A Morning At The Berry Patch

My mom had been texting me about all of the wonderful strawberries she had been picking near her house the other day and it got me thinking....we needed to get out there and pick some berries too!  The weather has been absolutely crazy this spring so I hadn't really thought about it.  I called our local strawberry patch and they told me this would be their last week of berry picking.  Panic set in as I looked for days the 4 of us could go.  It simply wasn't going to work out for Rhonald to go with us this year so I did the next best thing...I did an all call to the berry patch!  Tuesday morning we set out with several friends (all arriving and leaving at different times so we got to stay a long time - yeah!) to pick our load of strawberries.  The bigger boys were determined to pick the most they could while the little kids seemed equally determined to eat as many berries as they could.  All in all everyone had a fabulous time being out and doing something that we do not get to do very often.  In fact, it was Noel and Ben's first time picking and I can honestly say Noel is hooked!  He sat as far away from Emily as he could and ate until his tummy hurt...loving every bite!  What a wonderful way to spend a morning.

For The Love of T-Ball

Wordless Wednesday

On Our Way To Kindergarten

The week after we got home from Jamaica was a big week in our house.  Cole had Kindergarten testing on Monday.  That is where the future Kindergarten students go to school and they take them through a series of activities, see how they do, and decide which class to put them in.  This way the classes can be more even academically speaking.  Cole did great!  He knew all of his letters, numbers, shapes and colors.  He could do several of the physical activities they asked him to do and he even knew a few sight words...something we had no idea that he knew!  The teacher said he was right on track for his age and grade.  Cole was able to meet lots of kids that he will be in school with next year and he got to spend time in a real Kindergarten classroom.  Then, on Friday of that week, Lily and Cole and I went back to the school for an open house to see which classroom and teacher he was assigned to.  We were so excited to learn that a boy from Cole's preschool class was going to be in his Kindergarten class!  Just having that familiar face made Cole feel much more confident.  His teacher for next year is so sweet and has even emailed Cole a few times already this Summer to let him know how excited she is to have him in class.  We were given a school tour by a 5th grader....Cole was so pumped about that!  Cole says he is most excited about computer lab, the library and lunch!  Ha!  Things have changed so much since we were young....the kiddos get their own debit card for buying their lunches.  A debit card!  I could not believe that!  While I still cannot believe my first born is heading off to Kindergarten in the Fall I am so happy we have such a great school for him to go to.  Rhonald and I still are in touch with wonderful friends that we met in Kindergarten - I pray Cole makes the same kind of friends next year and that he falls even more in love with school and learning.

The Botanical Gardens

We had a very busy Memorial Day weekend so we decided that on Monday we would spend the day together doing relaxing things.  Rhonald and I woke up and each went for a run and then thought it would be fun to go to the Botanical Gardens.  We had not been in so long and it was beautiful!!  The kids loved exploring and learning and having room to roam around.  Our favorite place in the Gardens was the new Butterfly House.  We stayed in there for so long, just watching the butterflies fly around us.  They were so tame that you could literally get right next to them and they would stay put.  It was also fun to look at their vegetable garden and learn some tips for our own garden.  We left there and enjoyed a yummy lunch at the Tropical Smoothie Cafe and then headed home for long naps, backyard play, cooking out and a nice long walk in the neighborhood.  All in all it was an absolute wonderful Memorial Day!

The End of T-Ball Season

T-Ball ends next week and I have to say it has been an excellent experience for all of us.  Cole has really loved being on a team and has fallen in love with baseball.  He has improved so much over the past few months and is already asking to play again in the Spring.  I could not be happier that he has loved it and had so much fun playing this year.  His coaches have been so patient and kind and have really taught the boys a lot about baseball.  Cole has learned that working hard and practicing what you love really does pay off.  Lily has loved cheering on her brother and playing at the ball field every week.  Tonight she told me that when she is 5 she wants to play T-Ball and have Cole cheer for her....so sweet!  While it will be nice to have our evenings free it will be a little bit sad to say goodbye to this experience.