Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's day to Shawn and Grandpa David!  Yes, we celebrated our day with an afternoon BBQ and Sparkler fun along with a dedication in memory of Papa Jim.  Shawn posted a plaque on the playground that he and Papa Jim worked so hard on for SO MANY weekends and  it is now officially called "Papa Jim's Playset".  The kids all remember their daddy and grandpa out there trying to put together what seemed like a million screws and random wood pieces to make what we kept telling them was to be playground.  It took a long time but it was so worth the wait! 


This picture puts meaning to "I will be there in a flash".

 

Your presence we miss

Your memories we treasure

Loving you always

Forgetting you never



We miss you Papa Jim

Shawn impressed me with a 7 mile run and Myles and Molly joined me in racing some water out to him at the half way mark.  It was fun to find him on the running route that he insisted he share with me just in case he was not home within the hour!  Thank goodness he made it home!  He has signed up for a 10 mile road race to be completed this July.  It is called the "Blessing of the Fleet" but I wonder if it should be called, "God Bless Shawn's feet". 

PS The kids played their last baseball game Saturday and got their trophies!!  What a great season.

Myles and Molly are 1st and 2nd kids in yellow.

We love our Coach daddy!

Smiles for Myles

Friday June 10th Myles woke up at his normal 5:45am hour and decided to wake me up.  I awoke, as I do far to frequently, to his little chubby finger tapping me dead center on my forehead.  "Mom, mom wake up", he said.  "Mom, I have that jealous feeling".  Half asleep I peeled open my eyes and said, "Huh, what are you talking about?".  He continued, "I have been thinking and I am sad because Molly gets to have a sleep over and I don't."  Now keep in mind these two pretty much have to keep everything completely even.  We can't use the "she is older" excuse or the "when you turn 7 excuse"so I had to hear him out.  It turns out all week Molly has had this count down to her sleep over and apparently it had been driving him nuts.  I was so proud of him identifying the correct feeling he had as jealousy. (It is so good for a man to be so in touch with his feelings!!)  This leads to the explanation for Myles pernmanent smiles for the entire day and well into the night.  Grandma and I had been plotting a potential slumber for Myles and Hailey, if he was not too worn out from a long week at school.  I shared the plan with him and his jealousy quickly changed to joy and excitement.  Myles just adores Hailey and this plan made his weekend!

Eatting dinner together at Grandma's house

Watching some tv in Grandma's bed!

So, if you do the math......3 kids minus 2 kids = 1 child left at home.
Yes, for the first time in our lives Shawn and I experienced how it is to have an only child.  It was very relaxing for us but I defintely felt like a couple very special pieces were missing!!!  Shawn agreed that it sure did feel quiet at the Juenger house!!

It is the simple things in life....

that brings such joy to a child.  Like two 6 year olds that are just crazy about each other that finally get to have another sleep over and this time at a new house.  Molly has been counting down for weeks now to June 10th as this is the day she knew she was sleeping at Elliott's new house in Portsmouth, RI.  We are all super sad that Molly's best KHA friend will not be returning to her school next year but happy to know that I am pretty sure it will be no problem to keep in touch with this little cutie.  Elliott happens to have a little brother that Hudson is quite fond of and a set of parents that Shawn and I both enjoy.  We will certainly miss the daily recess story involving Elliott and the every day reports about "their day" but we know we will make sure these two keep in touch.  Below are some pictures from the evening.  Kelly and Mike brought Charlie (Elliott's lil bro) and the girls to the beach in the evening to look for shells. They then went home and took a bath together in the their bathing suits and made the gorgeous frames you will see below!!  Molly had a fantastic time and is looking forward to having Elliott sleep over in the weeks to come!  These pictures make me want to be 6 again!!

Elliott: "Are we BFF's or are we more than BFF's?"
Molly: "More I think, like really close sisters."
(Kelly texted me this adorable conversation)  LOVE IT!!!

A Birthday Weekend Getaway

Last weekend Shawn went out of town to celebrate the a 40th birthday of one of his dear Ohio friends, Meesh.  We were both invited to this gala, but it was too complicated for us to both pull it off.

Shawn and Hudson Ohio friends celebrating Meesh's 40th



So, in the wake of feeling sorry for myself for not celebrating with my husband, my mom and I decided to take off for the weekend and try to have some more waterslide fun.  DID WE EVER!!!!  Oh yes, the 67 year old and 37 year old seemed to enjoy the slides just as much as the little ones. How could we not, take a look at these! 

Waterslides here we come!

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in North Conway, NH (a 4 hour drive from home) Friday through Sunday morning.  We played in the water for hours together, had some great meals together and even did some quick bathing suit shopping.  Hudson at that point was exhausted from going up and down the stairs to the waterslide all morning and he fell asleep in the grocery cart while grandma and I picked out new bathing suits at TJ Maxx.  May I also add that Myles and Molly were perfect angels while we shopped (I think we must have worn them out too).  Great time had by all and made complete by a late lunch at the Rainforest Cafe on the way home from the mountains.  Thanks mom and kids for making my birthday weekend so spectacular!

Grandma catching Molly

Myles loving the little slide

Molly posing with Mr. Frog slide

Having some mirror fun in the hotel room.

Cozy by the fire in the lobby

Important News Flash

Shawn and I met with Mrs. Z yesterday and it is official.  Myles is progressing to 2nd grade.  We are so proud of him as he has advanced several reading levels in the past two months and now he is only slightly behind where he should be, compared to the very behind that he was just 2 months ago.  He will do summer school again this summer, for five weeks, and we will with great pride be dropping them both off at school next year as big second graders!

My BIG 2nd  grade bound kids with one of their special cousins.

Also, Molly has lost a tooth. It has been a long wait for this one but finally her front tooth has fallen out and the tooth fairy has come to our house to bring HER some money!

Molly filled with a bit of excitement from the gift the Tooth Fairy left behind.

A good family friend of ours was just visiting from California and was patient enough to teach all three of our children to knit. Oh yes, Myles and Hudson wanted to learn as well.  While Myles and Hudson have moved their interest back to making paper airplanes and successfully messing up the house, Molly has become quite fond of her new hobby.  She has knit every night since Saturday and she is proud to tell you she is on her 13th row!

Whine free Hudson and  Dinah and Molly knitting!

Finally, onto Hudson.  He has not whined for 4 days now.  This is a revelation.  Today on the way to school he said, "mom I have not whined for days now, aren't you proud?".  PROUD?  Are you kidding, yes i am proud, delighted, thrilled and just so happy.  He has been whining on and off for months now.  Shawn and I have been commenting on how he was so easy as a baby but so high maintenance as a 3 year old.  I asked him why he has not whined for several days and told him I as so proud and his answer, "I am happy mom". I have learned my lesson:  Don't piss off your 3 year old or he will torture you for months to come!!!!!

The Daily Craziness is keeping us so Busy.

I don't really have any one topic to Blog about this week.  It has been such a hectic week with different things popping up that seem to interrupt our very routine life.  For example, last Friday night on the way home from work my car broke down.  I am talking black smoke pouring out of the hood.  My anticipated Friday night full of chilling out with the kids and taking a neighborhood walk was stolen from me by my 2003 minivan.  Two hours later Shawn had me home safe and sound and the tow truck had delivered the van to the "car doctor"~ as Hudson calls it.  Uggghhh.  Not a fun way to start a weekend.  $1000 later (new AC compressor) the car is back on the road, but not after some anguish on my part as I was thinking perhaps we should throw in the towel and buy a new one.  I do like my old beast though, just not the bills it has been bringing.  On to more important things.  Kids. 

I had a Mother's Day that started off with breakfast in bed and a handful of homemade cards by the kids. It was nice to have them shower me with food and cards and their excitement.  The funny thing is I had to pretend I was just waking up, meanwhile I was upstairs doing laundry for the two hours they were downstairs with Shawn getting ready to "wake me".  My bed had no sheets on it when they came to see me (they were being washed), but no one seemed to notice and I do think they really thought I had just woken up!! 

This week has been hectic as Shawn has been out extra nights with work commitments and I have been unable to do my normal YMCA workout with the girls.  So, I was a little thrown off by this as I realized that I draw energy from burning calories!  I am hoping to get back into the routine next week. 

Finally, I got this email from Myles teacher yesterday:

Good afternoon,

I am writing to set up a meeting with you and your husband to discuss Myles' progression and recommendation for next year.  The end of the year is creeping up quickly, only 33 days left!  I tutor after school on Tuesday's for Myles and also on Thursday; every other day of the week I am available to meet right after school.  I am also available any day before school or after 4:30.  Please let me know what day and time works best for you. 

Thank you,

Pam Zagadsky

Kingston Hill Academy

We tried to meet with her this morning but she can not meet until next week.  We are anticipating a suggestion from her to have Myles repeat 1st grade.  So for all those readers of this Blog, we are confused by what we should do.  We know our 6 year olds are individuals and we get that, believe me, but should we keep one back and let the other one go on to the next grade?  Should we keep them both back?  Perhaps she will surprise us and tell us that he is suddenly doing great and reading at the correct level, I am hoping. I am afraid that Shawn and I will have a big decision on our hands in the week to come in regards to what to do about next year for the twins.  We will keep you posted with this.

Happy Friday.

Weekend Highlights and Lowlights

Highlights:

• Shawn and Grandma (and it turns out Aunt Christa too) successfully completed a 5K Road Race
• Grandma came in third in her age group.  We are so proud of you Grandma!!!!
•  Myles and Molly played in their first t-ball game of the season and they both got hits
• Shawn and I went out to dinner on a fantastic date to a new gem of a town we discovered. (Stonington, Ct)
•  Ms. Brianne, our summer babysitter, watched the kids and the kids were SOOOOO excited to have her put them to bed.
• Myles lost yet another tooth while eatting dinner with Ms. Brianne on Saturday night
• Myles had some "grampa time" and constructed a wooden plane and painted a bird house
• The entire family (including the neighbors) are healthy!
• The kids had a grand old time with Shawn taking tractor rides

Lowlights:

• Shawn got a ticket for running a red light.  He and Huddy both tell me he should have not received it and that the light was really yellow when he made his left hand turn.  The light turned red while they were stuck in the intersection.  My philosophy is that my child and husband are telling the truth but we will still have to pay the $85 fine!
• I tried to make a pulled pork on Sunday but it would not fit in the crockpot!  I had to put it in the oven and it was WAY too much work to pull as it never got as well done as it does in the crock pot.  Between pulling pork and baking 4 quiches for the kids school I was stuck in the kitchen for way too long on Sunday.
• The toothfairy forgot to come   

  

  Doesn't his mouth look like a Jack 'o latern?