Family Fun Day and First Day of School

We try to do a Family Fun Day shortly before school starts each year.  This year we went to the Science Center.

Jim and the kids built the Arch!

One of their favorite things is to watch the balls go around this two story structure.

 

We took them to the Omnimax to see the Robots movie. 

After the movie we had a picnic lunch outside before going back in for more fun.

Charlie didn't want to be in the picture, but I grabbed him anyway!

There are some big dinosaurs for the kids to climb outside.

The kids also like to look out the windows on the floor at the cars passing by on the highway below.

The Discovery Room was fun for everyone.

Water is especially fun!

Our budding scientist with the microscope:

The next week, school started. 

Charlie's first day of preschool!!!

Kindergarten starts one day later than the rest of the school, so Patrick got an extra day of summer vacation.

Jack was excited to be reunited with some of his buddies.

 The next day Patrick started kindergarten!

We forgot to hold up a sign with what he wants to be when he grows up before school, so we did it when he got home.

 Maggie was excited to have her brothers home!

Water Fun!

One day in August, we met friends at the City Garden which has some very fun water features.  Maggie loved it!

There were also some cool structures for the kids to climb.

My relatives came to visit from Houston.  We spent a day at my cousin's lake house and everyone had a blast.  Jack was excited to show my cousin Johnny, who works for NASA, the space station he built out of Legos.

 Uncle Ian showed Charlie how to fish.

Maggie loved playing in the sand and water.

There were a few kayaks to ride and a huge trampoline in the middle of the lake where the kids could jump.

Of course music was played!

The kids played in the water all day.

Even Papa did some fishing.  He was practicing for retirement. 

My Dad and two of his sisters:

My favorite Mom and Dad:

Wisconsin

In late July, the kids and I went to Wisconsin for a week.  I dropped all four kids at my good friend Sue's house outside of Milwaukee and then I drove 2 hours to my cousin's wedding outside of Madison.  Sue kept my kids overnight and I had a blast with my cousins.  A highlight of the ceremony was when my cousin Jim, the bride's brother and also the officiant, took a selfie with the bride and groom.

It was a gorgeous setting for the wedding!

These are the cousins that made it to the wedding.  It is not even a third of us!
The morning after the wedding, my mom drove with me to pick up the kids at Sue's house and then to drive up to my brother and sister-in-law's house. The following morning we drove up north to their cabin.  The kids had so much fun at the cabin!

There was paddle-boarding and canoeing. 

 Paddle-boating was also popular.

The moms could often be found sitting on the dock watching the boys in the water.

Maggie was not so sure about the life vest.

She did like kayaking, though.

 

There was even a fun zipline into the water! 

Some afternoons we cooked our lunch over a campfire.

Charlie loved every minute with his brothers and cousins!

All six boys on one paddle-boat.

Before coming home, we spent one night back at Patrick and Ingrid's house.  Ryan, Adam, and Lukas gave our boys their beds and pitched a tent in the backyard for themselves.  Patrick enjoyed a little frisbee golf in the backyard.

Charlie is such a happy guy!

He chased after Nana.

He got her!

This boy!  He's getting so big!  He's got one heck of a cowlick, too!  

The boys were jumping off the swings.  I love this face on Adam.

Synchronized swing jumping!