Kathy and Dale's cabin - May 26 and 27

Here's our littlest peanut on May 27 when he turned 8 months old!  Two days before that Randy and I celebrated our 17th Anniversary. It was an awful day, just grumpy moods and kids refusing to listen, not to mention a bottle of  bright pink nail polish broken on the white tile floor,spraying onto the white walls.  So the next day Randy and I decided we'd have a redo.  Well the 26 an 27 were 2 great, peaceful days, spent at Kathy and Dale's cabin.

Waiting for her turn on the paddle boat.

Aunt Kathy, Max, Tim, and Alex paddling.  Looking for fish and grabbing a couple of cups off the bottom of pond with the rake.

Catching tadpoles.  There were so many tadpoles, the edge of the pond was black.  Sophia was able to catch  more than one without any trouble.

Alex and Max took turns shooting Alex's BB gun.  Later Alex got to shoot Randy's shot gun.  I was with the younger kids, but Randy said he did really well shooting the target and a handful of clay pigeons. While, Max got to drive the golf cart for the first time.

Timmy wanted to pet Oreo from the minute we got there.  Sophia was brave enough to pet him, too.

Henry had a lot fun too. He didn't want anything to do with Oreo, but he loved the golf cart, paddle boat, eating popsicles and running around with everyone.  It was a wonderful weekend.

Max turned 9! - May 23

Max got to have a sleep over for his 9th birthday. He only wanted Jason (in the yellow to Max's left) and Ryan (to Max's right).  Thursday was his birthday and since there was no school Friday he had his party that night.  Randy brought home a projector and the boys watched Goonies.  When it was done Ryan claimed with fists raised high, "Best movie ever!" Max liked it, too.

What birthday is complete without sword fighting?

Max wanted an ice cream cake just like last year. So that what we did, easy enough.

It was very cold and rainy on Friday, and the natives were restless so we decided to go to The MOST (Museum of Science and Technology).  It seemed to be a hit.  Here Randy and the birthday boy are trying out a helicopter simulator.

(L-R) Ryan, Jason, Sophi and Max.  Max was the only one to make it all the way across.

Building at the Knex table.

Alex's 6th grade trip to Niagara Falls was May 23 also.  He had a lot of fun!  He was dropped off at 6:30 am at school and got home around 9pm that night. Here he is with his friend, Ethan at the Hurricane of the Winds.

 

 

 

Uncle Pat visited! - May 17-21

We were so blessed to have my Uncle Pat here for a long weekend. He got here on a Friday and Randy and I took him to a play.  Saturday morning we drove to Buffalo to the Naval and Military Park.  There we toured a submarine and huge WWII Naval ship.  We had a great time and the weather was perfect for outside boat tours.  Alex decided to camp that weekend. He was very torn, because he really wanted to see Pat, but he needed to go to this camp out to finish up some requirements for his next advancement for boy scouts.  If he missed this camp out he probably wouldn't get a chance until next fall,so we all decide he should go. He spent time with Pat Sunday afternoonish, after Randy and Pat golfed and Monday after more golf (for Pat and Randy) and school.

It was great to be together.

My aunt loved light houses. There was one close by, reminding us she isn't really that far away.  We miss her so much.

Spring Concert and Art Show - May 14

All 3 kids, (Sophia, Max and Alex ) had 2 pieces of art in the art show this year. The kids got to choose what they displayed in the show.  I ,of course, forgot the camera.  After the art show was the spring concert. The band performed 1st and Alex had a solo. (Like I said, I forgot the camera! Ugh!). He did a nice job and sounded really good.  Later Max sang with his class during their chorus part of the performance. It didn't look like he moved his mouth, but he assured us he was singing. :)

May Crowning and Cub Scouts Moving Up Ceremony - May 13

May crowning at St. Rose has become a big deal for the 6th graders.  The 6th grade does much of the mass.  They get to dress up and then get to go out for lunch with their classmates and parents after mass.  (If you don't know May crowning is a special day Catholics remember Mary. We remember what a wonderful example she is to us in her total obedience to God when she agreed to being Jesus' mother. )

St. Rose 6th graders.  Alex is in the middle row 3rd from the left.

Aunt Kathy was nice enough to take the 3 littlest so Randy and I could both be there.

Alex and his best buddy, Ethan.

Jeffery, Jacob, Michael, and Alex.

The cub scouts had their moving up ceremony Monday night. Max completed all the requirements for his Bear badge and is now considered a Weblo.  (The parents (and little brothers if you have them) go up and stand next to their child when they receive their badge so we did a picture at home).  Congrats Max !

I made a cake for the ceremony.  There is a bridging over part for the Weblos 2 who become boy scouts.

Mother's Day - May 12

When you have 6 kids . . .

to get a picture of you and all of them, it takes . . .

many . . .

many tries . . .

to get a good one.

I had a great Mother's Day this year. It was a relaxing, laid back day with a trip out for breakfast with Kathy, Dale, Samantha and her boyfriend Jay, not too mention Randy and our crew. A long drive to nowhere (which I love on a Sunday), ice cream for lunch and more relaxing later on.  Not too mention well behaved children ,and many wonderful hand-made gifts.

Sophia's Ballet Recital - May 8

This school year Sophia took ballet on Wednesdays from October - April.  On Wednesday, May 8 she and 2 other little ballerinas performed the dance they had been working so hard on all year.  It was great!  She was very pleased with all the flowers she received.  And she was so happy that Aunt Kathy and Uncle Dale were there, as well as her Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Cerivno.

Before the show with her flowers from Aunt Wendy and (godfather) Uncle Bob.

During the show.

All 3 girls during their performance.  (Sophia is all the way to the right.)

All done. Sophia with all her flowers,and  Kara and Randy.

Camping at West Point

April 26-28 Randy and Alex went to the annual Boyscout Camporee at West Point.  They had a great time!!

There were a LOT of people there (around 5000 campers).  This gives you a little idea of how close everyone's tents are.  (There's Alex getting out of his tent.)

Bright and early everyone got up at 5:45 to be ready to start their run and exercises at 6.

Alex getting out of his tent.

Tossing the football around. 

There was a camo -face painting contest, judged by the West Point cheerleaders. All these boys painted this one boy's face. (Alex's group didn't win, maybe next time.)

This is a Lakota helicopter.  The boys got quite a bit of time to look in it, sit in it and ask questions.

In the helicopter.

There was time for patch trading too. A lot of the boys in Alex's troop are into this. Alex seems to enjoy it too. The boys trade patches from camps they attend. No one trades badges they earn.

There was HUGE bonfire that night. Big enough the fire department was there and had to spray it down to control it.  The pile of wood was about 15 feet tall and the fire was probably 30 ft.

After the jamboree was done, Alex's troop got a tour.  A leader that had been part of their troop now teaches at West Point and got the boys an inside look at the campus.  This is General George Armstrong Custer's grave in the West Point Graveyard.

Alex's troop.

Here the boys are  holding a chain that was used during the Revolutionary War.  This is a portion of a chain that was stretched across the Hudson River at West Point to stop British ships. It was never put to the test, the British never came up that far up the Hudson.

The dinning hall where all the students eat lunch, at one time, in 25 minutes.  ( I thought Randy had said 45 min., but he's sticking with 25 either way it seems you'd learn to eat fast.)  Randy and Alex got home about 10 Sunday night.  Tired but excited with a lot to talk about after such a fun weekend.

Lucas turned 7 months old

April 27 Lucas turned 7 months old. He eats a lot of baby food and loves it.

He enjoys his baths.  He kicks and kicks so much I usually end up fairly wet, myself.

All snuggled in his soft cozy towel.

He has also decided his exersaucer is a fun place to hang out.

We have also been without a working dishwasher since the last Friday in April, so most of us have taken  turns washing the old fashion way.  Although Alex and Max always complain they usually have fun.

Randy introduced the oldest boys to the game of Axis and Allies.  Henry and Timmy desperately wanted to play, too.  But they'll have to wait until they're older.