My Little Bob the Builder!

This week Russell has really been into his tools. He has had his tool belt on from morning to night, inside and outside!!! While the kids were napping today, Aron decided to sand and stain the back porch. When Russell woke up, he had to check out what daddy was doing and was quick to say, "I help daddy fix the porch". Well, the funny part was that Aron had his shirt off and before Russell would go outside to help daddy, he insisted that I take off his shirt. I obliged and sent my little builder out to help. Before I could turn away to grab my camera, Russell was yelling that he needed his tools and to not forget his drill. I laughed so hard and could not believe how grown up he seemed. These pictures are just too adorable!!!

Michigan State Fair

Today Aron and I took the kids to the Michigan State Fair. We went with our neighbors Jorge, Jen, Antonio, and Alejandro. Antonio is only 4 days older than Russell, so they have become BEST friends!!! Russell even refers to Antonio as "my Tonio." We had a wonderful time petting animals, eating fair food, riding the ferris wheel, and watching a magician. By the end of our visit, Sloane fell asleep in the stroller and Russell crashed in the car on our way home. Aron and I enjoyed reminiscing about childhood visits to local fair grounds (and Aron especially enjoyed the corn dog and cheese fries)! I used to love the fair rides, but after riding on the ferris wheel with Russell, I have decided I might pass on rides from now on. It seemed much more dangerous then it did as a child :-) Russell on the other hand was fearless. However, he did cry because he did NOT want me to ride with him. He kept insisting that he could ride alone with Antonio. We will definitely be making the Michigan State Fair a family tradition from now on. It was a fun day!!!

A Visit to the Detroit Zoo

We are very fortunate to have the Detroit Zoo only a few minutes from our home. I can literally pack up the kids, get to the zoo, park the car, unload the stroller, and get in the front gates all within 15 minutes!!! So, needless to say we are zoo members and we visit it a LOT!!! Thankfully the voters of Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties passed a zoo tax that will keep the Detroit Zoo running. We LOVE the Detroit Zoo!!!

Read, Relax, Rejuvenate!

Read, Relax, Rejuvenate! Our neighborhood elementary school has these words posted on their sign out in front. Every time I drive by it I think about how much I hope my students are doing exactly that...reading! It is such an important element in a child's life and education. Aron and I spend a lot of time modeling and trying to get the excitement of reading into Russell and Sloane's daily lives. We read stories before bedtime, we visit the library, and we have a bookshelf stocked with books. Sloane currently prefers board books with flaps to see pictures underneath while Russell adores all Curious George books. Thankfully our public library offers a huge array of Curious George books and when my mom retired from teaching she gave Russell her Curious George collection! I am also so blessed to have actually read four novels this summer along with my parenting books and magazines. It has been such a restful summer. As the season comes to an end, I am excited about my upcoming school year and hopeful that my students also rejuvenated their minds with books!!!

11th Annual Wilcox Family Reunion

We just returned from an exciting day at the annual Wilcox Family Reunion! It is always hosted by my Uncle Tom and Aunt Marilyn at their beautiful home in Crystal, Mi. They have a marvelous pool that the children LOVE to swim in, but would you believe that it wasn't even 70 degrees today!!! So Russell and Sloane did not get their feet wet. Russell asked several times to swim in "Katie's pool" but I was able to persuade him into other adventures. He ended up happily following Papa around helping him and Daddy win the corn hole tournament. Unfortunately, they came in 2nd to Uncle Keith and Cousin Travis. AC was extremely disappointed (especially since Keith and Travis had no problem rubbing their championship win in his face)! Sloane kept busy collecting rocks from the driveway, sharing snacks with relatives, and playing with Cousin Katie's kitchen set. For those of you that were with us today... YES, we made it home with the kitchen set fully intact and attached to the rear end of our SUV!!! Thank you Katie for giving us such wonderful hand-me-down toys and thank you Uncle Tom and Aunt Marilyn for another amazing day at your home (and in your pole barn)!

Bounce U

Today we had a playdate at Bounce U. This is an inflatable zone for kids with everything from moonwalks to giant inflatable slides. Russell stuck with his best friend Antonio the entire time and the two of them NEVER stopped moving. After an hour of non-stop motion, Russell came to me sweaty asking for his shoes and wanting to go home. Needless to say...he was exhausted and took a 3 hour nap! Never under estimate Sloane...she too was endless energy at Bounce U. Her favorite was the ENORMOUS slide. I had to assist her in getting up to the top and then much to her dissatisfaction, she had to sit on my lap to go down. She would have repeated this adventure all day if allowed!!! What fun!!!

Hot Summer Days

Russell and Sloane have been spending extra time in the sprinkler and kiddie pool during these steamy days of summer. Russell loves to dive into the pool while Sloane prefers dancing around the sprinkler. We always invite the neighbors over for the fun and usually end the party by eating popsicles on the back porch. Ohhh, what wonderful summer memories!!!

Water Wonderland

We recently joined our neighbors on a trip to a local water park. The park has several fountains that go off continuously or at unknown intervals. Russell happily ran along with the other boys and played peek-a-boo between fountains. He also stood on the steps above the fountains playing air guitar and jamming along to radio Disney blasting on the speakers! Sloane liked catching water in her mouth and splashing with her feet. At times she was struck by curiosity and would try desperately to figure out the timing of the fountains. She would hold her hand over a water opening and then peer into the hole hoping not to get struck by the jet streaming water.

Neighborhood Picnic

We recently enjoyed a fun afternoon at Red Run Park with our neighbors. We grilled hot dogs and had chocolate cupcakes! All of the kids had fun playing in the sand box and climbing the playground structures. We love our neighborhood!!!