SUMMER!!!

So it is summer, finally! I for one am not big on the heat.. I think it is quite unnecessary unless you are on vacation at the beach or very near a pool. 65-70 degrees and sunny is just right for me! Thankfully we have a lot of friends with "super cool" water toys to cool off and a groovy (free) splash pad in St. Louis Park! Let's do this summer thing...

Nico is doing SMO (summer morning's out).. same place he did PMO (parent's morning out) during the school year. SMO adds a whole hour (9:30-1:30) and has them bring their lunch along. This would be great with the exception of the fact that as you all know it is very hard for me to get Nico to eat a meal. What the heck do I pack a kid who drinks milk by the truck load and crackers? These care takers are going to think I am an idiot parent. So we got him an awesome new lunch bag and packed it with a peanut butter sandwich (didn't touch it), Chicken N' A Bisquit (ate probably 2), sliced apples (ate 1/2 of them), fruit chews (none left..shocker) and a juice box (note to self get a color other than RED if you want to ever have the child wear those clothes again). He loved it and I can say that I am SO happy that he doesn't cry anymore when I leave him... only took a whole school year, but hey the kid must love me :)

We went to Libby and MeMe's house to play on the GIANT water slide. I left Joey home with Mario and had some Nico/Mommy time... First shot is of him super excited to GOOOOO!

The crew- Lily, Addison, Nico, Lukey and Mallory!

Sissy's

New BFF's Mallory and Lily

We had a Father's Day/Nico 2 1/2 birthday party... I am not a huge promoter of the 1/2 birthday celebration... I mean where do you stop? Today is my 1/4 b-day? Today is my 1/8 birthday... yeah I know it was technically 2 months ago but we need to celebrate right? Nico had to have his actual 2nd birthday party rescheduled because Joe Beans was in the hospital with RSV. I still claim that Joey was pulling rank and letting Nico know who was REALLY in charge.. at any rate we decided to wait until it was nice outside. He will never know, right? :) So happy 1/2 birthday Nico (the only one you will EVER have) and Happy Father's Day!!!

Ok, another awesome friend with a blow up contraption that has the kids entertained for hours! Thanks SUE and your adorable children Vinny, Clara and Lucy... so fun! (don't forget to check out the video of Nico flying down this slide at the end of the post)

The girls (minus Lucy who preferred the boys...smart girl)..

I just love watching my boys sleep. I seriously go in their bedroom like 10 times before I go to bed just to stare at them. So precious.

Gramma and Joey (Joe Joe Beans)

We took the boys to feed the ducks at the pond by our house. SO funny. Nico was mocking them by puffing up his chest and hissing right back. Ask him to "do the goose" and he will show ya :)

Can we go home Mommy, I am hungry!

Chasing a turtle

Here he is HISSSSSING

MOM...ENOUGH PICTURES!!!

Our lame little pool at home.

Reading up on the latest in hockey stats!

The slide clip!

Growing like... well, the weeds in our yard!!

Look at little "Beans".. he is always so happy!!!

A rare shot of him smiling! Not that he doesn't smile... but he rarely does it on cue, like for a picture. Just ask Angie our awesome photographer :)
Nico got a sand box from Grandma Nee Nee for his birthday. So fun!

Joey playing outside the sand box

Our little man is 6 months old! He is 18.7lbs which is 69%, 26 inches long 36%! WOW!

The next few hundred pictures are of Nico at the park. The reason there are so many is because I am AMAZED at all he can do physically since we were there last fall. He used to want Mommy to go with him everywhere, hold his hand and help him. Not anymore :(

"Higher, Faster"... look at the "beat down" stare he was giving me if I didn't comply!

Really? He needed to hold my hand and have me push him up this contraption last year.

See ya!

Always jumping off things.. .testing, testing, testing himself. I actually really love watching it. He will launch himself off of something like this and land all haphazard or fall upon impact. If he is not satisfied he will hop right back up and do it over and over and over until he masters it.

Joe Beans.... fricking cutie!

GOTCHA BIG BROTHER!!!!

and I am NOT letting go!

Watching Daddy mow the lawn..

It is rare that I can get a good picture of the two of them. As you can tell by the look on Nico's face, he was less than thrilled I made him sit there for the pic.

Mario thinks he is hiding in the background. HA!

Joey, hilarious... Mario we still see you!

Mama and boys!

Mama and boys #2

Night night, Joey...