{July}

Well it is almost the end of July and the summer is going by rather quickly!  This is the last week of camp for the boys, so I have a feeling August will go by much slower. Although the boys are getting older and it is getting easier to do things with them, the summer heat and the constant being without a place we have to be at (like camp, lessons, etc) can be hard. We tend to have good days or bad. I am usually either super-mom and have things planned and have enough energy to do it all or I am disappointing-mom with little patience and zero energy. I am going to try hard to be super-mom or at least good-mom this month of August as we work through 6 weeks of no school. I have lots on our to do list that I want us to do, so that will help!!

But enough of that...July has been fun!

I have bible study every Tuesday, and some days the boys and I stop by for a breakfast donut right across the street from our church. We also pick up some yummy donut holes for the nursery workers who take care of them while I am in my group too! These two love donuts -- Ben likes anything with icing (and just eats the icing part and then gives me the donut) and Luke loves cinnamon twists. 

That is a donut hole in Ben's mouth. He adds so much spice to our life!

The boys got me an ice cream maker a while back, but the best thing we have used it for is frozen slushies. We just put lemonade or juice in it and within about 10 minutes it is a slushie!  They are delicious especially in this horrible heat that we have. Both boys have learned how to climb up and sit on the counter. I find them on the counter all the time eating snacks or drinking their drink. They are super proud of themselves!!

The boys LOVE seeing their cousin Molly!  This was taken at her house. Someone always seems to be crying, but they always have a high old time. Jack is getting bigger and crawling around now, so it is one more kiddo to add to the mix. We love it!

For Luke's 4th birthday, my sister got him nerf guns. They were for much older kids, so after lots of frustration we put them away for a bit. Well the boys found them last week!  It is amazing how just a few months does so much because Luke can totally do it now by himself.  Ben needs a little help but not that much. So they have been playing like crazy with them!  This was Ben's "tough" face...

Every Saturday we ride our bikes up to Panera for breakfast. It is early enough that it isn't too hot. I really just love our time doing this -- it is our way to regroup and be together after a crazy, hectic week.  Luke loves riding his bike so much so this is an extra treat. Ben rides on the back of Chat's bike, but I am a little concerned. The seat belt barely snaps anymore because he is so tall and he is definitely not ready to ride his own bike, so I am not sure what we are going to do if he continues to shoot up. But for now he loves riding behind Chat!

Oh my little puppy dogs! Luke loves pretending to be "Clifford the Big Red Dog" (this deserves its own post itself!!) and he is always getting into the dog beds or laying under tables since they are his dog house.  These two sillies got in together last week and fit just perfectly.

This past Saturday we had a date night!  We went with our friends Katie and Bryan to Flemings for a fun night out.  I think it has been 5 weeks since our last date night, so it was overdue!  I have to take selfies of us out or I forget that we actually did it. The boys stayed at my parents. Luke was so excited about their 'slumber party' and asked over and over if we were going to leave. He couldn't wait for us to!  My how times have changed.  We reminisced how just a year or so ago we would practically have to sneak out of their house because they were so sad. Ha!  Ben still struggles going to bed at night so when I called to check on them around 10 pm, he was still up. So we went and got him and brought him home. He fell right to sleep once he was in bed!

Oh Ben...speaking of not sleeping well, it is no secret Ben struggles falling asleep at night. He is tired but has trouble recognizing he is tired. So we do a lot of in and out of his room, turn on the hall light, keep the door open, etc. Some nights are better than others. Well his new move to stay away is saying he needs to potty. He is not potty trained yet but he is showing so much interest. I am not in a hurry to do this, but when he asks, I try to encourage it. But it sure is a struggle when it is 10 pm and he is sitting there for 20 minutes doing NOTHING!  Silly boy...

I took Ben to the doctor this week because he has had a cough for weeks now. Turns out he has walking pneumonia so he is now on antibiotics and two inhalers.  I hope he kicks this once and for all!!!  My poor kiddo.

A few funny things I want to remember...

Chat was putting on his work shoes and using his shoe horn. Ben asked what it was and Chat said "its a shoe horn".  Ben goes "oh!" and immediately puts it up to his mouth and blows it like a horn. He was very confused it didn't make a sound!!

I asked the boys the other day what their favorite park was.  Luke said "goodnight park!" and Ben yells "sunset park!".  Luke then goes that is what I said!  I think he associated sunset with the night and that is why he called it goodnight park.  I love when things like this happen!