Patrick's Purple Belt Test

Tonight Patrick tested for his purple belt.

Finn, Sully, Mommy, Daddy, Nannie and PopPop were all there to support our ninja.

Patrick did an awesome job, he knew his forms, did strong high kicks and broke the board.

After, we all went to dinner to celebrate Patrick's big night.

We are so proud of our purple belt - HI YA!

Park and Picnic Dinner

It was a beautiful afternoon in Charlotte so we packed a picnic dinner and headed uptown.

The boys played on the playground...

 flew high on the swings...

and then they all hopped on their scooters for a long ride around the park.

 

We finished our great afternoon with picnic dinner in the park.

What a beautiful day!

A Sweet Adventure

Today we picked up Meredith and Ashton and went to the Rock Hill Children's Museum.

The boys played beautifully but were soon hungry.  So we ventured to a little french bistro (and bakery) that opened down the street.  I told Sully that if he finished his packed lunch, he could pick out a sweet treat.  I have never seen Sully eat that fast!  He finished every ounce of his lunch and then enjoyed a giant chocolate filled eclair.  YUMMY!

After the buddies finished their treats, we went back to the museum to play some more (and get some of that sugar out of their system).  Such a sweet outing!

Sky High Fun!

Today Sully met his buddies at Sky High Sports for the first time.  The four kiddos loved bouncing, jumping and diving into the foam pits.  They even challenged a group of college-age guys to a dive-off, and the four year olds showed them how it was done!  It was an awesome morning!

 

Weekend Fun

This weekend was filled with fun activities.

Sully and Patrick both had their season opener games for Soccer.

 After soccer, Gill took Patrick and Finny to a cubscout campout.
The boys had a great time and they even both caught their first fish!


While the boys were away, Sully and I had a super fun Mommy and Me Day!
We had a yummy lunch at at Zoe's Kitchen

and then went bouncing together at Baxters Bunch!

Sully and I bounced together and raced each other at the big bounce obstacle course.  

He beat me (fair and square) every time!

After hours of bouncing, we headed to Mom and Dad's for dinner and a sleepover.
We even had a movie night with Nannie complete with Popcorn and twizzlers!

In the middle of the night, the thunderstorm and flood warnings started going off on my phone.  I reached out to Gill and he started packing up their camp.  Gill and the boys came to Mom and Dad's house late in the night and joined our sleepover.  In the morning, Nannie made us a pancake breakfast and then the boys headed to the golf course with Daddy and Pop Pop.

What a great weekend!

First Day of Preschool

Today was Sully's first day of preschool.

He was so excited to start Pre-K.  Gill and I brought him to school, he greeted his teachers and settled into his class very quickly.  Sully barely looked up from his puzzle to say goodbye to us. And was so excited to tell me about his first day and new friends when I picked him up.

First Week of School

While Patrick and Finnegan were back at school, Sully and I had a great week with lots of his buddies.

We had playdates at parks...

 afternoon ice cream treats with Nannie...

 preschool orientation..

 fun at the spraygrounds...

 and "Little Brother Bonding" at the playground.

It was a great way to end Sully's summer vacation!

First Day of Second Grade

Today was Patrick and Finnegan's First day of Second Grade!

Plus, it is the first year that the boys are in separate classes, 

so it was an especially big day!

I can't believe how fast everyone is growing up!  The boys came home from school with big smiles.  Patrick and Finn saw each other at recess and lunch and were happy to share experiences about their big day!

The Night before School

Tonight, after the boys were bathed and in their PJ's, we cuddled up together and read the back to school books we've read for the past couple years.  Every time a book mentioned "Kindergarten" we changed it to "Second Grade".  While I can't believe my big boys will be second graders, Patrick and Finn seemed excited and ready for their big day.

Sweet Dreams, Second Graders - there are big adventures ahead!

Summer Fun Week 8

This was the last full week of Summer Vacation for all the boys together.

We spent lots of time at the YMCA waterpark.

 We had awesome playdates with lots of friends!

 including the pool with Drew and Even...

 and a great day at the Waxhaw Beach with Bridget and Emily

 And, because it was the last week of vacation, 

and I promised the boys I would, I took them to Chuck E Cheese!

The boys had a blast!

 Gill and I took Patrick and Finn to 2nd Grade orientation 

while Sully stayed with Nannie and PopPop. 

After, we had a pancake breakfast together.

 We ended our final week together getting new shoes with Daddy.

We had a wonderful summer together and I have to say that I wish it wasn't time for school to start again.  I love having the boys with me all the time, setting aside all the obligations and just enjoying time together.  I know they are going to do great in 2nd Grade and Pre-K, but I'm already looking forward to their next vacation!