Preschool Graduation

This past Thursday was Kade's preschool graduation!  It was on the most random day and time of the week…a Thursday at 9:00.  However, Erik and I were both able to get the day off work along with our parents and Lady A!!  

It was such a fun and special day, I'm extremely happy so many important people in Kade's life were able to make it!!  As I wondered if he would remember this day as he got older, it just so happens a bunch of 5th graders were walking by and I heard a bunch of them say, "Awww, I remember that day!!  It was so fun!!"  So, I guess that answers my question!!

I took a buttload of pictures to help him with his memory :-)

Kade's "shy" pose.  He pretty much spent the entire time on stage posed like this :-)

Hey, at least he kept his tongue in his mouth!  That's his usual "go to" Shy Guy face!!

They did a couple songs for us before the "ceremony".

Here they are going on a bear hunt...

Looking through their binoculars...

Describing the bear's big green eyes.

The little girl on the left is Kade's favorite friend that is a girl (NOT girlfriend, people!!)

in his class.  I thought it was so cute they got to sit next to each other because she's in every shot I took. Hopefully they'll stay friend throughout their school years.

Meanwhile, this kid was way too cool to be impressed with the performances.

His future is looking bright!!

Diploma time!!

Oh Mase...

And now it's picture posing time!!

I'm impressed we got Kade and his friends to stand for so many pictures!!

Their "good" pose.

L to R:  Kade, Tucker, Charlie, Nolan

Their "silly face" pose.

Their "hug each other" pose.

This one ended up being so awkward and so amazing.  

When I first saw it I was laughing at Tucker's hand on Charlie's chest.  And THEN I saw Kade's hand...

The mom's became just as good of friends as the boys did this year!

L to R: Melissa with Charlie, Jamie with Nolan, Mandi with Tucker, and Me with the Kade Man

Kade's life goals.

Playing on the playground after graduation.  I love this age!

Afterwards, the grandparents and Lady A came back to our house for lunch, cake and playing.

We bribed the boys with cake in order to get a bunch more pictures taken.

We're trying to give Kade kisses in this picture but it's not going so well.

Erik's parents on the left and my parents on the right.

The graduate and his diploma!

Ahhh…finally…CAKE!!!

And, one of my favorite pictures of the day!

(thanks Melissa for sending me this!)

MASON!!!  

Definitely the coolest kid on the playground.

Mother's Day was a beautiful day.  We each threw out a few ideas of what we should do to celebrate.  Bike riding, canoeing or hiking.  Since bike riding requires Mason riding on the back of my bike (Erik's bike is too big for Mason's seat), I passed on that idea.  Hauling 50 pounds of wiggly cargo for miles sounded like more work than this mother was willing to do on her day.  Canoeing with Mason sitting in the middle, out of reach of my death grip, sounded like more gray hairs than I was willing to acquire in one day.  So, I chose hiking….

We started out on an easy trail.  The path was called "Trout Run Creek".  1.5 miles, following a creek, meandering through the woods.  It was a beautiful and easy walk.

Family picture at the start of our day.

There a lot of spots to stop and throw rocks into the water.  We brought the boys water boots so they could wade in if they wanted to.

After our "easy" walk, if you consider taking turns carrying 50 pounds of wiggly cargo easy!  We got out the blanket and had a picnic.  The boys LOVED it!

After the picnic we decided to try a little bit harder trail called "Chimney Rock".  It was a little bit shorter (0.7 miles) but a little bit harder trail.  I've climbed Chimney Rock a million times in my life, but never with the title of "Mom".  In my head it's a cool hike.  Rocky, rugged, hilly, lots of look outs over cliffs, cool rock formation at the top, absolutely no railings or fences to keep people from falling over the edge.  What I failed to realize that the "cool hike" is the hike of my youth, not the hike as a mother of 2 very busy, very rambunctious, very FAST boys.  

I officially turned into my mother in that 0.7 mile hike.

Poor Mason never got let go during this hike.  

This is him pitching a fit because I wouldn't let him go all the way into the cave to look over the edge (you can see the opening behind Kade's head).  

I'm pretty sure it's 10,000 ft drop (not really but in my mom brain that seems like an accurate estimate), straight down, onto tops of trees and a jagged rocky bottom.  

No Mason, you will not be looking over the edge.  This view, that you have in the picture, is your view until you are 25.  Sorry not sorry.

I'm trying to smile, but really I'm trying not to puke or pass out from the continuous image going through my brain of one of my babies going over the edge.  

It.Was.Horrible.

Erik, on the other hand, was Joe Cool.  

Which worked out great for me because I made him carry the 50 pounds of wiggly cargo all the way up and all the way back down!

I still can't look at these pictures without feeling sick to my stomach.

Enjoy these pictures boys, you aren't going to see that view again for another 20 years!!

It was a great Mother's Day!

Once we got back on solid ground.

Erik was gone on a work trip for most of last week.  I sent him A LOT of pictures of the boys.  Although the boys and I missed him tons, we did manage to have ourselves a pretty good time.  I have to admit, it was kind of fun to put all of my "mommy chores" to the side and just play.  No laundry, no cleaning, very little cooking (thanks to leftovers and frozen food!), and no dishes (paper plates, baby!!!).  By the end of the week, though, we were ready for the Tall Guy to come home!

Here's all of the pictures I sent him:

Kite Day!

Kade had pretty good luck getting his up in the air...

...Mason, on the other hand, not so much.

Doughnut holes: Breakfast of Champions 

See boys?  Hanging with Mom can be fun!!

Walking through the woods in Chester Woods Park

Throwing rocks in the "big bath" (as Kade used to call it)

Mason being silly with some pot holders Erik's grandma made us for our wedding.

Friday the weather was close to 90's.  

Suns out, guns out--right boys?!?

Kade made this gem at school

It cracks me up every time!!

As I type this, it's Mother's Day.  For me, it's a day to reflect on the sacrifices my boy's birth moms made for their sons.  I have been blessed with 2 beautiful boys and it's not lost on me that they made that happen.  My heart is full and I can't say thank you enough for the choice they made.  

Thank you again, A&F, for making my dream to be a mother a reality.

These 2 were meant to be brothers.