Summer Break: Day 16 {Fair Oaks Farm}

 {You will notice in this post about our trip to a dairy farm that there are no pictures of the many dairy cows we saw or pictures of the delectable cheeses and ice cream we ate.  It is simply because we were too excited about the cows to allow mom any free hands to snap a photo and we were much too busy eating and enjoying our delicious dairy to pause for a photo op.  Now, to our day!}

(Connor doing one back flip after another!)

 Yesterday we went to Fair Oaks Farm ,one of the ten biggest farms in the United States.  We first took a bus tour of the dairy farm.  We were all fascinated and it was amazing to see all the new calves being tended too.  After our tour, we went to the indoor play area where the kids went around and around on a carousel (manually operated by the parents, heart pumping work) practiced milking a cow, went down slides, and Connor tried out the magnetic climbing wall!

 We went outside to find an amazing play land waiting!  There was a train, a tractor race track, a bungee jump, a rock climb wall, a corn maze and a huge inflated trampoline.

(Caleb trying to get up on the trampoline.  A shoe has been lost in the process.)

 Kylene jumped and jumped and jumped some more giggling all the while.  Kylene also got to run over with another friend and mom to the birthing barn to see the birth of a calf!  Connor was sad to miss out but he was waiting for his turn on the bungee jump which was exciting in itself.

 Caleb made it!  Still missing a shoe.

 Caleb LOVED riding this little train.  There was never a line, so he just stayed on and kept on going around and around.  He cried and cried when it was time to get off and kept on running back over to it, so what did I do?  Put him back on and let him ride around and around and around some more. :)

We finished off our day sharing a melt-in-your-mouth grilled cheese and a smooth and creamy ice cream before we made the trip back home.

Connor said it was our best summer trip yet.

Summer Break: Day 8 and 9

 We've had a "hang out around the house" day today and yesterday.  We've needed a few days to play and for mom to get some things done around the house.

 Don't worry, we've still found a way to have fun

 A little too much fun even.

Happy Father's Day!

 We started off our Father's Day Morning delivering doughnuts and chocolate milk to Daddy in bed and then closed the door to let him get some more luxurious sleep, special for Father's Day, while we went downstairs and gobbled up our own doughnuts and milk, yum.

And here's to our handsome, wonderful Daddy whom we all adore!

Summer Break: Day 5

 This morning we headed over to Nana's house and played for a bit before heading to Quaker Park to meet up with our friends, the Kemp's, for a picnic and playing at the park and splash pad.

 The weather today is so heavenly, high is 77, low humidity, sunny with a slight breeze.  The perfect day to spend all day outside.

 Caleb got brave at the end and decided to give the water a try.

We're back home now, Caleb is napping and Connor and Kylene haven't even been inside the house yet.  We were greeted by a swarm of neighborhood kids and they jumped out of the van and ran off to play some more.  Like I said, the perfect day to be spent all outside!

Summer Break: Day 4

 This morning Connor, Kylene, and I went to see the most amazing show at the Palladium in Carmel called "Erth's Dinosaur Petting Zoo".

The act is put on by a group based out of Australia so it felt cool right from the beginning to listen to the MC's cool Australian accent.

She started off the show by asking if anyone had any good dinosaur jokes.  I was surprised when Connor's hand shot up and he was called up on the stage and given a mic; I was even more surprised when he, without hesitation, said, "Do you know what a T Rex's least favorite thing to do at the gym is?  Push ups!"  Everyone clapped and cheered and he felt like a million bucks.

 The show started off with two baby dinosaurs, then moved up to a prehistoric Dragon Fly, then to two smaller, walking dinosaurs all the way up to the mighty T Rex.

 The puppets were so lifelike in their look, movements, and sounds that I had to keep reassuring Connor and Kylene that the T Rex wasn't real, it was just the coolest puppet we had ever seen!

 I can't explain the show well enough to do it justice, but all I know is, it cost a pretty penny to go and I think it was worth every cent.  Certainly an experience I'll remember for a long time as something wonderful I got to do with my kids.

 Oh, and Caleb?  He got to have his own magical experience over at Nana's where new toys and new snacks are in abundance.

Connor and Kylene had a fun time giving Caleb a Mohawk in the bath tonight.  Kylene in particular was giggling uncontrollably. :)

Summer Break: Day 3

 Today we met our good friends, the Bray's, at their neighborhood pool which also happens to be my parent's neighborhood, so the kids were familiar with their surroundings and dove right into fun!

 Kylene is interested in learning how to swim independently and was proud leave her water wings behind.  I just need two more arms to take care of Caleb so I can help her practice swimming with the other two.  I don't think that surgery has been pioneered yet though.  Bummer.

I've been pleased that Caleb really enjoys the water.  He and I spend a lot of time bobbing, which I find delighful.  {Once again, those extra arms would come in handy so I can take a picture of us in the water.  You'll just have to take me at my word!}

Summer Break: Day 2

 We went to the Monon Center in Carmel today and spent four hours playing in the water.  Caleb loved the zero entry pool and we all enjoyed the lazy river together.

 Connor in particular enjoyed all the Monon Center has to offer and went down the slide, jumped off the diving board, did the ropes course and body boarded multiple times.

We all came home with the "good" tired; you know where your tuckered out from doing something fun and then you have the chance to rest your weary bones for a bit.

Just had dinner and baths and now watching America's Funniest Home Videos re-runs.  It's been a happy day!

Summer Break: Day 1

 Today is our first day of summer break!  After our morning chores, we loaded up and headed to West Park to check out a kids music show put on by the Carmel Parks and Recreation Department.  It was a mad house of kids and parents and we ran into lots of neighbors and friends from church.

Caleb says, "You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose."  True Caleb, so true.

Last Day of First Grade

Connor finished 1st Grade on Friday!  He had a wonderful year and really flourished in his new school.  He's grown so much this year and we're so proud of the great boy he is.  We're ready for a great summer and then on to 2nd grade!

she's a biker girl

 On Memorial Day Kylene asked Byron to take her training wheels off.  That night she was riding by herself after we gave her a push and by Wednesday, she was starting herself and she was off to the races!

It's so fun to see her little legs pedaling furiously.  You go girl!

Caleb-y

 Our sweet buddy loves to laugh, play chase, tackle his brother and sister, eat pickles, go on walks, play outside, eat graham crackers, go down slide, swing, dance to music, clap his hands, read lots and lots of books, and snuggle with his blankie.

Love this kid.