Boom Boom Boom!

Ryan and his dad have been running a fireworks stand for years!!! Seriously.  They have probably been doing it for about 10 years.  When Ryan and I were dating I had always pictured how fun it would be to hang out there with our future kids and they would get to hang with their grandpa, etc.  That it would be something fun that the kids' friends knew about and could always have some cool fireworks parties.  Then life happened...being newlyweds I didn't understand why he'd want to go off and be away for 2 weeks (during holidays) for just "money".  So, I would go help as way to spend time with him.  I'm pretty sure I said more than once..."We aren't going to have kids until Ryan stops selling fireworks, it would be too hard and holidays are for family"...well, I've been proved a liar.  Ha!  Since I'm getting to stay home with our kids, the fireworks sales have been the biggest blessing we've had!  Ryan goes to the Academy and then goes out there for a few hours to relieve his dad and then comes back home to get ready for the next day.  I've never felt more "taken care" of before.  Luckily it's a short two week job (with a lot of work) but it will help us for the whole year.  Since we don't get to see Ryan often during these 2 weeks, we decided to visit him!!  This was the second time Cade had been out there but the first time he was a baby (see photo below) and it was Lyla's first time, too!

Watching daddy sell fireworks from the trailer.  He couldn't wait any longer so he went out there and helped sell.  He just threw random fireworks in a bag.  Loads of help!!

Cade wanted one of those flags so bad!

Selling Daddy and Lyla some fireworks!

He's quite the salesman if he can sell fireworks to a stand owner!

We picked out some fireworks for Cade's friend for his birthday party!  Cade thought he could use some Roman Candles....um...Ryan vetoed that one!

Cade at 4 Months!

Random iPhone Pictures!

My dad gave Cade this really cool flexible glow in the dark race track a few months ago.  It's been quite the popular toy when kids come over!  My dad bought another one on Ebay and so now we have more cars and a bigger track!!  So fun!

We got to keep JJ for a few weeks!! This is how we got around!  I think it'll be a while before we have another kid!

My sweet Cadertot in his PJs and rainboots!

My dad came over to fix our sink because it had been leaking.  He put his headlamp on (because who doesn't always have their headlamp with them), and crawled under the sink with his tools to fix it.  Cade went in the study and found Ryan's headlamp and then went upstairs and brought his toy screwdriver down.  He went under the sink to "help Baba fix the sink". 

Cade has been watching Ryan polish his boots for several weeks now, he decided his rain boots needed some work too.  Ryan gave Cade some unused cotton balls and let Cade clean his rainboots!

Lyla's first time in a swimming pool!!! She loved it!

Who doesn't love breakfast outside in their PJs?

Cade and monkey in our bed watching Word World!

Cuddle time on the hammock!

Look at me go!!

I left him alone for 1 minute with his yogurt!  Somehow it ended up everywhere, including his hair!!

Veggies from our garden!! We get that many tomatoes on a regular basis!  Cade and Lyla both love the tomatoes.

JJ and Cade sitting inside the "new road".

2 boys, 2 sticks, and the woods!

First day of VBS!!!!  They had a great time!!  Cade loved it!

The Tots' first swimming lesson!

I finally got around to signing the kids up for swim lessons!! I was excited but a little unsure how they would respond!  My dad asked if he could come watch and so he was able to take some pictures!  (And cheer them on from the sides when they were screaming)  These lessons are just the basics to get them comfortable with the water and so they can eventually learn to swim by themselves.

Lyla was up first!  She was so excited and happy.  We started in the shallow end and let the kids walk (or in Lyla's case bear crawl) so they were comfortable in the water.  Lyla loved being able to crawl in the water...she kept crawling out.  

 

Then they place the kids further back so they had to lift their chin as they crawled.  She did great!  This really taught them to not freak out if their face got wet.  It shows them that all they have to do is lift their head (or stand up) and they are fine!  

 

  

They also taught them how to reach for the wall, then hang onto the wall, and eventually crawl out.  I was amazed that Lyla could already hang on to the wall by herself.  Her she let go and got her face under water, she'd just pull herself back up.  Amazing how early they can learn this stuff!

We went to the deeper water next and let them lay on their backs and learn to kick!!  She was doing great UNTIL...the instructor showed us how to dunk them under water.  After she came up she was super mad.  She clung to me like a cat and she decided the lesson was over.  I was determined to end on a happy note so I kept trying to get her to enjoy other stuff.  Eventually she crawled some more in the shallow end and played with the fountains.

Cade's class did basically the same stuff but expected more from them.  Cade enjoyed it for the most part.  After they taught him how to reach for the wall and hold on to the side, the instructor put Cade near the wall and let him go.  Cade was under water for a little bit but finally found the wall and pulled himself up.  He was really scared after that (I guess, who wouldn't be).  But the important thing was that he could do it!  He was a great kicker and could even swim with his arms already.  I hope that his confidence increases over the next few weeks.  He didn't really calm down after going under the water until my dad took him outside and swam with him.

 

 

Hoping for a better outcome next week!!

 

Southwestern Pizza!!

I'm always looking for new recipes that don't appear to be too "weird" so that Ryan will eat them.  I don't have to worry about Cade or especially Lyla not eating my meals, I just have to worry about Ryan.  He's done a lot better venturing out with what he likes and lately he's been trying to eat less processed foods...So, that means more homemade cooking!

This is what we had tonight and it turned out great!!  We had all the ingredients on hand which was even better!

Southwestern Pizza with black beans and corn!  

Here's where it came from...The Kitchn

The only problem was our avocados weren't ripe enough so we didn't get to enjoy the guacamole topping :(.  But the fresh tomatoes from our garden made up for that.  Cade helped me roll out the dough and smoosh it down.  He also poked holes in it..oops, the recipe didn't call for that! 

Sea World

I'm so thankful that Ryan had a free weekend a few weeks ago and we were able to take Cade to Sea World.  Thankfully "Baba" agreed to watch Lyla.  She would have been a little bit harder to keep happy the whole time since she couldn't enjoy it as much.  We loved being able to give Cade some one on one time.  Hopefully we will go back in the fall and Lyla will get to go!  

We had actually planned on going a different weekend but that was the weekend that the kids took turns throwing up, so I'm glad we waited a week for Sea World...AND...that meant we got to go with our good friends, the Shouses!  Bishop is Cade little friend and we think his parents are pretty cool too!

While we were waiting for a show to start, Cade just took off climbing up a huge rope net wall.  Everyone just watched him climb up it.  Then I realized I wasn't sure how he was going to get down, so I climbed up it too!  Then the only way down was to go through the tunnels that are in the SKY! or try to come back down a steep wall.  I just followed Cade who had no idea how far up he was.  I'm not usually afraid of heights, but the thought of just these ropes holding me up was a little scary. 

Flamingos!

Sesame Street Bay of Play!

Elmo 4D Movie!  Cade kept the glasses on the whole time!

Waiting to see Shamu!

I love how interested they were in Shamu!  Cade still talks about Shamu and Sea World.

Penguins

Watching the dolphins.

Cade loved the shark tank with all the different kinds of fish.  He saw a clown fish and kept asking where Dory was? 

He loved getting to ride a "horse"

Stayed awake the whole day until we got into the parking lot.  Then he was out.  He woke up in the car and talked to us the whole way home!

 He got to pick out an animal and he got a penguin.  He also got a little Shamu for Lyla!  Can't wait to go again!!

Lyla 9 Months

Lyla 9 Months!

You are such a joy!  I love how excited you get over the simplest things.  

You can sign the word "more" and you can clap your hands.  You stand up by yourself without pulling up on anything and you've started to use a walker to walk around.  Cade thinks that is so funny watching you walk around. He cheers you on!  You also like to shake your "booty" when you hear music.  You do alot of bear crawling around the house.  You are so quick....sometimes too quick and fall on your face.  Daddy likes to all you little bit and I call you squirmy wormy!  You are so quick.  Cade calls you Lyla (with his tongue handing out of his mouth)

You like to drink out of a sippy cup now..just like brother.

Such a big girl standing by yourself.

so pretty!!!

You can give your brother a run for his money when it comes to being messy!

Getting ready to swim!

Memorial day party!

I have got to get Ryan to take more pictures of me with my little ones!  These are precious.

Cade at 9 months!!

Lyla at 9 months!

You keep your tongue out of your mouth just like Cade did and still does.

Every month it becomes more of a challenge to get them to sit still!! But I love these "mischievous" pictures too!