Introducing Cora Belle Cole! She is such a little honey!!
We got to visit her on the evening Missy and Phil brought her home. We had planned to go to the hospital, but Missy decided to just stay one night... she was anxious to get home and get life started :)
A proud auntie!
Cooper couldn't wait to hold her! He was so gentle and kept giving her kisses on the head.
Izzy was also excited. I'm sure Izzy will teach her all sorts of important things she needs to know to be a strong girl in this world!
Carson didn't want to hold "Baby Cora," but he gave her plenty of kisses and used his soft high-pitched voice to say, "She's so cuuuuute!" and "Tickle tickle" to her toes.
The new mommy seemed to be doing great! It was fun to see Missy have a brand new baby again--I know that little girl is going to be loved beyond measure!
Cooper got an entire day ALL to himself. 100% attention from mom. All. On. Him.
He chose bowling and arcade games to start the day. He's actually a decent little bowler!
He really wanted Pizza Ranch for lunch, so we headed to New Prague and met up with Grandpa Randy. Cooper loved goofing around with him.
And after lunch, we went to the pool together. Cooper practiced a little swimming, but spent most of his time going down the slide and jumping off the diving board. He also ran into many Kindergarten friends. It was cute to see him so excited to play with some friends!
I can't believe how big Cooper is getting. I can't believe he's going to be in FIRST grade already. And I can't believe he's my boy! I am so proud of the young man he is becoming. He's smart, thoughtful, funny, sensitive, kind, inquisitive, and loves to be on the go. I love that he also still snuggles with me sometimes, that he loves hugs, and I soak up the times when he holds my hand. I can't bear to think of when the last time of that will be!!
Cooper, you're a pretty great little dude. Thanks for being you, buddy!
I love that our summer is one that allows us lots of chances to play, relax, go on adventures, enjoy each other, and do things that we can only do in the summer. This blog makes it seem like all we do is go, go, go... While it's true that we do a lot of running, I think we have a healthy balance of fun around home AND enjoying all that summer has to offer.
Carson went to daycare this day, and the big kids got to have a Big Kid Day!
Jeremy and I told them it was a surprise day. They love surprises, and it's fun to hear them guess where we're going. It always gives us good ideas for the next surprise!
We started off with lunch at Chili's. The ordered pizza. Surprise, surprise.
Then Jeremy and I got to actually talk to one another for a while, as Cooper and Izzy played all around Chutes and Ladders park at Hyland. It was really very odd being there and not chasing around the kids and watching them like hawks. We definitely feel like we are starting to transition into the big kid phase of parenting! (I'll dry my tears later) They chased each other around, mostly stuck together, and had fun just playing.
After Chutes and Ladders, we thought stopping to cool off was a good idea! We found a new splash pad in Eden Prairie. It was small, but not crowded at all.
And naturally, a cold treat on the way home was just what we needed!
Smoothie Selfie!
I love that the big kids talk about their special days with so much joy. I love doing this stuff with them!
We love scouting out new parks, and recently, we found a GREAT one in Shakopee! Lions Park is just behind Sand Venture pool, and it's brand new. It's a shaded, smart park, full of 'different' kinds of things to do! We met up with the Endres crew to play and have a lunch date.
The kids could get musical...
They could swing...
(And Carson kept saying "I'm fwy-een")
They figured out lots of friends could ride and be goofy together...
Cooper loved the rope swing...
Carson loved every second of climbing!
The very next day, we had a family adventure day and found another great park! We went exploring to Minnehaha Park. The whole family this time!
Wabun Park was actually a little similar to Lion's Park in Shakopee in that it had lots of fun 'smart' things to play.
Tough little Izzy was excited to do some rope climbing.
Carson got some time to snuggle up with dad in the shade after our picnic.
After a hot hike, we made it to the falls! It was a fun surprise for the kids. Cooper was not impressed with all the stairs to get to the top, though :)
This is their, "We're so hot. We're so tired!" pose. Note how Izzy looks more ticked than tired :)
Wabun Park has a wading pool that was the perfect 'treat' to cool off.
Carson never quite knows how to react when I whine back to him...
Mr. Muscles says he's been, "Eating his crust." Kris, our daycare provider, has been convincing Cooper that crust makes him big and strong.
Bombs away!
Best of friends!
They had a FUN time! It was a really, really fun adventure!
On the way home, we stopped for a cold treat. The kids loved Cherry Berry. It's so fun to see how differently they choose their toppings!
And Izzy... oh Izzy. She had to drink every. last. drop.
Cooper and Izzy loved swimming lessons! Cooper is a very active, very excited boy in the pool. He loves to do bobs, hold his breath, and jump in. Working on swimming strokes... not really his thing. Yet. So we'll keep working on the LEARNING how to swim part and try Level II again next summer. Right now, I am glad that he is so excited about the water, and he likes to try things, but he wants to play instead of learn how to swim. So I'm embracing his age, and we'll see what next summer brings!
He did work hard, and he did try all the different 'floats' and 'strokes.' He was really excited about lessons every day, too!
Izzy got to have her first year of swimming lessons in Tiny Tots. She LOVED it. She completely and 100% embraced every aspect of it. She was not scared or nervous one little bit for it being her first year in lessons. She learned to hold her breath, blow bubbles, flutter kick, and do 'scoops.'
She loved trying out the slide and the diving board!
Cooper plays T-ball Tuesdays and Thursdays. He's a great hitter and a great sport! He is working hard on his throwing and catching. Jeremy is his coach, and Cooper loves having dad there every week!
It was so hot after ball this night that we decided to surprise the kids and go for a 'cool treat you can't eat' afterward. They had fun showing off their new 'swimming' skills and both went off the diving board about ten times!
We have a new camper, but... finding a place to camp is not that easy over the 4th of July! We normally would camp in Lanesboro, but it was actually pretty wonderful to hang out around home for the weekend.
The kids practiced their casting in the driveway... Jeremy chalked out a few points circles and the kids were very, very excited to practice. Cooper is getting really good!!
Saturday night, we headed to Elko Speedway for their Night of Destruction. The kids LOVED it. Carson was a little clingy and didn't really like the noise, but he was still very good considering we were sitting in the bleachers for five hours.
We scored great seats, so we were nice and close to the action AND we had backrests! It was so cute to watch their faces when the first group of cars came out!! Once they got used to wearing the ear protection, they were awestruck. I wasn't so sure if I'd like it myself--having spent half my life at the racetrack, I just wasn't ever very excited to go back... But it made me pretty excited to take them back. Just seeing how excited they were made me remember it's not about me :)
Cooper and Izzy loved the Elevator of Death, Captain Crash, and the Schoolbus Races. In the Elevator of Death, a stuntman was in a car which was lifted by crane and dropped from 75 feet onto a pile of cars. Jeremy and I thought it was pretty dumb, but the kids LOVED it. Captain Crash was a stuntman who crashed into a pile of cars. Again, we thought it was dumb, but the kids loved it.
The schoolbus races were pretty funny, and all you have to do is ask Cooper--he'll give you the WHOLE rundown :)
Carson had his own personal ear coverer while he enjoyed his Cheetos. He had his shoes off, and he was just lounging on my lap for a good, long time.
The schoobus races were so fun. The kids, and the crowd, were going wild for them. And, as soon as the first one rolled onto its side, the lights went down and the fireworks went off within five minutes. The kids also love the fireworks. Well, except Carson. He had his eyes covered almost the whole time :)
We found time to go cuisin in the Chrysler... Carson smiles the ENTIRE time with those big shiny teeth.
We opted for fireworks, and were treated to our own personal dance party, courtesy of Izzy and Carson.
What a difference a year makes--gosh I loooove them little, but we can really do some fun things all together now that they are all getting a little bigger. It's the first time our whole family has gone to the fireworks together on the 4th of July!
On the 4th, Jeremy was golfing in a tournament with the Adameks, and we headed to St. Peter with Amanda and the girls for their parade. It was HOT but fun, and we found a spot that was near shade so they could take a break when they got too sweaty.
My bucketheads.
Izzy and Laura
Amanda and her littlest nugget, Leah.
Chillin in the shade.
All he needs to be happy is a freezie in the shade!!
After a wonderfully long nap, we filled up the pool and spent the rest of the day hanging together outside.
