Birthday in July

My baby turned 5 this year! Since we didn't have plans on the 4th of July and Caleb's birthday was the next day, we just decided to have a little Independence Day party. The Pauly side of the family came over to celebrate. We had sloppy joes, watermelon, strawberries, veggies, and who can have a party without cake?

Caleb's birthday Dirt Cake!! 

Blowing out the candles

Enjoying his cake!! -- Yum!

The whole gang

Cleaning off the spoon -- Big mouth! haha

Opening gifts

From Aunt Jenny - a Toy Story 3 car

and some squirt guns

Who is this one from?

It's got a car! I love cars :-)

Opening his package from Grandma Nikolai -- it was a bulldozer!

Sonya is enjoying Caleb's new slinky

After eating and opening gifts, we enjoyed hanging out in our backyard. The squirt guns were filled up and the cool water was refreshing in the heat while watermelon juice dribbled down our chins. My mom, the kids, and I watched as the rest of them played horseshoes (pruning some leaves and branches off our red maple in the process).  This is what summer is all about!

Later that night, we had some friends over to have ice cream and watch a movie. We looked out the window and saw Caleb cruising along in his dump truck. He was using it kind of like a scooter/skateboard. I had to take a photo.

Riding in the dump truck

Caleb had been promised that we'd go see the fireworks, but we weren't sure if the kids would make it until then. Plus, we didn't want to get bit by mosquitoes or deal with the crowds. Once it got dark, we could hear the fireworks from our house and could just see the tops of them as they were launched up over the lake. So I put Caleb in the stroller and we ran down the road until we could get a better glimpse of them. The rest of the gang joined us a few minutes later and we just sat there without the bustle of the crowd enjoying the view.

Since Tim had to work on Caleb's actual birthday, he left a message for him: 

A message in Fruit Loops :-)

It tasted GOOD!

A visit to Riveredge Nature Center

On a hot Saturday afternoon, we picked up some KFC and headed to Riveredge Nature Center to have a picnic dinner. So good!! We parked in the west parking lot -- not the one by the education and visitor's center. We did a bit of hiking and took a few photos along the way too. It was pretty warm out that day, but walking in the shade of the trees kept us fairly cool. 

Hiding in the little wigwam

Wading in the river

Posing for the camera

Chipmunk!!

Caleb was practicing his photography skills

Family pic

Mommy and Caleb

Mom and the kids

Another one of mom and the kids

The castle!

If you look real close, you can see Tim and Caleb in the window

On the ledge of the castle

Summer time at our house

On warm days, we enjoy having picnics in our backyard. We found this cute, little picnic table at a rummage sale -- it folds up into a carrying case.

Caleb eating a snack outside

Sonya found a squirt gun -- the beginning of many water fights!

Here she comes!

How does it work?

Just hanging out in her stroller

The kids really love playing in their play house. Sonya has learned how to go up the ladder a little bit and loves when we help her go down the fire pole.

Caleb is constantly running up and down it -- such a boy! We can see into the neighbor's backyard from there too. Since the family behind us has five kids, a few around Caleb's age, he likes to see if they're outside so he can go over and play with them. He doesn't really need to climb the play house though because my little monkey boy can climb the fence to peek over.

Caleb climbing the fence by our gate

Just hanging out

Not looking at the camera

Feeding Sonya yogurt

They just love each other!

Sonya also likes to stand at the bottom of the railings on the play house while looking into the neighbor's yard to bark at their dog. It's so funny. She makes an "o" with her mouth and goes "woof, woof."

Safety Town

Caleb got to be part of a two week program this summer called Safety Town. The kids were there for two hours every day for two weeks. They were divided into different "safety bug" groups. Caleb was a Bumblebee and met at the Pasta Shoppe.

Caleb at the Pasta Shoppe

There was a little town set up by Dunwiddie School and little buildings were painted to look like Culvers, True Value, and other stores found in Port Washington.

Safety Town

The kids got to drive around Safety Town in little pedal cars and learned about how to safely cross the street.

Driving around Safety Town

Other types of safety that they discussed were pool safety, how to be safe on the bus, bike safety, fire safety, etc. It was a nice program and Caleb absolutely loved it! He actually came home all excited and telling me what he did that day. The last day was graduation where they recited a few of their safety songs and poems that they learned. Oh.. and there was CAKE! hehe

Walking in with one of the volunteer group leaders

Sitting with all the other "Safety Bugs"

The little police car

Video: What should you do if you see a handgun laying out?

Video: Singing the "Safety Bug" song

Slippery Rock and Anniversary Party

Over Father's Day weekend, we traveled up north by Tim's grandparents to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary (which the actual date was earlier in the year when there was still snow). Saturday was warm enough for the "boys" to venture out to Slippery Rock -- basically a water slide on a very smooth, and slippery rock off of Chute Pond. Caleb had never gone down the rock before, so daddy got to help him. He LOVED it!

Acting all manly before going down Slippery Rock

Getting ready to go down

Ready, Set.....

GO!!!!

"Let's do it again!"

Video of Caleb and Tim going down Slippery Rock!

The spectators (Tim's aunt, sister, and mom)

Caleb being silly with Papa Nikolai

Tim, his brothers, and cousins (+ a random kid in the background)

The anniversary party itself was on Father's Day. It turned out to be a bit rainy so we were stuck under the pavillion the whole time. Well, I guess the boys managed to play some frisbee while dodging raindrops. Even though the weather was a little chilly and grey, we all ended up having a good time. Congratulations again to Wayne and Sandy Wagner!! -- We only hope we can live up to your wonderful example. Here's to 50 more years!

Packer cake for all the Father's on Father's Day

Cutting and serving the cakes



Papa and Sonya playing with balloons

Chatting

Playing frisbee in the rain

Calling it quits

Sonya and her great-great-aunt Sonya