Melting for Spencer

See this cute boy?

We love him. Very much.

Which is why we braved some unseasonably, torturously hot, early June weather to take him to meet his best friend and hero, Lightning McQueen. Craig, bless his amazing heart, had the foresight to get us tickets for the free event, which meant that we went right in to the hot event, instead of waiting in an interminable hot line to get into the hot event.

We all about sweated our faces off. and we were glad when it was over. But what a cool experience to be there with this cute boy, for whom the Cars universe has been a daily obsession for the last 2.5 years.

Can't wait for him to visit Radiator Springs at California Adventure when we miraculously get rich and can actually afford to go there.

Hallelujah, Orange You Glad?

Hallelujah, we made it through the rigors of 1st, 4th, and 6th grade.

Little did we know, the end of the school year would mark the beginning of the Infamous Lice-capades of 2017. But that's a story for another time. Maybe. If I can get over the horror of it all.

The end of the school year and beginning of summer felt good for a moment, I'll tell you that.

And just look at how much these cuties grew in one year.

{from no teeth to new teeth}

{little girl to little lady}

{yep...she's wearing an almost identical outfit on the first and last days}

Another school year down. About a million to go. But, we'll get there!

P.S. This happened to be one of my few "On" years when it comes to teacher appreciation gifts. (I'm pretty sure the pattern is, one year on, two years off.) 

Those lovely ladies sure lucked out this year with their "Orange You Glad It's Summer?" care packages.

See you in about three years, Mommy Who's On Top of It.

Builders, Inc.

Seems Julia has inherited yet another quality from Daddy: the Desire to Build.

Before it got too hot to do anything outside but go swimming, she started working on a backyard structure to which she can retreat to be away form the chaos of the house. (She may or may not have inherited this tendency from moi.) Dashing Daddy was good enough to lend her a hand.

I am so grateful for kiddos with a desire to try new things, and a loving hub-star who takes the time to teach them skills and general awesomeness.

After the weather cools, we'll see if he has also passed on the 90% gene this beautiful firstborn of ours.

{90% gene: in which a project becomes functional at 90% completion, and never gets worked on again.}

Celebrating Savanna

This year our little Vanna girl hit her decade mark. Wowsers. Hard to believe this snuggly infant has gotten so darn big, so very fast.

{practicing puckering up her lips for a lifetime of kisses}

Savanna is one of those amazing girls who always helps you feel loved. She is compassionate and strong, super smart and hard-working. She is such a blessing to have in our family.

We celebrated with a friend movie and lunch date, emoji party, swim party, banana cream pie, and presents. Oh, and a little bit of "Pin the Glasses on the Emoji," which was pretty darn funny.

Happy 10 Years, cute girl!

P.S. It is now July and some of Vanna's bday decorations are still hanging from the kitchen ceiling.

P.P.S. Since we are talking about celebrating this beautiful girl, I should insert here that Savanna was chosen, at the end of her 4th grade year, to participate in the National Elementary Honors Society during 5th grade. Students are picked based on grades, service experience, and leadership qualities. And maybe cuteness.

We are so proud of this girl and the beautiful person she is continuing to become!

Science (Un)Fair

 Ah, science fair project time.

That beloved season of harebrained ideas, unending tears, and hours-long arguments; where procrastination, lack of planning, and under-preparedness culminate in an acutely unanticipated (yet utterly unsurprising) ceremony of family stress and unhappiness.

Where moms and dads come together to point the finger of blame, question our own (and one another's) ability to parent successfully, and attempt to traverse the moral tightrope spanning that gaping, mysterious chasm of  "doing the work with the child and yet, not for the child."

A season of stress, of slacking, of superior ideas juxtaposed against inferior execution.

Believe it or not, we, the Monsons, have lived to tell the tale. The tale that climaxes with the bestowal of a blue participation ribbon for all of our...er, Savanna's, hard work. 

And the understanding that we have just barely escaped with our sanity.

Celebrate with us, as we echo the refrain that so many well-meaning, yet completely unrealistic parents have proclaimed before us:

Next year we'll get it right.

Saving a Trip

Yesterday I sent Alexa to go take a shower while I was in the backyard with Spencer. 

She quickly reappeared to ask me a question (which she often does when she is supposed to be doing something else.) 

"Can I use your towel, please?"

"Um. Why can't you use your own towel?"

"I didn't want to walk all the way to the other bathroom to get it."

"So, in the time you could have walked to the other bathroom to get your own towel, you came downstairs and out to the backyard to ask me if you could use mine?"

"Mmm. Yes."

And the mysteries of the kid-i-verse live on.

Four, Four, I Want Some More

Our littlest tyke just turned 4 years old, and I can hardly believe it. 

With his constant snuggles, incessant smiles, love for life (and obsession with all things Cars), we truly love and enjoy this little boy more than I could adequately express. I would love to just freeze his cute little self and squeeze every last little precious drop of four-ness out of him that I possibly can.

In true Spencer style, we celebrated his birthday with a Cars-themed party...which worked out nicely, considering we still had all of the decorations from last year. After making the desperate mistake of promising him a birthday party after he learned how to go poop in the potty (waaaay before his actual birthday) this poor kid was feeling pretty tortured. Every time he pooped, he would ask, "Can I start my birthday? Now is it time for my birthday??" Every. Single. Time. For at least a month.

Thank goodness the day finally arrived. First, we did a friend party (or, glorified 4-year-old play date, as I like to call it). Then, we had a family party that night. The house was covered in decorations and Lightning McQueen cupcakes a la Grandma Linda. Pretty much the works.

Basically, it was the best day a 4-year-old Cars lover could hope for. 

He still asks to start his birthday after he poos. When I tell him his birthday has passed, he says, "No, my 'nother birthday!"

He's still got a little over 11 months to go, but I'm crossing my fingers that for his 'nother birthday, we can get just one more year of use out of these Cars decorations. 

May all his cute little wishes come true.