St. Pius festival & other July fun

We went to the St. Pius festival on July 10 with GranJan, Grandpa, Auntie Ema, Uncle Jeff and cousins Lukey and Ellie...fun stuff!

Since Luke and Lucy were tall enough, they decided to try the super fast, spinning ride and Auntie Ema was happy to join them.  Lukey wasn't much of a fan so he ditched the girls but these two had a blast!

Lucy loved it!  There was a long wait once they were on there before the ride actually started and Ema said she chattered non-stop...she told her all about how she wants to go to California (???) and asked if Ema has ever been.  When she said yes, she asked if her and Uncle Jeff could take her there sometime!  She said she really wants to go to the beach there...send me a postcard, guys!

All three of them were thinking about riding a pony but the boys decided at the last second to ride the motorcycles again so Lucy was on her own...she'd been wanting to ride one all night but by the time she did it, it was immediately after the crazy ride with Auntie Ema - so I think she was actually a little bored on her little pony ride...but she's still a cute little cowgirl!

More July memories:

Dave did this - making fun of my poor babyguy and comparing him to Elmer Fudd in Space Jam

YMCA picnic!

At "GranJan's big pool"

Big fun at Lukey's 3rd birthday party!

Brother & sister BFFs

Super cute sign Lucy made to commemorate "Daddy Daughter Day"

Big fat cutie!

Lucy

We've had a breakthrough with Lucy's bedtime chart!

She has been filling this chart out for some time now (maybe almost a year?) and at first she got a prize for getting all four stickers a night for three nights in a row.  A while back, I increased it to four nights in a row before getting a prize and pretty recently, I increased it again to five days.

The prizes in the prize bag she gets to choose from are little things I find on clearance for less than $5 - a Shopkins two pack, mini Monster High figures, Happy Meal prizes (sometimes I specifically get a Happy Meal for lunch when the kids aren't with me so I can stick the prize in the prize bag)...but I have been challenging her to fill out a whole sheet - two whole weeks worth of not arguing at bedtime and getting things done (brushing teeth, going potty, not arguing / going upstairs quietly, and not calling until morning).

She's come close several times with only one or two X's on a chart...but FINALLY!  She did it!  I'd been telling her she would get a "big prize" if she filled out a whole chart but never elaborated.  She finally did it and had the nerve to say, "I don't even need a chart anymore now that I'm five!" (she's been five since the end of March but didn't manage to get a complete chart until July...)

Hooray!!!!!

There was a Build-a-Bear gift card in a basket filled with random baby/kids items I got at an auction a few years ago that has been sitting on the shelf ever since...I figured building a bear and a trip to the mall would make for an excellent bedtime chart prize.

So the day after the final sticker was placed on her chart, I picked her up from school and we headed to the mall...she loved building & bathing her bear and picking out the perfect dress for her!

Next, we rode the carousel and ate dinner in the food court...she even stuck her new bear in a high chair to join us.

I had a coupon to Orange Leaf so after we wandered the mall a bit, we headed over for some frozen yogurt topped with 12 pounds of candy...yum!

That night, she did great at bedtime - no chart needed!  Dave and I were soooooo excited!
The very next night, however, evil Lucy returned with a vengeance - screaming, throwing things, arguing galore...we were so disappointed...I took the new bear away and told her she wouldn't get it back until she showed she deserved it.
Luckily, that demonic night was a one-time reprieve and she's since earned her bear back and has been good (for the most part) at bedtime (without the chart and promise of prizes!) ever since...she's growing up!


She and I recently got invited to spend the day at Coney Island with her BFF Ava and her mom.  We got there as soon as the pool opened and spent a few hours splashing around before eating lunch.  After lunch we headed over to the park for rides & games...such a fun day!  Lucy and I think Max would love it there, too, so we plan to try to take him before school starts and summer ends...

She wanted to ride the roller coaster!  Ava wasn't into it so I got to be her partner...she loved it and wanted to do it again!

She won these froggies!

She starts kindergarten next week and she's pretty nervous about it...I would never admit this to her, but I am super nervous about it myself!  I don't want her to grow up!  She's going to do great, though, and will love her new adventures - especially riding the school bus with Cleo or Dominic.  She has one friend from Kids & Cribs going to St. Joe's like her so please cross your fingers that she and Emma are in the same class - I know that would really help my girl feel a little more comfortable...

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

One weekend when Aunt Amy was in town, we got together at Grandma & Troy's house  to celebrate Daddy's birthday...the kids enjoyed the chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream - especially Max!

These goofballs also had fun flying around the yard in their coordinating Superman / Supergirl pajamas!  We all had lots of fun outside drawing with sidewalk chalk, throwing poppers and having water balloon fights - Aunt Amy and I each filled up so many our hands were cramped...and 30 minutes of filling them resulted in 30 seconds of wet fun!

On Daddy's actual 36th birthday, we went to dinner at Applebee's with Grandma and Troy.  Afterward, the kids gave him his gifts and presented the tasty cupcakes we'd made.

This year, Max got to participate in Lucy's tradition of Dollar Tree shopping.  This year , Lucy picked out six perfect items and Max picked out three.
The first thing Max chose for Daddy was an extension cord...I thought about steering him away from that and directing him to something else but that's not the point - the whole idea is to let them choose - on their own - gifts they think their Daddy would love.  But when I said okay to the extension cord, Max tossed about seven more into the basket - I did have to draw the line at one...
He also chose a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse journal and some Paw Patrol tattoos!

Lucy took her sweet time searching the store high and low for the perfect items.  She knew he liked Gatorade but couldn't decide between the red and the blue so she went with both.  She also picked out a card for him - it was designed for someone turning 6 so she added a 3 to make it 36!  She also chose a Spiderman frame, a Captain America magic washcloth, Ninja Turtle tattoos and some glow stick bracelets (for them to share, of course!).

Happy Birthday, Dave (July 18)!