Spring part 2

We've had a busy but fun spring which included....a date night! Dates are few and far between with 3 small kids so we appreciate any time we can get away for a few hours to spend just the two of us. Matt got some great tickets to the Paul McCartney concert a few weeks ago. It was the first time I had left Simon in the evening at 10 months old so I was a little worried how he'd fall asleep but he did pretty good. And we had a delicious dinner before heading to the concert (which was amazing!)

 We also bought the kids a new play structure for our backyard and it has been a huge hit! With so many warm, sunny days it's pretty typical for the kids to run outside after school and spend hours playing, swinging and sliding. Money well spent.

 Carter lost his first tooth! It has been loose for several months but one morning he came down and it was barely hanging on. After a little convincing to let me just pull it I grabbed and twisted and out it came! For the record, the tooth fairy is extra generous for the first tooth and left Carter $3!

 Every couple of months Matt and I make an effort to take each child out for a date day, just the two of us for some special one-on-one time. This particular day Carter and I went out to lunch and a movie.  Lucy had her special date the next day with Matt for donuts and swimming. The kids get so excited for these days and plan ahead for what they 'd like to do next time. I love that we can get quality time in together without distractions from other house stuff too.

 When Carter is at school Lucy and I love to bake together! Let's be honest, it's not hard to convince me to bake anything, especially chocolate chip cookies! And she is the perfect assistant...always ready to lick the beaters and scrape out the bowl with her finger.
Carter finally had his turn for Star of the Week last week at school. He got to make a poster about himself and present it to his class. I was volunteering the particular day he presented which was so fun to watch him be proud of his poster and his favorite things.

 The other day is was super hot so on a whim I decided to head to the beach after lunch. We packed up the car, lots of snacks, swim suits and sunscreen and drove about 15 minutes to Mukilteo Lighthouse Park. The kids quickly made friends with some other kids, played in the water, threw rocks and played on the playground. Simon took a long nap and I soaked in the Vitamin D.

 Mother's Day was spent going to church, family time at the park and a yummy steak salad dinner. Matt had lots of grand plans that kept going wrong so we ended up treating the kids to a scoop of ice cream and calling it good. And really, the best part about Mother's Day isn't fancy flowers or dessert, it's about spending time with this great family of mine (oh yes, and the gift of getting my car detailed was pretty amazing too!)

 And, as the year slowly winds down at school (seriously, how is this year almost over?!? I'm not ready to have a 1st grader!) Carter is ending some of his extracurricular activities. One of his favorite programs all year has been his RAZ reading group. He chose every morning to go to school early so he could participate and I am so proud of him. He is now such a confident reader, advanced almost 7 reading levels and made some new friends too. To celebrate the final day his RAZ teacher hosted a breakfast party and special raffle prizes. It was so fun to see him get excited for the party although he's super bummed it's over for the year. Not to worry, we already have plans to continue it at home during the summer and then start again next year!

 It was also the last day of Lucy's swim lessons. Every Friday since September our routine has been to drop Carter off at school and then head to the pool. As much as Carter has excelled in reading, Lucy has improved in swimming! She can now independently kick off the wall and swim about 20 feet on her own with her face in the water. She has mastered back and front floats, backstroke and loves to practice her bobs in the water. So proud of her!

And not to be left out....Simon turned 11 months old! On his final day of 10 months he took his first steps. He's repeated it a few times but it still pretty wobbly on those legs. Simon loves to talk (favorites are hi daddy, mama and all done), wave hello, smile, scream, climb stairs and open drawers. He is such a sweet baby who I just adore.