The Eves of Summer...

Our evenings spent at the baseball fields have been some of my favorite this season.

I never want to forget their little hands wrapped around tiny bats and the way they take their hitting and fielding duties so seriously.

My little team of ballers are really starting to get into the game and it's fun to watch their skills improve.  The big boys had such a great coach this year, so they have really gotten into things in the "Coach 'Pinch'" league.  

 Plus, when we're lucky enough to play the late games, the fields are full of golden light and a cool evening breeze as I watch and cheer on my playas with a baby rolling around on the blanket at my feet.  It is pure bliss.

This is a picture from our trip to Yellowstone.  The boys slept three in a row horizontally on a bed in every hotel we stayed in.  It won't last forever, but for now, it works well, and they kind of love it.  Boone apparently wants in on the action too.

 Ace Face.

 Being Ace.  From top to bottom.  :)

 The splash pads are slowly being phased out with pools and water parks.  As they get older they crave diving boards, slides, and other obstacles including deep pools of water to dive in.  So, our trips to splash pads have been few and far between - but still nice.

 Boone doesn't mind any of this pool/splash action one little bit.  He has been a dream boat on all our adventures thus far.... knock on wood.  :)

 It doesn't hurt that he is doted on and fed red licorice here and there.  :)

His little cheeks might be stained for life. 

 And my favorite side effect of all our summer fun is this...

 Bed time happens in mere moments.  Their sun kissed bodies and tired little feet seem to hit the sheets and they're off to Neverland... 

Dreaming of another summer day to play.

Re-Nember...

Have I ever told you how I try to NOT correct my little gents when they mispronounce things?  Well, guilty as charged.  Ace - for forever - has said, "Oh I 'renember' this place!" I love it so much!  It makes me smile just hearing him utter the word.

So, this past weekend, I hauled my little tribe of lads to southern Utah to swim and bask in the heat and sun AND to hang with my best friend, Ashley, and her cute little girls.  And, of course, to properly introduce Boone to our long St. George summer days and nights.  :)

Boone didn't mind the desert one little bit.

We literally just go back and forth between her pool and mine and the boys guzzle Gatorade and snack on everything in sight, and Ash and I swim and suntan and talk a mile a minute.  It's the best.  Since RyGar was working in Wyoming - why the heck not?

Well, we pulled up to Ashley's complex pool the first morning and Acey exclaimed, "OH!  I 'renember' this place!  This is where we jump off the rocks like a lot of times!"

Cue the Heart flutters.... 

For two reasons:

1.  That sweet little mispronunciation... And,

2.  He remembers.  He remembers his mama schlepping it to the pool with he and his brothers last summer.  He remembers jumping off the rocks and swimming with his little girl friends for hours on end.  He remembers heading to the Pizza Factory at the end of the day in his gym shorts without his undies because I forgot to throw them in the pool bag.  He remembers!

(And Hallelujah, I remembered the undies this time around!)

Isn't that what we all do all these "summer shenanigans" for anyway?  Just to hear that our babies  know and associate fond memories with our long/hot/messy summer adventures?  

I think, yes.  We're writing stories in the pages of their books of life, and childhood chapters are a precious few, because they're only little for such a little time.  So it makes me giddy with mama bear pride that he "renembers" this part of our summer.  

I think it's one of the best parts too, little buddy... thanks to you and your "brudders".

Another mispronunciation of his that I will let go as long as I possibly can.  :)

Boone Five Months...

Baby Boone is FIVE Months Old -- going on two years old.

Sigh.

He is starting to eat solids.

He still drools like a leaky faucet.

He eats his hands and toes all day long.

He rolls, squirms, scoots and walks in a walker.

He babbles and squeals with delight.

And he lets us know when he is done with his current activity with non-delightful sounds.  :)

He is FINALLY a good sleeper.  Sometimes making it through the night but most days making it until about 5 am when a snack is not optional, but then he goes back to sleep.

He adores bath time and water and it is no easy task to get him out or to have him stop splashing.

He LOVES to be standing.  Just a typical boy who can't stop - won't stop.

Snuggling is reserved only for especially tired moments.

He has one zillion nicknames including:

 Booner Bear

Boone-doggle

Boone-digliano

Boone-Diggity

Booners

Boon-Dock

We don't care which name you call him - we just know you'll love him the second he flashes you that little grin of his.

Happy Five Months Baby Boone!

Summer Snippets...

When we aren't at baseball, swimming lessons or on vacation, the little dudes have been living it up at home cramming in as much "water fun" and friend time as they possibly can.  

I told Ryno that road trips with all the boys are easier than staying home & hosting the entire hood all summer.  And I meant it - until I went to Smith's to hit up the shoe sale with the my entourage and each one of them promised they could carefully drive a tiny kid cart to tote around the shoes we would find them for school, and then --I don't know, perhaps my ankles were bloodied when I finally vice gripped Ace's mini cart and stared into his little face with venom as I quietly summoned all my willpower to spew out, "Stop banging that DAMN thing into me or so help me I will commandeer this vehicle and strap you in to your car seat for the rest of your life."

Whew.

Not my prettiest mama moment, but a summer truth.

So, with my new perspective I decided "Water fun" and lemonade stands with up to a dozen little boys in my yard is actually preferred over taking boys shopping.

And for the record, every lemonade stand must be rigged with a booby trap or two to keep the product safe from potential wild customers.  :)

Enjoying Homework:  

OK, so they don't always LOVE it but they're doing well at avoiding the "summer slide" as they do their homework each day.  Something about seeing them all lined up at the bar concentrating on literally dotting their I's and crossing their T's makes my mama heart so happy.

Even Boone gets in on the action here and there.

Enjoying BBQs:

Meals that Daddy cooks on the grill taste better + our house stays nice and cool.
Pirate gear is optional, but encouraged.  :)

And we shove our fingers in fresh produce that require absolutely zero prep.  

Enjoying New Tricks:

Boone is enjoying all his new-to-us baby equipment.  We have my sister's baby gym and a little walker from my Mom's house and this boy -- ugh, he is going to be walking in mere months.  

I'll be crying in a corner but we'll save that for another post entirely.

Enjoying Gifts:

Gifts that keep giving.  Dax played laser tag at a little friend's house and he just HAD to get some for Dad for Father's day.  Dax is a cunning little fox and he knows how to gauge the "kid friendliness" of all gifts bestowed upon all family members.  This one scored a perfect ten!

Enjoying Long Naps:

Baby squish is just a free bonus.  Oh my heart...that little wad of baby dough around his knees is just enough to put a girl over the edge of delirium.  LOVE.

Enjoying Matching Tie Sundays:

I will do it until they really put their feet down... and then I'll do it for one more year after that.  :)

And there you have it.  A little cheerful dose of summery things for today.

Tomorrow's forecast says HOT, so more summery, splashy posts to come.