Balyeat Cousins!

Must be blond with blue eyes to enter. Last week the Maddie and Grant came in town for a visit and came over to see the new sandbox. The kids had a lot of fun playing, especially in the hose. They were a little bucket brigade with Ben acting as supervisor of the 2 year olds. 

Light Painting

The kids and I had fun 'light painting' with the sparklers. Of course, this is the real reason I bought sparklers this year...

Sparklers and Neighborhood Fun on the 4th

On the actual 4th, we kind of hung low. We went to the mall and just relaxed. In the evening, the kids all played in the cul de sac and the sandbox. Once it got dark enough, we broke out sparklers and those pop rock thingies and there were a few smoke bombs. I am not fond of fireworks, but I found an idea to place the sparkler in a plastic solo cup so the kid's hands are protected. It worked pretty well and made me feel a bit better. The kids had a great time playing outside in the dark and were all very sad when it was time for bed!

Car Naps

The extent of most naps this weekend were in the car. Ben drools so bad in the car! It cracks me up every time!

He woke up every time the car stopped...

A Little Basketball Star

He can make quite a few baskets. Though, he also hits himself in the head as much as he makes a basket. 

Mani-Pedi, Anyone?

I was painting my nails on Thursday while the boys played when someone got curious and wanted his nails painted, too. So I did. He has fungus green with a hint of pink finger nails and blue toenails mixed with dirt. 

Happy Fourth of July!

Fireworks!

The fireworks show was great, as always! Ben had fun watching them while still being social (which was a bit of a issue). I wasn't sure how Nick would do. He has been a little freaked out about planes and thunder lately, so I came prepared with noise cancelling headphones. He was tired, but he did not cry or freak out. He would not look at the fireworks, though. He crawled into my lap and looked the other way the entire show. I tired to turn him around a few times, but he was having none of it. But he didn't cry, so I didn't mind. What's funny is that he got excited about the random back yard fireworks we saw on our ride home.

Exploring the Fort

Before the fireworks, the boys and I took a walk to explore the fort. It was pretty wet and soggy, so we applied another layer of bug spray and headed on our way. The boys had a lot of fun playing on the hill/bunkers and in the tall grass and wild flowers. Once it dries out around here (which may not be until September at this rate), I'd like to take them back for more pictures. 

This is the look I am constantly getting now a days, the 'What mom?! I'm just..." 

Fun Before the Fireworks!

Wednesday night we headed down the road to Fort Meigs for the Perrysburg fireworks. They have a little carnival set up and there is tons of space for everyone. We rode our bikes down after work and it worked out perfectly. I think we were home before people that drove. We met up with Cameryn and co. along with a few other families. The kids had a good time playing while we waited. And yes, I dressed my children in neon green so I could find them in a crowd and in the dark.