Outdoor activities

 This past weekend we celebrated Will's First Communion.  However, my phone and the computer are having some communication issues, so I will tell you about a couple weeks ago when the kids participated in Field Day.  This is our second time participating and the event went much more smoothly this year.  It helped that John is a year older and that it was a very pleasant morning.

There was not an age group for John, but he made several friends close his age.  The ball we brought to keep him entertain tends to do that.  He really enjoyed the sack race, but I only had the energy to help him 'hop' a couple of times.  He was not thrilled when his turn came to a permanent close.

The other three did very well.  Molly and Will actually won their first heats.  Which was pretty impressive to me.  And..I think they came in last in the final.  But!  Many didn't even make it that far.

Will also beat his first opponent in the tug-o-war challenge.  Definitely an improvement over last years.

None of my children came close to winning the hula hoop competition.  The fact that they only get the hoop to go around about a second was not in their favor.  Also the fact that some of those kids are AMAZING!!  They could go forever.  It was incredible. 

I think everyone's favorite event is the obstacle course.  Dom came pretty close to winning his age group and has a goal to win it next year.  They had a basketball shot at the end and it was funny to hear the boys comment that "Kevin Durant" is definitely going to make his shot.  He did.

Overall it was a really fun morning.  We topped it off with Arby's and naps.  Win/Win/Win

Due to a cool spring, Mother's Day was the first day we made it to the beach as a family.  And, if it is any indication of how our beach trips will go this summer, it is going to be a fantastic summer!

After three years of a fearless Molly, a nursing John, and a toddler John...it was really wonderful to just sit on the beach as the older three frolicked in the shallow waves and John threw everyone's toys in the water.  Ok, so John still needs a bit of parental guidance, but at least his life was never in danger.  And it turns out, the other kids seem to enjoy chasing after things he tosses into the Gulf of Mexico. 

The water was a bit cold for my tastes, but these three didn't seem to mind.  Granted, Will's lips turned blue by the end.  Nothing a little rest on the sand couldn't fix.

They also enjoyed digging a giant hole.  Who doesn't? Personally, I love how seriously John takes his job of filling it with water.

Mother's Day was a really wonderful day for me.  It started with me in a bad mood (I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and we suspected the resident 2-year-old had hidden a Redbox BluRay), but between church, Panera's, the beach, finding the BluRay in our Easter box...natch, relaxing at home, and receiving "If you give a Mom a Cookie" illustrated by my eldest three, I ended up feeling quite happy and content in the position I've held for 10 years. 

Now...if this computer would just let me find Will's First Communion pictures...