First Annual 4th of July Bash

The Parsons' 4th of July books is in the books.
All three boys are asleep for naps as I am writing the recap, which tells you it was a highly successful evening had by all.

The weather was perfect.
The food was delicious
and......
The fireworks were fantastic.

We invited are close family and friends and enjoyed the evening celebrating independence day.
It couldn't have been any better.

Of course there were some minor bumps and bruises that the kiddos endured but it sure didn't stop them.
Our big man by the end of the night was completely exhausted from all the fun.

 A pink princess jump house was the hit of the night for the kids which included the water slide for a hot July day.

and some golf too!

I can't forget to include that family pictures were taken as well to document the whole event and of course the traditional timer for the group picture!

The adults enjoyed great conversation, drinks and food.
Thanks to my fantastic hubby for all the hard work he did to make this all come together.
Colt takes alot of my time and energy so I wasn't able to be of huge help gettting everything set up, cleaned and ready for the party.

Colter and Bridger were fantastic all night. Colt was super content and enjoyed being loved on by all the people. Bridger did great with the loud fireworks. We got both boys the noise canceling headphones to help drowned out the loud booms.

The night was capped off by fireworks being seeing all across the valley from our back porch!

It was a great start to many more years of celebrating the 4th of July!

Last Day of School, maternity leave, and 10 weeks old

Bridger will wrap up his last day of school on Friday along with my school.
It has been a great year for both of us.
Bridger has grown academically through the roof.
He can count upwards to 30.
He knows his ABC's
He is a fantastic talker and his vocabulary amazes me!

He knows his colors, shapes and sizes.
He has just begun studying each letter individually and learning to write them. This is something they will continue next Fall and throughout the summer this year.
He has had his far share of bumps, bruises, bit marks, bloody noses (no i did not intend for this all to start with a b) and has come out all the while with a big ol' smile.
There have been some crazy stories that he tells us about, probably made up I'm guessing, but non the less he has quite the imagination.
Did I mention he copies what daddy and I say, so lesson to the wise don't say something you don't want him to say at school! Probably didn't win the parent award this year! Luckily we love all his teachers and they "get" us.
Lets see, sports well that hasn't changed he is active and wants to desperately be in T-Ball, but around here you have to be 4!
He wants to play basketball on a team but that doesn't start till grade school.
Our boys loves his school and we are so thankful for wonderful teachers each and every day!
Keep up the great work, Bridge!
xoxo.

Alot has changed in the school year for our family and me.
In the first picture at the beginning of school I was about a month and half pregnant. Unbenost to anyone at work.
I had a successful year in 4th grade. My students made a year and one months growth in reading and my math scores were amazing, they made a year and four months growth *based on Star Renaissance. It was an eye opening year. I learned a ton, and I can now say I have experience up in the upper grades. I am looking forward to returning to first grade with my old team and being that teacher that teaches students how to read. I have had the chance during maternity leave to do a lot of self reflecting and set goals for the future and for that I am grateful.
Went up to school on Tuesday and Wednesday for meet the grade level and to see my class. This is a picture of my amazing team and I along with my long term sub who was out of this world. She is on the right in the green strips.

I just signed up for my last class and internship for my masters. This has been a long time coming but a huge success.
I had a goal when I started the program back in 2011 that I would my master's by the time I was 30 and it looks as though I will finish in the spring of 16 when I am 30. No doubt working full time, having 2 babies, and being a wife and going to school was challenging at times, but I am so grateful for it as it has helped me in all aspects of my life.

My maternity leave has been an absolute joy and I am ever so grateful for my husbands support and encouragement to take the full 12 weeks. It will end up being five months that I will have the blessing of being a stay at home mom to my boys. It is such a gift and something that I will always cherish.

 A gift from one of my students when I stopped in on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Our little guy turned 10 weeks on Tuesday.
He weighs a whooping 13.5lbs (that's almost double his birth weight).
(Grandpa, I can assure you he isn't jaundice!)
He is 22.85 inches long, however when the nurse measured him she didn't take off his clothes for this and I think he is longer then that.
He is the biggest smiler I have ever met.

He loves to have morning conversation with me and I know that he is starting to recognize voices and faces!
He is super mellow and rolls with anything as long as he is feed and not riding in the car.
He is a fantastic sleeper most days.
I love his little double chin he has and all the leg rolls that are forming.
I have pumped and saved in the freezer 156oz of breast milk! This is a huge accomplishment for me. Each morning before he gets up I am able to pump anywhere between 7 and 8 oz that I save and put in the freezer. He has only been breastfed and my body is able to supply him enough plus some to store for when I go back to work. This is such a huge accomplishment and something I was never able to establish when I had Bridger, my theory is that I went back at 7 weeks to work and my body took a major hit because of the demands that come with working a full time job.
Lets see, we have taken a few baths together and he loves it. He is almost out of size one diapers too.
He looks more and more like Bridger every day.
He is the sweetest little baby ever.

 Big boy helping baby boy after his shots!

More storms and Swimming

The weather has been crazy lately.
I couldn't help but capture some images through the lens.
Ben was on the phone to grandpa almost every night and I could hear them chatting about the lightening strikes and whether they were getting the storms that we were getting!
When you from the Midwest you are crazy about storms, they make me excited!

We finished up swimming lessons today.
Bridger did a fantastic job.
Coach Brady remarked at how awesome he is doing at his front float for 10 secs without assistance and back float for 10 secs without assistance. He still needs to work on independent leg action and independent arm action. He is so close to front and back glide 3 body lengths. Of course he exceed the rhythmic bob! That boy sure loves to go underwater for toys. We are going to keep him in the Preschool level 2 class as he skipped level 1. It was a great four weeks and I am thrilled with the amount of progress he has made.

Since today was his last day they got to go down the slide by themselves and ..... jump off the diving board! No sweat to him, he loved every bit of it! Looking forward to our mommy and son date to the water park very soon.

Way to go big boy!

Progress

Big man is making some great progress in his swim lesson class. Each week he has been working on the back float and today he got it!

For a long time, even.

His has two little friends that he has made in class and after lessons are over they gather in the smaller pool and play together. The little Hispanic girl is like the mother hen to the other two. She tells them how far out they can go and if they get to close to the rope she pulls back in.

Bridger has loved his teacher. We never had a boy swim teacher but he took to him like a big brother. Coach Brady has been awesome for Bridger.

I don't know what I am going to do after lessons are over. No soccer, no swim. Looks like we will have to find something else to occupy our time!

Our boy is fearless. This is a good and bad thing. He loves a good challenge. Dive down deep for rings, sure no problem.

Jump off into the deep side of the pool, you betcha!

Play sharks and minnows and be it, absolutely!

He is waiting for the last class to finally be able to jump off the diving board!

So proud of our big boy.

May showers bring April Flower .....

Yes, I know that I wrote that title backwards, but by the taste of what May has brought you would think that it would be the month of April. All week it has been raining and today was no exception.

Around 3:30pm the storm rolled in. And as I am typing this it seems as though there is no end in sight.

The thunder rolls, and is loud! The workers working on the neighbors yard all took cover!

Colt is finally sleeping next to me as I type this and Bridge is suppose to be taking his nap, although I can hear him in the bedroom!

It is hailing out here. Not too big, some a quarter size but most of it is about dime size. The nextdoor neighbors yard is completely flooded and the gutters along the street are filled to capacity! It's a freaking monsoon out here!!!!