July 4th Fireworks

This year, we returned to Downtown St. Charles for fire works. St. Louis has some flooding, and the place we sat last year is underwater. Which was a bit cool for some reason.

This was the hill the boys played on last year. Even though they look grumpy in last years' picture I swear they said they had fun!

Last year we didn't know there were carnival rides, and the kids were kind of bummed they didn't get to ride anything. this year we were prepared. The kids had a lot of fun, and the boys even paid for (most of) their own tickets.

Gwyn didn't want to ride alone, so Kevin rode with her. She loves swings!

Kevin loved this ride, Colin did not. It went to fast for him. They both agree that it is faster than the one at Six Flags.

Gwyn was very excited that Kevin was able to ride this with her. I think there was another dad on at the same time. I imagine they made awkward eye contact and gave each other a head nod.

This is the face Gwyn makes when I say I want t picture of her.

It was a great night! The weather was almost cool, and the crowd was great. Because of the flooding there were fewer people this year, so lines weren't too long. Again, Kevin got a funnel cake and fried Oreos. I liked the Oreos this year. I commented on how little powdered sugar he unfortunately got on the funnel cake and he said he asked for little powdered sugar. Who does that? How did I marry him?

The next day we went to my dad's to swim and see everyone. It was a nice trip and the kids have fun. We made the only holiday foods I know for the 4th of July.

The strawberries have proven to be difficult to make, but so delicious!

At the end of the night, we again set off fireworks for our neighbors. No invitations this year, but we still had about 14 extra people. Pappy and Grandma even made it. Our neighbors across the street actually said they would contribute money for fireworks next year. We really don't care if they do since our kids kindly invite people, but I guess we have set a tradition to watch the McGuire fireworks! And yet again, we have snacks to pass out. (See above picture of yummy red, white and blue food.)

Colin's Pumpkins

Colin brought home pumpkins from school a few months ago. They were two little sprouts in a small plastic cup. The kind of disposable plastic cup your grandma had in her bathroom. So pretty small.

He wanted to plant his pumpkins in the backyard. We had luck when he planted his green beans, but I really had low expectations for pumpkins. For one, the plant was from two seeds that he planted in the cup in his class. And two, I don't really grow plants. I tend to kill plants.

But I underestimated Colin's green thumb. I should have seen it coming. He grew green beans two years ago, last year he planted basil. He had enough basil for us to cook with several times, and at the end we had enough still for homemade pesto sauce.

So here is what the plants currently look like. They have taken over the corner of our yard. We might actually get pumpkins this year, but not if my natural ability to kill plants has anything to do with it.

This one is now wrapping around the tree.

This is just two plants!

Just another picture. In case you have trouble visualizing "plants."

Summer Time for Kids of a Teacher

Kevin and Colin are simply great. Really. They are so wonderful. They must not know what life is like for kids who do not have a teacher-mom. (They are great anyway, though.) I know how much kids slide back over the summer with reading and math skills, and I refuse to have my boys be those kids.

So I set up rules for the summer, and they have not complained at all. Kevin gets half of it done before I am even downstairs with Gwyn, and Colin would too if he wasn't so much like me in the morning. (Kevin and Kevin wake up ready to face the world. Colin, Gwyn and I like to take about 20 minutes of snoozing and relaxing before we even move out of bed.)

What am I talking about? The work the boys have to do before they get any screen time. Before they can watch cartoons, get on my computer to watch JangBricks Lego videos, or play on the tablet, they have to do the following:

• get dressed
• brush teeth
• eat breakfast
• read 20 minutes
• write for 10 minutes OR do 4 pages in math* 
•  complete one chore (vacuum a room, fold laundry, empty dishwasher, clean a room, etc.)

(It sounds like a lot, but they actually chose this number. Both of their teachers sent home the unfinished workbook from school.)

And they do it without complaining. Also, I did not realize how helpful it would be! Seriously, I really appreciate not only their lack of complaining, but their help. I make sure to tell them that as much as possible. And the cutest part is that Gwyn also thinks she has to do a chore, and the boys help her do it. They both seem to have grown in the last few months into more independent, driven kids, especially Kevin.

To explain how adorable they are, I caught a picture of Colin working on math one morning. He didn't know how to do something and Kevin jumped up to help him. I couldn't help snap a picture or two. 

The Boys Fly A Plane

Okay, they were just the "co-pilot" but it was still amazing for them!

Kevin's mom, who, for some reason we call Grandma, took the boys up in an airplane as a gift. But they had to wait for school to end and for weather to be clear. The first appointment was rained out, but the second attempt worked out. (It did rain in areas around the city, but they somehow avoided it all.) It was just a cloudy day, but the view was still great. They both loved it, and talked about it for days.

Since we were planning on getting a new camera (which we did in June) I gave the camera to the boys and told them to take pictures of anything they wanted. And they ended up getting great shots! They even got our house. Since they were up for so long they flew all over the St. Louis area, and even got to take turns flying as co-pilot. At a small airport they did a "Chinese fire drill" and switched spots.

Here are photos from the day. Louise (Grandma) even got a picture of our house!!! (But I don't have that right now. I will add it if I get it.)

Kevin flying.

St. Louis Science Center

Missouri Botanical Gardens

Union Station

Busch Stadium

Arch/Downtown

McKinley Bridge

A train yard. (The boys thought this was so cool.)

Portage De Souix

The boys and the pilot. (Colin says it was really sunny. I believe him.)

We Have Swings!

Kevin has always planned on adding swings (and who knows what else) to the tree house. So one weekend (Memorial Weekend? I don't know it was so long ago...) he and the boys worked to get it completed.

It took less time than Kevin though. I think it was finished by early afternoon. I was happy since I only had to help twice, and only one of those times included lifting. (I don't lift.) The boys of course stripped off their shirts to help daddy, and possibly even did real work. But that stopped as soon as the swings were secure and safe. Then daddy was on his own.

And now this is the kids' favorite spot in the world. For some reason, these swings are their favorite, and it is where they go as much as possible. And the best part is that Gwyn finally learned how to swing on her own! (Although she still likes a push every now and then.) Kevin tried to add something different and put a disk swing at the end. It is not adequate, and I don't know if it will last. For now it is a thing to keep kids occupied while they wait for a turn on the swings.

Just pictures from different days...

And another one, which included jumping as far as possible off the swings and some kind of exercise contest between Kevin and Colin.

I know it is blurry, but look how happy she is!

Zoo Run 2015

For the past few years (Five? I think we have five shirts.) we have run the 5K at the zoo. (Technically right outside the zoo.) This was the first year all of us ran it! It was also the last time for a while that the Nordgaardens will be there, since they are moving to Chicago this month.

Anyway, the weather was great since it was not terribly hot. And all kids did wonderful. Colin and Kevin got 6th and 7th in their race, which is why Colin is holding up the number 6 in a picture. Gwyn ran the 1/4 mile race with her daddy, and she is convinced that she won the race, which is why she received a ribbon. (Side note: she did not win, but don't tell her that for a few years.)

Kevin got 4th overall, and first in his age group. Anyone who gets first get a medal attached to a cheetah. (We have several. And by "we" I mean between the two of us. And by "between the two of us" I mean they are all Kevin's.) It was another fun day, and a great tradition for our family!

Our goofy picture.

First Performance

The other songs are too long to upload, but here is a small sample of a very excited dancer...

(She is the tall one in the middle if you couldn't tell.)

Colin Turned 7!

Colin also had a birthday party, and I want to get that posted. His was a much smaller event, since the parties scale down once the kids enter school. He had a friend, Dylan, over for cake and ice cream. Dylan and Colin were in Kindergarten and first grade together. (They have different teachers for second grade.)

It was a pretty normal party, with family over and food. Colin picked out his cake, which was construction trucks. He also picked out what was written on the cake, which is why it says "Happy Birthday To Colin." This kid cracks me up.

Colin also still had his mohawk. Each year, if the boys have a good school year, they get mohawks for the last week of school. Kevin didn't want one this year. Colin just finally shaved his off last week.

Kevin, Dylan, Colin, my cousin Johnny, and Gwyn

A Memory I Want To Keep

This past week, all the kids attended camp. The boys went to Camp Invention, and I have never heard them to so excited about a camp. They get to compete, design, build, and invent, all things they love to do. (Colin's team even won two competitions, one of which was when his team had to design a shield to protect them from water balloons. The driest team won.)

Gwyn went to a dance camp in the evenings. It was princess themed, and she could not have been more excited about it. I bought her a new leotard for the class, which she proceeded to wear all weekend leading up to camp. The only thing she practiced at home was "jumping over the black water." (Practicing leaping.) She shows us how to point a toe to get ready, run, jump, and then bow at the end.

But yesterday the most adorable thing happened, and I want to remember it.

My friend from high school, Leah, has a daughter in the same camp. Her name is Ashley. (Leah's son Ryan is also at Camp invention with the boys.) Kevin (son) and I were picking up both girls and were waiting in the hallway since class was not over. Near the end of class it started raining very hard, and thundering. All 10 girls in the class would scream and run to the teachers crying and scared. They turned up the music and practiced dancing, but the thundering continued. Ashley was in one teachers arms crying the entire time. So they ended class a few minutes early to calm the girls down.

Kevin and I were ready to help. He has grown into an amazing brother. He instantly picked up Gwyn and tried to hug her, but she saw my holding Ashley and had to have me. So I ended up walking out with carrying two little girls in pick leotards.

The rain was torrential, and the thundering was still going on. And it was loud. I had to get all of them in the car. I planned to run to the car, get the umbrella, drive to the building, get the kids one-by-one in to the car, and go. But this meant I had to put down two terrified, crying little girls. I told Kevin they would cry and want me, but just being there would help them, and he was up for it. When I left to get the car (which was in a very-far-when-it-is-raining second-row spot) I saw Kevin with his arms gently around two sobbing, little blonds, crying and hugging each other for dear life. They were wrapped around each other so tightly. It should have been sad if it wasn't so darn adorable.

Anyway, I got the kids in the car, we turned up some Frozen music, and looked for "road rivers" to drive through and make the loud noise. (In reality, there was flash flooding and I didn't really try to drive through anything. I had no choice.) It turned out okay, obviously, but those girls hugging and crying from thunder was too sweet to pass up.

Tonight is the recital, where they show us the Tangled, Jasmine, and Frozen routines. I bet Gwyn is going to love it.