September 2013

September started off with trip with the Larson's (Geoff, Trina and Ben). Geoff is one of our oldest friends. We went to college with him. It freaks Ava out when I tell her that I have know Geoff longer than I have Daddy. So on a pouring down rainy afternoon we left all of our kids and Geoff and Trina's two huge dogs with Ben and the babysitter and we traveled by train to Downtown. We were introduced to the Denver Brewing Company. Now, I am not much of a beer drinker any more but this stuff was great. Atmosphere was wonderful-even in the rain. We had a great time running all over to check out different places. Ava had my phone so she started texting and calling us to tell us how everyone was doing. We finished the weekend with a sleepover and attended Mass with them the next morning. Thank you Larson's for a wonderful and memorable time. 

Andrea, Katie and I brought the littles to the museum and they were so excited to see the butterfly 3D movie. Look at these cuties...

I took this picture of Brent and the kids when our sweet friend Harry was in the hospital. We sent these mustaches to him to make him laugh. So glad he is much better

Quinn celebrates 7

On the night of July 9, 2013 Quinn and I said goodbye to the 6s. The next morning Ava made special birthday pancakes for him.

Later that morning we met some friends for a Pool Party.

Quinn and Liam Brooks

Harry and Zak Reckseen

Grace, Jackson and Cadhan Coyne

and Leighton

Summertime in Breck 2013

For the past three years we have met Ryan, Trish and kids in Breckenridge for the 4th of July. This is a trip we do not pass up. R&T rented this fantastic house in downtown Breck just off the main drag. We had a blast as usual. Parade, biking, hiking, playing, hot tub(ing).

Hiking near the old mines...

Baker with Daddy Ryan

Baker hiked the entire 3 miles by himself. At the end he was yelling "I'm doomed!!!  I'm soooo dooommeed"

Mommy School 2013

For mommy school this year I asked the kids what topics they would like to learn about. Here is the list:

Owls (??)
Paris, France
Castles
Science Projects
Gardening
   and a few other I can't remember now


I did not take pictures of any of the other topics but I had a great time introducing them to France (having been there twice in my life).

We spend the morning making the batter for crepes for the next day. Quinn loved the crepes, Ava said they were ok. Ava and Quinn had to help read the recipe, used fractions to measure the ingredients and fine motor skills for mixing and pouring. It was a great activity for a day that was too hot to be outside for long.

 For lunch I introduced the family to Croque Monsieur sandwiches. My favorite street food from France. At the time I was there they were just 10 francs. Very cheap!! Ham, swiss cheese, dijon mustard dipped in an egg and fried. Ava can't get enough of them. She asks me to make them for her most days.

 Next on the docket was to talk about the French language. I taught them a few words and told them that their names for the day are Madamoiselle, Monsieur and Petite Monsieur. This did not last, none of them were interested in being called by French titles.

We also went on a virtual tour of Paris. On the computer we looked up famous landmarks, people and customs. Ava and Quinn loved to hear about the artists and their masterpieces. Ava's favorite was Claude Monet and she was ecstatic when I told that I went to his gardens outside of Paris and bought perfume made from the flowers in Monet's garden.

Before Baker woke up we made replicas of the Eiffel Tower from marshmallows and toothpicks. Quinn did a great job with this because he loves to build. His structure was tall but he cried when it fell over an hour later. Ava was frustrated with the whole thing. She could not make it tall and could not figure out how to keep it stable. In the end Quinn helped her out.

This is Ava's Eiffel Tower

Quinn great structure

Baker did finally wake up and instead of making something with the marshmallows and toothpicks he just wanted to eat the marshmallows from off the toothpicks.