Fun at Miss Sarah's

Miss Sarah is kind enough to take pics of Amara and Cora (and Jonathan :)) for us to capture some fun moments throughout the day.  This is the first download I've done and I guess it's been since about mid-late May.  Specifically, I remember Amara's first day with Miss Sarah was during her birthday week, so she made it a really special day for her.

Breakfast on the patio, which she loves to do, followed by jumping in puddles and handprints to prove it.

  She also did a crown craft where the kids took stickers and foamies and built crowns--I heard Mr. J's was brown but never got to see it--

Modeling her crown for everyone!

...and right on cue, getting laughed at by little sister, Cora.

Don't the cookies look yummy?  I think they were sprinkles cookies.  The kids got to help make them, and then I think the kids rested while the cookies baked and cooled, and after nap time it was cookie time!

They have also gone to the zoo with Miss Sarah twice now this summer--and once with us, they put some miles on up there!  It was a particularly nice morning I remember and she was excited to go with her new family.

This pic makes Cora's hat look like she'd already outgrown it--my bad.  But good self-portrait Miss Sarah!

I think this visit was the Polar Bears and parts of North America, followed by her picnic at the zoo before the ride home.  I'm guessing Amara took the hat lead from Jonathan on this, or vice versa, hard telling.

Zoo buddies!  too cute.

Another experience with play doh!  This is one of her favorites and smartly, they are doing it outside! Good thing they thought to do this in June, now in July the play doh would be melting!

Would you like some?

Being silly friends playing blanket cover-up game.  I think it's hilarious when Amara laughs and covers her mouth.  I think this was during Cora's naptime.

Miss Sarah often incorporates a craft activity into snacktime.  On this day, they were making bugs on a log with celery, peanut butter and raisins.  I think Miss Sarah said she ate it all, but ate the components separately.  Figures--might be my daughter.

Following the lead from Mr. J.

Sampling her art and yummy snack!  I have to note the pink bib and cup.  Miss Sarah had only blue things in her house for Mr. J. and she was so sweet to go out and get Amara her own things :)

Happy little Cora in her bean bag chair of approval!

I'm guessing breakfast here--Amara looks pretty clean so far, haha.  She is getting quite good with her knife, and what good practice!

This was pretty recent too--again, the craft/activity part was making the ice pops, the snack part was eating them--very cute and crafty, we love being at Miss Sarah's!

4th of July at Primrose; last day in EPK with Miss Shirey

I think this might be our first big classroom event for Amara at Primrose, and ironically enough, it's her last day in her Early Preschool 2 class with Miss Shirey :(  The kids and the school does regularly scheduled events for most major holidays, but with Amara only being there 2 days a week, we miss out on a lot of them that happen on Friday's.

This time it was a Thursday though, and the kids were asked to wear their red, white, and blue to school that day and they all spend their day making patriotic crafts, streamers, signs and learning songs. 

At 3 o'clock, the parade commenced and the classrooms marched out of the buidling and around the yard while the sun pounded down on them. 

They sang songs like Yankee Doodle Dandy and recited the Pledge of Allegiance while all the parents watched adoringly :)  Miss Sarah even met us there with Cora and Jonathan so they could watch and participate too.

After the parade, we went back in her room for cookies and cool-aid.  We enjoyed her teachers (Miss Shirey, Miss Turley, and Miss Q) so much, we'll be sad to move on from them.  Thankfully, mom snapped a few pics for us to capture the memories of her preschool room, and we all enjoyed snacks together.

The birthday wall has all the kids name and they come off the balloons throughout the year as they celebrate.  Her shape will be moving on to Mr. Erickson's class next week where she's an official preschooler and will get to have some computer time, big deal!!

Cora's not quite done hamming it up to be ready for preschool. 

A pretty good shot of all of us--

Handprints make up the stars and stripes for her room.  They do such fun and inventive crafts with all the kids!

Little lady heading out on her own--she asked to go with Grandma as we left, so she did.  I think they were going to grab dinner and spend some time like the old days. 

One last hug?  more likely a "5" ;)  sweet girl.

4th of July weekend

I dont' think anyone was expecting a record-breaking hot summer, after our record-breaking wet Spring, but we're in one.   With that in mind, we headed over on the 4th to play with cousins Wyatt and Thomas in the water slide and try to cool off a bit!  Cora wasn't too much into the water (still a little chilly for her) but Amara got right in (well, after the splashing boys got out :))

loving her rash suit, no shoulders to fall down--my little surfer girl, haha.

Cora loving Sabrina--seems to just gravitate towards some folks and really wanted to latch on to her!

Happy as a clam being outside, watching sister play and bouncing with mommy and Sabrina.

Amara loves to pick flowers. Lucky for us we have a ton around the house and so does Grandma Jahn.  She picked this pretty daylilly and gave one to Aunt Charlotte and Sabrina too--daddy might have even got one (he often does).

The water was shallow enough to really get in and kick!

Daredeviling it down the slippery slide! 

And the reaction to her not being able to climb up the slippery slide (as she likes to do at parks).

Wyatt enjoying being dry--for the moment, and Smoky wanting to get in on the play time too!

The sweet little cuddler. I love when someone gets a great shot of that smile!

Cora's first parade: July 4th

Nothing like that first parade of the season--unless maybe it's the first parade of your life!  This July 4th was Cora's first, and now Amara is an old hand at it.  I love this pic of her bending down looking--must have been far enough away to be more interesting than her popsicle and bucket of candy!

Giant skating dog--advertising the one and only Skate America in Grove City!  Amara got to him first, but I'm pretty sure Jonathan got a "5" in there too.

Grandma Jackie trying to get a smile out of the hot and quickly fading Cora--daddy stepped in to help with Jonathan and Amara took over candy watch.

Waiting in anticipation of the firetrucks!  The weather was SO dicey even pouring on the way there--I think the bands and about half of the entries pulled out last minute. The parade was still great, pulled up right at parade time and assumed our usual spot, joined by Miss Sarah and Jonathan--it was a great morning!

Another attempt at a quick family shot--one of these days...but funny enough, you can see the impending storm rolling in in the back.  Man it got dark fast!

Miss Sarah and Jonathan posing--in between "interesting" parade entries of course.  We've learned you have to time your photo ops to when there's nothing else going on--or when there's someone funnier than the surroundings behind the camera at least.

What? kids don't like coupons or fliers?  um--don't remember those from my childhood, but I'll take them!  Amara especially loved it when the kids or cheerleader types would run by and give her candy or a flier.

Classic entry--maybe the parade marshall?  Again, note the wet blacktop...I tell you, it POURED just minutes before--but after hyping the parade, I was so glad it went off and that Miss Sarah and Jonathan and Grandma and Grandpa Jahn could all join in.

Father's Day weekend

So, i'm a planner.  Sue me. I like to know what expectations are and it helps me stay organized :)

That said, I planned "Father's Day weekend," kind of full this year--my hopes were for:

Saturday: Breakfast, donuts from E's favorite, Reesch's bakery
               Farmer's Market
               Lunch/ Park
               Wash Daddy's car
               Ice Cream Sundae making time
               Miss Sarah's cookout

Sunday:   Breakfast at home (new recipe)
               Scavenger hunt for presents
               Picnic lunch
               Bowling
               Homemade pizza's with the grandpa's and strawberry Pie for dessert...

I'm happy to report the majority of things we tackled/ enjoyed; however, Eric did NOT his ice cream, nor his car washed :)

We did; however, add in an impropmtu trip to Oakland during their thank you sale, since we were at the Clintonville Farmer's Market anyway (where Eric got some yummy cheeses and Amara found a new favorite bakery with awesome chocolate chip cookies)...got some peonies and a few other pretties too!

The park was fun, we decided on Winterset park near Carolyn's house, since she had my rings and some plants for us--we grabbed Jet's and took it to the park--got some good playing time in before the MONSOON, then enjoyed watching the rain under a big tree too, it was refreshing to get sprinkled on, but considering nap time was close, being drenched required a swift exit :)

The cookout was lots of fun!  We took desserts and Amara played bubbles with Jonathan and mini-cornhole while the adults ate and Eric helped with the grilling too :)

Sunday was more cooking, Eric enjoyed the breakfast and all his gifts.  Amara wanted to "look for more" after I gave him all the scavenger hunt cards that had them all over the house, and then we headed to Stardust lanes in GC for Amara's first bowling trip--IRONICALLY, Eric's first bowling in years, he nailed a 204 game!! Hilarious.

We kind of skipped lunch in leiu of naptime, and I got started on desserts and pizzas.  The grandpas enjoyed their granddaughters and their gifts too, and we all had pie and pizza--Eric even revisited his grilled pizza success from 2 summers ago and it was a huge hit!

I hope he felt spoiled, we all did our best to show him how much he is loved not just this weekend, but every second of every day of the year. Thanks for being an awesome daddy Eric, and thanks to our two great dads too!  Love to all!

4 months

Talk about time flying!  My little fair haired and eyed beauties are 4 months and 3 yrs 1 month old!  Cora is so infatuated with Amara it's hard to get her attention to anything else, so sweet.

She's clearly a strong little lass, pressing all the way up, and never shys from a camera--but only Susie can get that little sweet smile captured :)

Actually LIKES tummy time, and prefers it--I'm certain it's because she has a better vantage point of Ily and Amara this way.

And with big sis always on the move, who can blame her!  Always someone to follow--can't wait till she can actually catch her, haha

This is what unsupervised ice cream and access to bows looks like, but who cares, it's Summer, right?  they wash up so prettily, too.

Cracks herself and us up, all the time, love that spirit.