Raspberry picking

Last Saturday was a beautiful day, so we decided to head over to Butler's Orchard. Originally we were thinking we'd pick apples, but the apple orchard was closed. However, the raspberries were ready for picking so we decided to do that instead. It took us an hour to pick two pounds of raspberries, but it was fun! Jason and Kyle did most of the work, while Max ran all the way down to the end of a row, picked one raspberry, then ran all the way back to where Jason and Kyle were to add it to the bucket. I followed Max around to make sure he didn't wonder off into another row. Eventually he decided to run out into a nearby field and frolic with the butterflies! He also found a big hill of dirt which he decided to climb and then fall down so he was covered in dirt by the time we left. He's not super fond of raspberries, but he did try quite a few, I guess hoping that maybe "this" would be the one that tastes good. After each one he'd say "I don't like that one!" Kyle's been taking them in his lunch to school this week - he loves them! And Jason has prepared a batter for some yummy cookies using the raspberries that he's planning to make tonight! We also froze some that we'll use later to make smoothies.

Max's first day of preschool

Max started the "Terrific Two's" program at a local church last Monday. It's basically preschool for the older 2's/younger 3's. All the kids in his class will turn 3 between September and December. He LOVES going to school just like his big brother. He surprised me and did VERY well for drop off the first day. I think it helped that he saw Kyle go every day and saw how much he enjoyed it and that we always went to pick Kyle up. He gave me a hug, said goodbye, and walked over to a table of toys and started playing without even a backward glance. Both my babies are growing up! He's had four sessions (he goes two mornings a week) and is so proud every day when I pick him up. He tells me "I did a great job at school today Mommy!" He actually tells me more about his day than Kyle does . . . it's just a little more disconnected so I don't always know what he's trying to tell me. The one day he was telling me on the way home "I fell down at school today Mommy." He seemed very happy about this and after asking lots of questions I discovered that they had played "Ring Around the Rosie." I think this is a great experience for him since he's such a social little guy. It also gives me the chance to volunteer in Kyle's classroom which I'm very excited about.

Oh and I haven't taken a picture of Max with his bucket yet but I will soon and will add it to this post. Instead of bags or bookbags, the kids carry a bucket to transport papers to and from school. It's the size of Max and makes me laugh when I watch him carry it, but he loves to carry it himself!

Kyle's first day of Kindergarten

I can't believe Kyle is a kindergartener now! Where does the time go? He had his first day on Monday so his first week was a full week. He seems to be enjoying it, but is exhausted at the end of each day. He likes his teacher and his classmates. He brought his lunch most days but tried buying on pizza day and loved that! He likes going to his specials (art, music, library, P.E.) and always tells me about recess where he gets to play with one of his neighborhood friends. He's mastered the drop-off/pick-up procedure and can easily find his classroom on his own. I was nervous about this part, but he did really well. I was definitely more nervous than he was on his first day. He was very excited and is excited to go back tomorrow for week 2 - hopefully it will go just as well.

Ocean City vacation

Last week we went to the beach for a nice family vacation. Ma and Pa were nice enough to treat us to a wonderful time! We had a 3 bedroom condo for all of us right on the beach. Max is convinced they own it (even though they rented it for the week) and asks to go back daily. It was Kyle's second and Max's first beach trip. On Kyle's first trip he was scared of the water, but loved the sand. This time he LOVED the water as well and spent lots of time splashing in the waves. Max was scared of the water and loved the sand as expected! We spent some time at the beach, the pool, the playground (on site at the condo), the boardwalk, and the carnival. We were there for 3 full days and it was action packed! We also went miniature golfing several times and stopped at Candy Kitchen for ice cream. We all had a great time!

Kyle's first football game

Jason took Kyle to his first football game 2 Saturdays ago. It was a pre-season game Redskins vs. Ravens. My Dad was given 2 tickets from a co-worker and Jason and Kyle were thrilled to use them! The game started at 7pm. They arrived about an hour early and had a blast playing some games that were set up for kids. Kyle played four square, hula hoops, and switch. They enjoyed some of the game and Kyle decided he wants to be a football player. He was super impressed with the kicker and was a little concerned that he'll never be able to kick that high, so he'll probably pick a different position! :) They were very close to the action! They got some dippin dots and souvenirs. Kyle is super into silly bandz lately so they got a pack of football ones to commemorate the event, as well as a redskins jersey and blanket (much to Jason's dismay - he's a huge Eagles fan), but it was a memorable event and Kyle wanted to remember the night. He was also thrilled that he got to stay up the latest he's ever stayed up. They left around halftime to come home but he still didn't get in bed till 10:30pm. They seemed to have had a great time!!!

Max's first dentist visit

Yesterday we had a family trip to the dentist. Jason, Kyle and Max were getting their teeth cleaned (somehow I ended up a few months off their schedule). Max often accompanies Kyle in these trips so he's seen him do it and knows what to do. I wasn't sure he'd cooperate but since he's nearing 3 we thought we'd give it a try. He did a fabulous job! He was very cooperative and proud of himself. He let them count and clean his teeth and listened to everything they asked him to do. He was surprisingly quiet and calm and not scared at all. He was thrilled to pick his 3 tattoos, pencil, and a prize from the box. I guess it helps to have a big brother to look up to in these instances. Kyle was super scared his first dentist visit, but for Max it was a breeze!

Karate Kyle's green belt

Kyle is really loving karate. He has a goal of becoming a black belt and karate instructor one day so I think it is something he'll continue for quite awhile. Tonight he had a belt test and moved from an orange belt to a green belt. He was so proud! He did a jump axe kick to break his board and broke it on the first try!