Lately...

Gavin

• Is beyond obsessed with Star Wars...I'm a bit tired of hearing about General Grievous, Darth Vader, the Naboo Starfighter, and all the bajillion other Star Wars terms he uses a million times an hour.
• Is beginning to read and making his mommy and daddy so proud!  We are shocked at the things he's reading on his own.
• Loves to ride his tractor and his scooter all around the neighborhood.
• Is starting swim lessons again next week; fingers crossed it makes a difference this year and he 'gets it.'  I'm so ready for him to be able to enjoy the pool like other kids his age.
  
  Riley
• Is making me eat my words...I swore I'd never use a child leash, and I just ordered one for her.  This girl is testing my patience like it's nobody's business!  It was either a leash, or I wasn't leaving the house with her anymore.
• Is starting to make small sentences and it's so cute.  'Mama, need help shoes please' or 'Where Boo go? He hiding' are commonly heard phrases around here.
• Eats like there's no tomorrow, but still isn't a fan of most veggies.
• Finally enjoys going to the child care at the fitness center.  Woohoo!
  
  Jarrod
• Is super excited about renting a boat two weeks from today when my parents visit.
• Loves that Gavin is so interested in Star Wars! 
• Is smitten with Riley...he just melts when he looks at her.  And somehow, he gets her to listen better than I can!  Not fair.
• Is working out a lot and doing a great job at being healthier.  So proud of him.
  
  Me
• Have been working my butt off and am so close to earning a trip to Cancun for Jarrod and me.  I am literally dreaming about it... 
• Have babies on the brain thanks to our friend, Amy, who announced recently she's expecting triplets!  I've been helping her with picking out things she'll need, brainstorming ideas for how to cope with four kids under 3, etc. :)
• Slacked off big time and have gained back the weight I lost last year.  Boo!
• Really wish I could afford monthly massages!

Moms Groups and Lauren's Fight Fundraiser

One thing you may not know about me is that I'm in a few different 'moms groups.'  I think every mom needs at least one group to belong to.  They are an amazing resource when you need advice, suggestions, ideas, or just somewhere to vent.  Being a SAHM, I truly NEED my moms groups to make it through some days.  I wouldn't give up my job for the world, but there are some days where my only adult interaction is with moms from one of my groups.  

Only one, however, is a physically group that is local to me.  One group is a group of girls I got to know while living in New York, and through the beauty of the Internet, can still keep in touch with through their message board.  And the other is a group of moms from all over the country who connect through an online forum.  Our kids were all born during the summer of 2011, so it's nice to share experiences with other moms about things Riley is going through, be able to offer advice as a mom with an older child, and form friendships, even if they are all 'cyber' friendships.  Some people don't get the online group thing...but I can't imagine not having them.

Not so long ago, another mom, Lauren, in the 'summer moms' group shared with us some shocking news.  At only 29 and with a 15 month old baby boy, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Fast forward 6 months or so, and here we are.  Lauren has been going through chemo and has had a bilateral mastectomy....and as you can imagine, medical bills are piling up.  {As crazy as it sounds, in this group of just over 100 moms, Lauren isn't the only one fighting cancer!}  You can read more about Lauren's journey on her blog: http://www.dancingbackwardsinpinkheels.com/

I was honored when one of Lauren's friends, who also happens to be a 'summer mom' from our group approached me with the idea of a Tastefully Simple fundraiser.  You all know how much I love my business, our products, and our company.  And I especially LOVE when I get to do fundraisers.  Doing a TS fundraiser allows me to help out more than I'd otherwise be able to, and for that, I am grateful.

So, want to help?  I'll be posting a fundraiser video in the few days hopefully, but for now, here's a direct link to Lauren's fundraiser.  Thank you for your order, and your support!  We're cheering Lauren on as she kicks cancer's butt!

Lauren's Fight Fundraiser 

Graduation

It's been a couple weeks since it actually took place and I still can't believe Gavin has officially graduated from preschool.  I couldn't believe he was even old enough to start preschool way back in September 2011 and now he's a graduate, preparing to start kindergarten.  It's so cliche, but time really does fly!

 

We attended his graduation ceremony a couple weeks ago.  Maybe by the time Riley graduates preschool they'll have figured out the seating a little better.  I got there 'early' and was still stuck in the third row (might have something to do with the fact that one family took up the entire first row! I get grandparents wanting to see the program, too...but come on!) 

It was a cute program.  They worked their way through the school year, showing off something they learned from each month.  I uploaded some of the videos to YouTube.  There are four of them - Check out Dinosaur Song, A Cheer, Butterfly Song, and Freeze Dance on my You Tube page - www.youtube.com/mrspate

We're really going to miss his teacher, Miss Linda.  She was amazing, and her teaching style reminded me of my own.  She is laid back, joked around with Gavin, and you could tell she just liked to have fun with the kids.

We had his end of the year conference today, and she had great things to say about him.  He got great rankings on all her evaluations, and she gave us some things to continue to work on with him over the summer {writing his numbers, his pencil grip/fine motor skills, and some gross motor things, like balancing and hopping on one foot, etc.}  She also said the same types of things that I am already anticipating...he's going to do great in kindergarten, but he has to get to the point where he's comfortable enough with his teacher to show what he knows.  That self confidence is something that he is working on!

We're so proud of you, Gavin!  Mommy and Daddy love you bunches.

Wordless Wednesday

Oklahoma Aquarium

I realized just how bad I've been slacking on this blog...it's time to play catch-up!

Earlier this month we headed to Tulsa for a little daytrip and took the kids to the Oklahoma Aquarium.  We had a nice trip; it's a pretty easy drive, we timed it so we'd get there when they first opened on a Sunday hoping that it would be empty, and it was!  It was awesome. :)  We spent an hour and half or so exploring the aquarium, and then went out to lunch before heading back home.  I love little road trips like this with my family!

Let me tell you....lighting in an aquarium SUCKS!  So, I just spent the last ten minutes deleting photos that were just plain awful.  These aren't exactly the greatest, but at least I captured the memories we made there and will have something to look back on someday.

They really enjoyed watching the beavers and otters!  They were so adorable.

There was one stingray in this tank that kept swimming up along the edge so fast and he would kind of 'flop' out and splash - they thought that was hilarious!

 We definitely had a great time and will likely head back again next year!