Staycation - Everyone Comes to Visit Us!

Juliet picks her nose and eats her boogers now but besides that things are fine and dandy. She also tends to say dramatic things like "I'm too YOUNG to die!" while wandering around with her stuffed toys. I'm a little terrified to send her to church preschool in the fall. She'll certainly help round out the education for the other children there.

July has been incredibly hot but overall really fun. We kicked off the month with a mermaid themed birthday party for Juliet's friend Caroline.

Then we headed down to the lake for a long weekend with friends and fireworks. Friends brought the ridiculous blue frosting cupcakes, there is a reason I never buy anything with this much food coloring.

Patrick. Patrick is the reason. We love his friend Timmy and his family. Timmy and Patrick are such good buddies. 

Then we decked out the golf cart in decor and piled on in order to participate in the 4th of July parade! Even though it was on July 2nd. It was the Saturday closest to the holiday, we went along with it. 

We had a very enthusiastic crew tossing out candy. I purchased all the tootsie rolls I could find at Walmart, which was four bulk bags which had a total of 1,500 pieces of candy. 

We blasted the song "Tootsie Roll" on repeat and ended up throwing every single piece of candy. It was very impressive. 

Then we did fireworks back at our RV. Juliet did great with the sparklers and after that she was super done with loud things. 

Eleanor put on her 4th of July dress from the previous year and looked so cute.

Bradley's turn.

And Patrick! The boys have been very shirt optional for the month of July. 

Mabel and her brother Kyle and her mom all came and joined us for the evening. We ended up having a really nice crew!

Nathan put on quite the fireworks show.

I got to watch 

It ended up being such a nice night with a sweet crew of kids and wonderful adult friends.

Catching the army man parachute guy!

Eleanor went home with me that night so we could shower in real showers and sleep in our own beds and tend to sweet kitties. Meanwhile, some friends drove by and invited the rest of the crew to come play on the dock at their parents' house on the main lake. 

Main lake house was very fancy and it turns out we like fancy things.

We had a lot of nice family time that day.

I got in time on a kayak, which meant I was a happy person.

And we stopped by the lake shop for some obligatory ice cream. Yummy!

This started in a game of me vs the boys in bean bag toss but then the girls joined in too. 

And I also got in some game time, which means good things all around. Patrick is really good at Gudetama.

It's been a bit of a love fest for the boys this summer. 

The fishing crew!

They decided to try out fishing on the double kayak.

While the younger two was fishing with Dad, the older two were gaming with Mom! 

We played one of the games we got for Eleanor for her birthday - the Secret at Lucky Llamaland. It's like a more advanced version of Clue and it's really fun. 

Then I left the girls to go swimming with Daddy for a bit while I took the boys home. 

We had a lovely afternoon playing games ... until I got a text from Nathan saying there had been an accident. 

So - here's the story. Nathan got run over by a 3 year old. It was the golf cart. And it was Juliet. He ended up swimming with the girls for three hours after I left with the boys, which was a bit longer than he had planned. He got back from the pool with the girls and Eleanor ran in to get aloe for her very sunburned face while Nathan hopped out of the golf cart in order to quickly take off the 4th of July decor, drive it into the skid shed, and then finish cleaning things up so he could head home. Juliet was playing around in the golf cart as he started to take off the decorations ... and she found a button to press. Now, I've had it explained to me that people who golf on a regular basis are used to hopping out while leaving the golf cart in drive because you're quick while you're golfing and it's silly to turn the keys or remove them - you hop out, hit, and hop back in. So, golfer Nathan left the cart in drive while he did his quick hop out task and then Juliet hopped on the gas pedal. Nathan was propelled 30 feet through the skid shed, somehow missing the ladder and double kayak, and was pinned by the golf cart on the back wall. The wheels actually went up on his legs before Juliet fell off the gas pedal, because the terrified girl didn't know what to do and just held on for dear life while the wild ride was happening. Eleanor saw this happen as she was walking out of the RV with the aloe and ran into the skid shed, which was very fortunate because electric golf carts have an automatic park function when the key is in and Nathan wasn't going to be able to push the golf cart off of him. Eleanor had to get in the cart and put it in reverse and back it off of him. She is not used to driving the golf cart so apparently it was a bit of a wild ride out of the skid shed for Eleanor and Juliet who was still sitting in the golf cart. I'm really grateful neither of the girls got hurt while this was happening. Nathan got himself back in the golf cart, sat down, comforted a very upset Juliet, and slowly texted me that there had been an accident. I called him, figured out the basics, and got a friend from our small group to go down to the lake with me to go pick up him and the girls and get the other car back home.

We went to the ER that evening to get Nathan checked out. Somehow he didn't break anything! He was bruised and battered and ended up with some pretty reasonable pain meds but we're really grateful that he's okay. 

After making sure Nathan was okay the next morning as he was working from home - I know, I can't believe he didn't take the day off - I took the crew to go rock climbing with friends! Juliet got to stay with Grandma and Grandpa.

I think it's pretty clear that rock climbing has been a highlight of this year for us. It's so great for all ability levels. 

Patrick and Mabel are good buddies and this is certainly the coolest play date they've ever had together.

Eleanor and her sweet friend Keelie, who was very unsure about the heights part of the climbing experience but was a very good sport about things and still demanded I take loads of pictures of her. 

And the next day I dropped Eleanor off at her overnight camp at Youthfront! 

This was her cabin. Yes, I got a little teary driving away. It was three whole nights! And she didn't know most of the girls and most of them were a year older than her. Fortunately, she ended up having a fabulous time and is anxious to go back next year. 

Meanwhile, cousins came back to visit us on their way home to Texas!

Back swing with way too many kids.

And then Mario Kart! We've been on a big Mario Kart recently. 

Juliet couldn't believe they had to go home the next day. She has been requesting that they come visit again soon. I love all the little cousin friends she has. Although we need to do a little more supervision when they come ... Juliet broke into Eleanor's room and used her nail painting kit to do all 10 fingers for Addie before we figured out that they had been out of sight and quiet for too long and an adult found them and put an end to the three-year-old nail polish fun. 

Patrick's final baseball game of the season was stiflingly hot. Juliet ran amok and tried to climb on the ridiculous giant rock that was somehow the playground option for the kids. Finally she fell in with a group of older girls who were delighted to have a spunky three-year-old join their group. I did not get to watch much baseball this season. 

We went swimming the next day and had a meeting with our foster care rep we're going to be working with (we're hoping to get finished up being certified for respite care). Juliet was insistent on cuddling with me during the meeting and then this happened. I guess summer activities and keeping up with the big kids tires a girl out!

Me trying to read to two kids in a twin bed. Cozy!

Eleanor helped me go shoe shopping and found a few fun accessories that were perfect with her dress!

Another occasion of Juliet falling asleep while we were on the go. I had taken her shopping this time and was not expecting her to be so tired after swimming. 

Meanwhile, the boys wouldn't stop hugging. I don't know where Eleanor was. I had boys who wouldn't stop touching and a three-year-old trying to fall asleep in the shopping cart, it was quite the Sprouts shopping experience. 

Emmett and Finn's visit was an eagerly anticipated summer event. 

Patrick being a bad example. Finn happy to be led astray.

Emmett is such a sweet kid and he was a very good sport about Juliet demanding that he swim with her.

And again when she demanded that he be her surfboard. 

Bradley and Emmett were perhaps the biggest love fest of the visit. It's really neat that they have ended up being such great friends. 

This is a period of the summer in which Juliet had far too much fun for such a little girl. 

Juliet was so so happy when Eleanor came home from camp. It was a long separation for all of us!

Aw, lucky Eleanor. Side note: a few weeks ago Juliet was sitting on my lap during church and we noticed that her dress was getting glitter all over me. I pointed this out and Juliet said, "I made you sparkly so you could be as pretty as Eleanor!" Eleanor liked this quite a bit and it helps balance out moments like when Juliet walks into the bathroom after Eleanor has been in there and loudly asks me, "Why are Eleanor's poops stinkier than mine?" I mean, Eleanor and I started cracking up. But still. It's good there are some regular references to Eleanor's great beauty.

One of the highlights of Emmett and Finn's visit was our wildly relaxed screen time policy. I was pretty okay with it though because it wasn't like it wasn't still a social time. There was nonstop conversation about the games they were playing. 

Sleepover for the boys!

Sleepover for the girls. This may be the last sleepover Eleanor agrees to have with Juliet though because Juliet woke her up at 4 AM because she was thirsty and then even after Eleanor sleepily let her have her water bottle, Juliet wanted more water from the bathroom. I found them in the hallway and tried to help Eleanor get Juliet back to bed. An hour later we heard more noise and it seems Juliet had not fallen back to sleep and was keeping Eleanor up. Nathan carried Juliet into our bed and I got to cuddle her to sleep. 

She slept in until 8 the next morning. Eleanor is so so nice, she was very patient in the night about the entire situation. But she did give an emphatic "no" the next time Juliet asked for a sleepover. 

Another perk of cousin visits is that the kids get to accompany them on vacation activities. Like Urban Air!

Urban Air is so fancy these days. There's a section with climbing walls and we're big fans!

Grandparents get you the full access pass. The virtual reality area was super cool. 

The bumper car section! It's a trampoline park and so much more!

One of my favorite pics of Finn and Patrick from the trip. 

Patrick only wanted to play dodgeball while we were there but we were able to talk him into leaving for a little bit in order to do the climbing section. 

Juliet was so happy with all the Grandma time she got. 

The 10 year old boys somehow managed to get on massage chairs after someone put a large amount of time on them and then walked away. 

Dodgeball to finish the morning!

And a little king of the hill battle for the boys!

Then the Shneekloths came to visit on their way home from Nebraska. There are perks to being in a state that is in the middle of everything. People are reasonably likely to be driving by at some point!

Eleanor got to have two nights of sleepovers with the three Schnkeeloth girls. You would think she would stop asking me for sleepovers after this. The night was fun but the next day she told me, "they woke me up in the SIXES!" Oh horror of horrors for this girl who likes her sleep. 

Hadlee or "that little girl!" as Juliet liked to call the girl who is a year older than her, started out the night in Juliet in a highly optimistic attempt at a small child sleepover. She did not end up sleeping in there, much to Juliet's chagrin. 

Morning theatre. I'm glad I got some street cred for the giant amount of dress-up clothes in Eleanor's closet that is rarely touched. 

We took them out to the new playground in the park. 

Did crafts and then went to the pool. It was basically your quintessential perfect summer day. 

So many children, so many friends! Our kids got a little confused because of the number of cousins who have been visiting us this summer and asked if the Schneekloths were perhaps our cousins as well?

We took them to Scheel's for a sendoff before they had to go.

Mini bowling! They were properly dazzled. 

Goodbye hugs.

Cool photo op for Bradley. 

I go on a lot of runs with the boys and Juliet wanted a turn. She ran (with only three or four stops) the .4 miles to the nearest playground and then demanded that I carry her. She ran around on the playground and then we walked back home while she and Patrick collected fun items they found. I call that a pretty excellent run with a 3 year old! Although Patrick had some complaints and wanted to know what our pace was. He's now run an 8:48 mile with me, he's quite impressive for a 7 year old.

Another sleepover. Sometimes these boys are a little ridiculous. 

Bradley hadn't gotten to see Emmett for one day while the Schneekloths were here so this is their joyous reunion. 

My sister and her youngest son Riley joined the crew for the end of their visit!

I think this is the only picture I have of me and Laura together during their visit. She's barely in the picture ... I was busy being beaten at Yamslam by cute little boys. 

We had a church event where Juliet ran wild with a crew of friends at the Darnall's house. She came in sputtering mad at one point because Dax had told her she was a poopy bottom and so she had to say it back to him and then he tattled on her! Like I said, we're a little worried about how church preschool is going to go for her. 

I finally sat still and read in my room one afternoon and Sookie would like for it to be known that she highly encourages such things and thinks it should continue. 

So this - the cats do a weird high pitched crying thing sometimes at night and then we find various stuffed toys in the hallway in the morning. Here is a rare picture of Layla bringing us a token of her love. 

More reading with Sookie. Oh the joy!

There were a number of Oceans of Fun excursions with cousins and we all went together as a group one day. This was our important Dippin' Dots break!

Final ride of the day. There was also a bridge you could stand on and get splashed as the big boat went down the drop on the water slide beside it. 

Testing out a family game together that evening. It's rare when we have the whole group play together and it's so much fun. 

Although one person is a little bit of a menace still when we play. 

A morning romp to the park. Juliet made it halfway there on the scooter and gave up but I knew this was coming so I brought the wagon to haul scooter/Juliet. 

A very Patrick photo. It's been a no shirt kind of summer for the boys. And he just picked a flower for me. 

I had told Juliet that one of the benefits of giving up her pacifier was that it meant she was a big kid now and could chew gum. This was her first piece! I had lectured her quite a bit about not swallowing the gum and she did great.

Baby Meg. Eleanor is so proud, I am so proud, and Meg is far too used to such nonsense. 

We got in one more trek to Urban Air with the cousins. I love this picture of the boys waiting for the virtual reality game together. 

Then we went to Chick-fil-A for lunch and parked by a super cool Jeep! Eleanor and I have a thing about Jeeps with no doors and no roof. Did we ask permission to sit in this vehicle? No we did not. If you have a Jeep with no doors you are asking for things like this. 

I have started to call Bradley a teenager, much to his delight. He can certainly put away the fast food like one, given the opportunity! He gets adult meals at Chick-fil-A now. That said, none of us are used to really big lunches and we didn't eat much dinner on this particular day. 

All the cousins at Chick-fil-A together!

A final bit of tablet time before they left. 

Juliet took a little bit to warm up to Riley but soon decided he was an awesome buddy. 

Final pool outing. These poor boys were so tired of swimming, which just means we're doing summer right as far as I'm concerned. They played a bunch of board games with me instead which I enjoyed tremendously!

We went and saw a version of Alice in Wonderland at the Coterie Theatre. It was a little weird, a little scary - and Juliet LOVED it and keeps talking about it. 

Outside Crown Center. Juliet was pretty done with things at this point. 

Rejuvenated after her nap in the car. Couch fort!

I was pretty tired this evening and decided to read on my bed while the kids watched Goonies in the basement with Nathan. I could tell when the movie ended because I could hear the pitter patter of feet running up the stairs to come find me. It was Eleanor. I got snuggles and talk time and then two minutes later Patrick raced up for the same thing. Bradley wandered in with a few books because he was going to hang out where the people were. So this led to Eleanor asking me to read a Pearls Before Swine book and the three kids laughing hysterically at all the cute comic strips. Nathan helped Juliet take a shower and then she planted herself in the midst of things. It's a wonder I sometimes need just a minute for quiet and a book. But gosh, I love stuff like this too. Especially when it ends with the naughty 3 year old pilfering the book we were all reading together and heading off victorious to bedtime with the Pearls Before Swine comic book. Too hilarious. 

I braided Juliet's hair the next morning and she insisted on this butterfly clip and then demanded that I take a picture of how she looked. She then kissed the picture of herself. Yep, that's my kid. 

Board game time with cute boys!

Yep, that's my kid. I can't believe how blonde her hair has gotten this summer. 

Big achievement: Nathan talked Eleanor into playing our new favorite game, Welcome To. 

She was very good and I'm so glad she is a good sport about trying out the games even when she doesn't really want to because she's so good at them! Also, it makes Meg very happy. 

My evening reading gang.

Summer rain fun!

Rainy trip to the playground

We like to keep it classy around here.

I got to go chaperone one day of Eleanor's girl scout camp this summer. It was so much fun!

She was a champ on the rock wall at the pool. Small surprise!

They had a cute photo op set up.

Potato sack race! Eleanor is going to have so many fun memories from this.

And the highlight of the day - going on the zipline! Eleanor was the first to go.

And then she helped girls learn how to play Cinco Linko, the game I brought along with us *just in case*

Back at home with the crew. Juliet is going to be devastated when summer fun is over.

Layla has gotten rather affectionate with Bradley over the course of the past few months now that he's her established feeding person. 

Perhaps the best picture I've ever taken of my children at a playground. Look at how many children are playing correctly with the playground equipment! Zero. A big fat zero of the four of them. 

Juliet was not supposed to play with Eleanor's new board game which made it all the more fun to do so!

My parents' church had their annual book club summer celebration and Nathan took the kids this past Saturday. It's pretty cute!

Meanwhile, I spent the morning at a board game convention. Here I am back home with one of my very favorite board game buddies!

We went with our neighbors, the Kriegers, down to the lake that afternoon. The boys are quite a group to have together. 

And a perk of living five minutes away from a set of grandparents: when you use your allowance money to buy a new beyblade you get to go over to show it off and have them help you put it together and use it with the cool set of beyblades your grandma got for her class. So much fun. And then you get to stay for dinner and have a big ice cream dessert. Patrick was a very happy boy to have this impromptu solo time with grandparents. 

And wish me luck because this is what I'm left with. I adore this girl. I don't know what this video is exactly but I adore her.