Business Experience (for all of us!)

 One of the most common questions I hear from parents of young children is "what do I do with them on the airplane?!"  People are nervous to fly with their kids.  Thus launched LT, As and my idea to create a kit of some sort to sell parents with lots of activities for airplanes (or restaurants, or car rides, weddings etc).  We came up with the name "Travel Tote" and have been researching the cheapest places to buy various toys and activities for kids of different ages.  LT and I spent a day shopping online and in various stores (he really found the best deals).  The older two designed labels.  And all of us have been brainstorming ways to market our travel bags to parents.  Its been a fun experiment for all of us and we will see where things take us!

More Hero Sports

 B absolutely loves this program he's in called Hero Sports.  Each week they do a different sport.  So far, he's had a day of soccer, one cross country and one baseball.  The coaches are hilarious and engaging and loving.  

A Change of Plans

 We were supposed to be camping last weekend, but due to the cold weather we decided to stay in Denver.  Luckily we had 2 birthday parties we had RSVPd as "maybe's" to and changed the replies to yes.  It was a fun weekend in the end with lots of fun friends.

Movies and more movies

The weather in Denver has been much cooler than usual and the boys have been begging me to take them to a few of the current movies.  Last Friday we met some friends for Secret Life of Pets, Monday LT and I had a date day and he wanted to see Toy Story 4 and then today, A had a 9-10 outing with swim team to see Aladdin (and B begged me to miss his playdate so he could go).  3 movies in a week is too much sitting for me, I think we all need a break from the movies but they kids enjoyed all of them.

When you try to furniture shop with 4 boys...

Summer Fun

 We love our backyard in the summer and enjoy having friends over.  It truly is amazing what creative game comes up as kids just play.  This night B had emptied a bottle of bubbles into our fountain and it quickly became foamy and so much fun for all ages to throw at one another.

 LT has a pretty special way with little kids. 

Sports

 B started a little sports program with our neighbor and several other little kids.  It is absolutely adorable and he seems to really love it.  He even told the woman giving us our CSA minutes before that he was going to his own sports.

Swim Life

Continued Birthday Celebration

 Taking a friend to Benihana seems to have become somewhat of a tradition for our big guys around their birthday.  This year it was on LTs actual birthday, which made it extra special!

Pride Parade

B looking as cool as only B can while enjoying a lollypop and watching the start of the parade in Cheesman Park.

And this one made these amazing shoes himself the day before for the occasion.  

When you make em put the ipads away...

Some creativity comes out to play. 

Baby lovers

 I'd say we can classify our entire family as a baby loving family.  We had a little house guest for 5 days (and nights!) this past week.  His parents went out of town and so the little 8 week old stayed with us.  It was lovely, and sweet, and challenging, and exhausting, but all in all, we found joy in having a little one around for a few days.  He was a busy guy with us, bouncing from LTs 5th grade continuation, to birthday parties, dinner parties, Lego camp, a friends book launch, the park etc.  

 But we also all found some really tender, sweet quiet moments with the little guy.  I think we all miss him a little now that he's back with his parents and siblings.  

B and his "best friend"

LTs birthday party

For his birthday this year, LT just wanted a sleepover with 5 of his best buds.  Brian, at the last minute, decided (with my encouragement) to go back east to his college lacrosse teams championship game (unprecedented!) So, it was me and 7 boys, which wasn't going to work given my car doesn't fit that many.  I pawned the two younger ones off on my parents and just had the 5 older ones. Our plans were altered due to weather, but we still made due.  They took the hose to the trampoline, we ordered take out pizza and due to my forgetfulness of picking up the paid for cupcakes, we opted for going out to ice cream.  

This pizza was one of the biggest I have ever seen.  

I woke up at 7:30 in what I thought was a quiet sleeping house.  Little did I know that they had set an alarm and had already watched an ENTIRE movie by the time I woke up.  By 8 they were ready to go to the pool (doesn't open until 10).

And so I don't forget this story, I am writing it here.  We made a LARGE entrance into the ice cream store.  Loud, obnoxious, wild, you name it.  I ran into some friends at the store and apologized for our grand entrance to which they replied, "there was just a group of 5 boys in here a few minutes ago, all glued to their phones, not talking to one another.  Your group is such a breath of fresh air into what childhood should be."  Whew, wonderful perspective.  This IS how kids should be.  They should be able to be tweens, chatty about their lives, a little mischevious, testing boundaries.  They should NOT be on their phones ignoring each other.  I absolutely love the moms in this little group and part of the reason is that we have similar beliefs about phones and screen time.   They will all have phones before long, but I hope we have taught, and modeled, appropriate etiquette for being around friends and others.