A Good Laugh

A common spelling mistake for beginners led to some good laughs at our house! Piper meant to write "Baby" :)

Lounging by the Lake

We spent last Friday lounging by the lake with friends. The kids enjoyed the warm sunshine and cool lake water while the mothers enjoyed some sweet fellowship. I am always so encouraged spending time with fellow homeschoolers, knowing the highs and lows are experienced by all (not just me)!

I think the girls were racing to the water on their knees, which ended up red and raw pretty quickly!

This was as close as I got to a group picture, although I am still missing one child. The kids had pooled some water and played for quite a while right by the shore.

Cohen must be giving Abe some digging advice; Abe always watches his big brother intently.

Abe was so tired by the time we left! He laid around in the sand and water, I guess if there was not so much activity swirling around him, he might have drifted off.

Mowing Fun with Daddy

Mowing is a family event these days. Abe perks up when he hears the mower start and has replaced Cohen's spot in Daddy's lap. Usually the mower's hum puts him right to sleep!

Chad has attached a "sled" to back of the mower for the older kids. They ride for a minute then jump off and run after the sled. Just riding is not enough excitement anymore, they must jump on and off as it moves through the yard.

FYI, Chad doesn't actually run the mower blades when he is pulling the kids around on the sled.

The Baby Dog

We took our new puppy to the vet yesterday to make sure he was healthy. But as is common with stray dogs, our baby dog has hookworms. I also found out that not only can dogs get hookworms, but children can catch them too. I pray I do not have to take my kids to the pediatrician because they have hookworms!

We also found out that Jake is a girl, not a boy as Piper had thought. Jake is now Jacqueline!

So $133 later, Jacqueline was sent home with a stamp of approval from the vet and a bag of worm and flea treatments!

A few more beach pics

We always visit the aquarium when we go to the beach. In this picture Piper is carrying Cohen around so he will not get tired!
Abe kept putting his hands behind his head to relax in his stroller. I am sure he kept doing it because we were laughing at him, he is such an entertainer already!

And we attended a class on alligators. At the close of the class the kids (and adults) were able to touch the alligator. Cohen thought it was so cool!

Carowinds

We took the kids to Home School Days at Carowinds last Wednesday. We had a wonderful time but I took no pictures because it rained on us all day. The rain must have deterred many potential guests because we waited in such short lines and by the end of the day the kids would get on a ride and they would just let it run over and over with out stopping! It was really a good day to be there, although I never dreamed I would spend the whole day sopping wet with chill bumps!

Piper was tall enough to ride almost anything but she surprised me by chickening out of riding some of the larger roller coasters. I remember being scared of them as a kid but she always strikes me as such a fearless kid. She loved the "kids" roller coasters (Runaway Reptar and The Fairly Odd Coaster) and rode about any ride that spun around in circles.

Cohen on the other hand was lacking about an inch to ride alot of the adult rides. Twice I took him through lines hoping he was tall enough but they measured him and sent us packing. He was pitiful walking away with tears in his eyes. He did have good day overall but it will be so much better next year when he grows a few more inches!

My friend Rebecca and I left the kids with Chad to go ride the Carolina Cobra, the Afterburn and Knight Hawk! They were all thrilling but the Knight Hawk has you in a reclined position and the majority of the time you are looking downward. By the time the ride was over I was trembling on the inside but ready to ride again. It was that kind of a thrill!

I hope to take the kids annually just as I remember my mom taking us every year. I have such fond memories of Carowinds and hope to create new memories with my own children.

Our other new addition...

Meet Tuesday, our other new pet. He is pretty cool except I didn't realize how much rabbits pee and poop! He always runs right to the living room couch to relieve himself, if let out of his cage. I have since put him outside in our picnic shelter/tent, because I do not need another butt to clean around here!

He Chose Us

This little guy showed up in our yard this past Sunday. I was pulling weeds and noticed Rome start out through the yard barking. A huge German Shepard and this little puppy were in the front yard. I thought Rome and the Shepard were going to fight the way they were carrying on, but instead the shepard just dropped this puppy off and headed back up the road!

Within 15 minutes the kids had fed him, watered him, groomed him and named him (Jake, by the way). I guess he chose us. I have listed him on a local lost/found pet webpage but I have had no response. At this point, we would all be sad to let him go!

Salt Water

Water Park

We arrived at the waterpark about an hour before it closed, so the kids raced around getting in as many slides as they could. The lines were super short since most people were getting ready to leave!

Piper coming down on her back:

And Cohen coming down backwards:

The adults stayed in the baby area with Abe and Everly. Abe was so excited, he was racing around from one toy to another. The water was too deep for him to crawl, so we all got a good workout keeping him above water!

Sweet Tooth

My kids all have their mother's sweet tooth; Abe is no exception! One evening the kids enjoyed popcicles on the front porch at the beach house. I though the pics were cute!

The extra's are Jorja and Sam. Their family spent several days with us at the beach.

The kids cleaned out the linen closet and played in it for a while. They look pretty sweet here, although I am pretty sure a wrestling match took place immediately after I snapped this pic :)

The kids outnumbered the adults! Included on the couch is Sam & Jorja's baby sister, Everly. Everly is a gorgeous baby, she looks like she has a wig on, she has so much hair!!

Digging Holes

Our beach trip included a hefty amount of down-time this past month. It was just what we needed and the kids get quite creative when there are no organized activities going on. This day their creativeness led to yet another hole in the yard! They love to dig in the sandy terrain at the beach. This year Abe was right in the mix!

It was a group effort but pro-digger Rome was probably moving the most soil of all!

I really take little issue with my kids getting flithy dirty (that's what the bathtub is for), but Abe exceeded his usual this time! When I took off his diaper, I bet there was a 1/2 cup of dirt in it! A good time was had though and that's what counts!

Cohen's Newest Feat

While at the beach in July, Cohen practiced his "jumping" constantly. I caught this picture of him just in time!

Catching Up

The past month has been so busy, I'm glad it's over!

Now I need to catch up on July's happenings, starting with the Fourth.

Going back in time, here are pictures from the Fourth of July. We had some friends over for a cookout and fireworks. We started the kids out with the sparklers as soon as the sun went down, which they all loved!

The crowd went wild when an announcement was made that the fireworks were about to start!

I am no fireworks expert, but one of the dads put on a pretty impressive show for us!

And last but not least, here is Abe enjoying the excitement. He is always content when surrounded by family and friends!