride the tube.  So we bopped around on the rough water all afternoon.  They LOVED it!

Alli's little pony tail was whipping it's way around the lake.

Zane giggled and shimmied nearly the entire time.

 Dax was Mister no hands.

Ace was Mister "SLOW DOWN!"

      And Kaelster told his Dad, "You can't ever buck me off". 

It was awesome.

We dropped everyone off and scrubbed the lake off ourselves then headed to the next portion of the big day as prescribed by Kaelster... The Japanese Grill.  We took the fam once the year prior and Big K hasn't stopped talking about the "onion volcano" ever since.

It helped that they had been in the water all afternoon... the schlepped it all up in no time.  Dinner AND a show for the birthday boy?  Yes please.

I love birthdays.  I love being a Mom.  I love celebrating the day they each came to our family in turn, eagerly awaited and immediately loved & adored.  They breathe life into our home and the days we celebrate those special days when they came to be?  The best ever.

Hope we made all your birthday wishes come true, Kael.  You have certainly made ours.

The Birthday Boy's Big Day...

Well now this is getting tricky, eh?!

SIX!

Our big boy Kaelster turned six on us and man did he wake up to a good time.

He asked for a big kid bike, a fart gun, a spy gear voice changer, and a bug vacuum.  And if that list doesn't spell six-year-old boy, I'm not sure what does!

 The brothers gifting brothers moments on birthday mornings are far and away the very best kind of moments, don't you think?  I wish I could have captured them better, but they move at the speed of sound, so I count myself lucky I was able to capture any part of them at all.

 The long anticipated bug vacuum along with a bug net and other bug capturing/torturing tools were a hit.  Thanks Grandma & Grandpa Albrecht!

And he diligently put away all the many "dollars" he received from Grandma & Grandpa Gardner, Uncle Sherwood & Aunt Renee, and Great Grandma Clement in his trusty red lock box.  Because, and I quote, "Soon I'll be richer than anyone!"

And he got a baseball collector's binder and a huge stack of baseball cards thanks to his birth mama!

And then he was off!

 He told Ry... "You're bike doesn't even have shocks like mine does!"
"And my wheels are a size 20!"
"And I have GEARS!"  

Mind.Blown.

And here is a preview of his "cousin boating party" that went on despite the cooler temps.

I think he was pretty stoked about it.  :)

Coming next... SAIL-ebrating Six Part II.

Back to Wonderland...

I am fully aware that many of summer weeks are on "sweet repeat".  But listen, a slow learner I am not.  I wouldn't keep going to "our spots" if they weren't claimed as ours for a reason.

Wayne is where my Grandma & Grandpa lived when I was a girl.  And you know, wherever it was you laid your head down at night on warm summer evenings, in fresh smelling sheets from the line, with a secret stash of butter mints (secret meaning:  Grandma looked the other way) and a few crisp dollars in your pocket courtesy of Grandma & Grandpa since you "swept the porch" or something equally easy peasy... well, the magic just doesn't ever go away, you know?

I'm guessing it never will... for any of us.

This year the mountain is CRAZY alive with wild flowers and green sage and leaves aplenty.  We had a wet and cold July and, well, I've never wanted to be "Heidi" and run away to a mountain cabin and frolic in wild flowers in a pinafore so much in all my life.

We didn't do anything extremely exciting.  But the best part of Wonderland is the absence of "planning" or "gussying anything up" too much.  We kind of just "BE" there.  Case in point: 

RyGar hates late summer fishing.  So does my Dad.  But if it's "for the kids" they'll spend an hour or so with their poles in the water.  :)

These little men of mine each caught a fish -- they were of the "catch and release" variety, which took some convincing on the adults' part, but still, that sensation of pole wriggling in hand... they got it.

And when we're in town at the house, it's all about the dirt, baby.  Literally Grandpa's "sand pile" complete with log benches, old buckets and a few old kitchen tools is where it's at.  For HOURS.

Not exaggerating.

 This trip we spent a couple hours at the town pool. It hasn't changed a single bit since I went there as a girl.  I believe the season lasts exactly a month and half.... which is the length of time it's warm enough to be open.  :)  

 I was putting away the sunscreen when I saw the tiniest little man up on the high dive walking like he was on a tight rope.  And I laughed when I realized it was Dax.  I grabbed the camera, thinking I would get a picture of him at the top and the top only since I thought he would be too scared to jump off.

Oh no.  Suddenly, off he went. 

I think it surprised him how long it took him to finally reach the water.  But he repeated proudly at least 47 times and put the peer pressure on his brothers... one who took the challenge and the other who had to do the "decent of shame".  :)

And I never ever ever want to forget scenes like this...