Summer Snaps

I'm at a loss for words these days, if you couldn't tell.  I've been busy running around Denver, trying to memorize the sound of their laughs, document their every move in pictures and just breathe it all end.  I'm afraid this summer will be the exception to the rule and I don't want to miss anything.  I want to take advantage of it as much as I can.  

I'm trying hard, doing what I can, to find a job on their schedule.  I want it more than ever... now that I've had a taste of what it's like to play with my kids every day again.  This is bliss and joining the real world at the end of the summer seems an impossible task.  

I've had one interview and wasn't selected.  But I was given advice on how to persistently keep trying and how I just might be able to get in.  Who knew this would be so hard?  I have fall back options but I want this.  I'm determined to have this every summer until they're too big for hand holding and snuggling and playing and yelling and dancing.

Here's how our week went.

These are from our first trip to the zoo... the boys wanted a picture in front of the cool Africa collage.

Though the lighting isn't right, I love this picture of Gavin with the penguins.

Sitting on an ox ~ sort of random but still fun...

When are you too old for the carousel?  They seem to be to me but they still wanted to ride... 

Next it was off to the Nature and Science Museum where we "rode" on wolves...

... fed a Saber tooth Tiger to hear him roar...

... held real dinosaur teeth...

... and got some astronaut ice cream for a snack.

Back to the zoo again ... here are the boys with their friend Connor (who I'm babysitting this summer), posing in the cave.

We also compared our paws to a polar bear's.  Four to one...

We're doing some school work every day to keep us smart.  Gavin's getting to be such a good reader ~ and starting to like it more now, too.

Today after our weekly movie, we found a really cool park to play on...

There's a spray ground there, too!  We plan on making this a weekly tradition.  I wish there'd been places like this around when I was a kid!

I hope you're enjoying your summer so far, too!  I'll be back with more updates from our adventures, soon.

And So It Begins...

When Tyler gets home from school today, our summer break will officially begin.  I'm babysitting a friend's little boy all summer, so we'll have a friend over to play every day!  We also have a full calendar with lots of fun activities.  Even though we're starting off with cloudy cool weather, I think it's going to be great.  I'm so excited!

May has been eventful so far, too.  First, we celebrated Gavin's 6th birthday.  We had a party at Amazing Jake's, at Gavin's request.  

My attempt at a cake failed miserably, so we made cupcakes instead.  They looked better than they tasted. But it's the thought that counts, right? (I'm not sure why we didn't think to remove that balloon string before snapping the picture)

While we were there, Gavin climbed the rock wall...

And spun in the teacups with his BFF.  They have evil eyes in this picture that I couldn't fix for some reason but I wanted to show off their fun 'do's.  Gavin never wants to have spikey hair but I think he looks so cute when he lets me play with it!

We also went to the Colorado Chocolate Festival... which wasn't very impressive.  There was one exception to that, though.... this guy:

For Gavin's birthday, his BFF gave him a gift certificate to Jungle Quest, a fun place we hadn't yet been.  The kids get a harness strapped on as soon as they walk in that they can use for sliding on zip lines, swinging or rock climbing.  It was impossible to get a good picture of them swinging... 

Climbing was fun, too, though.  Tyler made it to the top several times!

They also climbed on the rope bridge...

Gavin waited patiently for his turn on the climbing wall.

Tyler's favorite part was definitely the swing...

Yesterday was Gavin's big day ~ he graduated from Kindergarten.  He's had a great year and has learned so much!  He can tie his shoes... he is adding... he is reading... and he's so proud of all he's accomplished.  Here is my big guy ~ now a first grader!

They celebrated with a splash party... complete with water guns, snow cones, bubbles and air brushed tattoos.
Gavin and his BFF got matching ones (of course Gavin had to out do BFF with a bigger, badder dragon)...

I'm still having a hard time believing that I'm old enough for a 1st and 3rd grader.  So I won't think about that right now... instead we're going to live it up at the pool, the park, riding bikes, walking around the zoo, discovering new things at the museum and maybe relaxing a bit in there, too.  

Happy Summer!

Just Gavin

Too often, my boys merge from Tyler and Gavin into TylerandGavin ~ almost one person instead of individuals. Shawn and I try to coax them away from each other occasionally so that we can get to know them separately but all too often we fail. Or they protest. Somehow they stay together. They love each other and want to be together. TylerandGavin.

In this brief hiatus of quasi~unemployment, I'm really embracing my time with Just Gavin. Now I understand my craving for alone time with each of my boys. Gavin's growing up before my eyes and somehow his chubby cheeks and sweet naivety have turned into a taller, slimmer, smarter almost 6 year old boy. No longer my baby. And he really hasn't been for some time as he's been adamantly telling me.

Today, I'm forced to accept it. His birthday is in less than two weeks ~ on Mother's Day, he'll be 6. He was born the day before Mother's Day and was my perfect present. The completion of the circle that was our family. His first year of school, as a Kindergartner, is coming quickly to a close. Next year he'll go all day.

But those things are easily overlooked and I would succumb to my denial of the end of his babyhood. My Just Gavin time has slapped my face into reality.

After school this afternoon, while Tyler was in his writer's club, Gavin and I sat on the couch together, talking about his day before we read books for homework. Suddenly, as I gazed at his eyes that are now capable of seeing so much more than I ever imagined they'd see... listening to words come out of his mouth that I don't remember teaching him... feeling the wheels turning in his head as he formulated the thoughts and how best to express them... it struck me.

My baby's all growed up. My baby isn't my baby anymore.

Well, maybe not ALL the way... he still cries when he's hurt and angry and frustrated. He still wants to hold us when he's sad. He still follows his daddy around like a lost puppy, watching and emulating.

But he's thinking like a big boy. He's reading like a big boy. Today for the first time, he started riding a two wheeler like a big boy. He's sweet and sensitive and impish and smart and ornery and delightful and argumentative and funny and serious and quiet and talkative and my baby and my little boy. My almost 6 year old little boy.