Mid-Summer Break Coming Up!!!

Well we've been trucking along with our festive summer.  Tate finished VBS and seemed to just love it!  We listen to the 'Weird Animals VBS' CD in our car every time we're in the car and he loves just sitting back and listening to it.  I love how much he's starting to love the Father.  I was able to arrive at the church early on the last day (Friday) and sneak a peek in to see him enjoying himself!

The night before his last night of VBS he read a book to me.  All on his own, save maybe 2-3 words when I helped him.  Not a book I read to him every night, so he's memorized it, but a book he most definitely hasn't heard in more than 6 months as we don't have it at our house.  He read 'Go Dog, Go'.  He asked if he could read it to me and I was so very amazed.  And so very proud of my 4 year old!!  So proud!!  And he had an absolutely fabulous time reading the book and was super proud of himself!!

After VBS we came back to my parents' and loaded up our car and headed on home.  We met Katherine and Alex at the spray park by our house as they've just arrived from Ottawa as they spend the summer here before they move (along with their parents of course!) to the midwest.  The kids didn't last very long in the heat, and we then trekked over to the Chocolate Bar...yum-o!

Saturday morning found us at soccer, and Tate did a fantastic job, scoring a goal and really enjoying himself, seemingly for the first time in a long time.  I don't know how much longer we're going to keep on going with soccer, but for now he seems ok with it, though clearly he's not in love with it.  We then ran over to my office, so I could recement an appliance on my friends' daughter.  I had an appointment to get my hair relaxed at 12:30 and was planning on taking Tate with me.  My friend offered to keep Tate for me along with her 5 year old daughter and 8 year old daughter (the sweet girl Tate has a crush on).  I decided to let him go!  Now this doesn't seem like a big deal I'm sure, but this was Tate's first playdate without me present!  And my biggest concern was his food allergies.  It was going to be during lunchtime, and I knew they would also want a snack at some point.  So, I made his lunch and included a little snack for him.  I gave my girlfriend his epi-pens and benadryl and tried to relax about everything.  She is so awesome and just assured me all would be fine!!  

And you know what?  It was absolutely fine!  And Tate had an absolute blast!!

There he is jumping into the pool.  Which apparently he did over and over and over and over and over! As I looked at that picture that evening I realized that, yes I knew Tate was going swimming as I had changed him into his swimsuit while at my office before he left with Stephanie and Ila.  But I gave absolutely no thought to the fact that my 4 year old would be swimming without me present, that I was leaving Stephanie to watch three kids and any neighborhood kids who might join them.  I didn't apply sunscreen, heck I didn't even send a towel with him!  

And he had a blast!  Look at him!  I trust Stephanie implicitly and know she was outside with the kiddos the entire time.  And her middle daughter (Tate's crush) is uber responsible even at only 8 years old.  It's just so funny to me that I was so caught up in worrying about his food allergies that every other thought of my child's safety went out the window.  Yes, his food allergies are real and very scary, but I can't let this cripple me.  Otherwise, Tate is going to start picking up on it, as he already has, and I don't want it limiting how he lives his life!

I took the opportunity to run to the uniform store and buy some of Tate's clothes for school for the fall.  This past week I wrote out that huge check and almost passed out from nausea as I did it!  I simply cannot believe he starts kindergarten in less than 2 months and that he's going to a private school!  My world has changed in ways I never thought possible.

I arrived at Stephanie and Dave's and the kids were engrossed in 'Frozen.'  So I sat down and watched some of the World cup with Steph and Dave then finally took Tate on home.

He was down for the count the minute his head hit the pillow!

Sunday morning found us at church (remember that bucket list item of going at least 2 times a month??)!!  We had a great time!  He was even more thrilled because I let him bring one of his trains with him!!

Sunday afternoon found us at his BFF's birthday swim party!  Tate was in heaven the moment he saw Leo.  These boys were practically inseparable at the party.  Tate misses Leo something fierce.  We've had some teary moments this week missing Leo, and it just breaks my heart.  I don't see the boys remaining friends or seeing one another very often.  Maybe I'm wrong, but his mom doesn't seem all that interested in helping the boys maintain their friendship, and it's going to take the two of us to do it.  They live over 30 minutes away and the boys will be in different schools and would be whether we were doing private school or not.  Leo has already left the daycare, so even on the weeks that Tate attends daycare this summer Leo isn't there.  He was actually in daycare (without L) this past week, and I think that combined with having seen Leo on Sunday really brought home how much he misses his BFF, as this is the first time he's mentioned missing him.  Twice.  Getting teary each time.  Oh goodness it just makes me so very sad.

Anyway, he swam and swam and swam.  He had a great time.  I don't know any of the other mothers or fathers for that matter that come to the boys' party, so I just try to make small talk with the women there.  Women who live in the burbs who I don't have anything in common with, because for whatever reason all the kids seem to be Leo's brother's friends (their birthdays are 1 day apart, so they have joint pool parties).  So our kids' lives aren't even in common.  Plus they all know one another.  So I sit there hanging out by myself because my child enjoys himself so very much.

I cannot believe how big this little boy of mine has gotten!  First solo playdate last weekend!  First time to jump into TWO pools without an adult to catch him or be in the pool with him (there were no adults in either poor either day).  AND he was jumping into the deep end!!  

He spent this past week at daycare, and I think he enjoys being back in very familiar surroundings.  They're doing some fun things this summer, and of note he really loves their 'Arts Alive' sessions...they come once a week, and Tate just loves it!!  It involves lots of movement of the body and he talked about it all week.  They do yoga once a week and he still does soccer on Mondays when he's there.  They had a face painter come on Thursday and he got a balloon animal!!  He's more relaxed and at ease on these daycare weeks, so I'm really glad I've included some to give him a sense of 'home' amidst all the changes when we can't be together.  Even better one of his best little buddies, who left at the beginning of Fall 2013 to go to another pre-k3 program, is at the daycare for the summer, so that has made it 100 times easier for Tate.  Even more exciting..the little boy goes to the private school Tate will be attending for kindergarten.  Though the boys were together at the daycare for 3 years in the same class all the time, as the C doesn't turn 5 until October they will not be in the same grade at the private school, but they should see one another every day. I hope!

Friday was his last day to have swim lessons on Friday mornings.  We've been doing those swim lessons since he was 22 months old, and Ms. Veronica has been his teacher since he was 30 months old!  He had Ms. Laura for about 6 weeks late this spring when Ms. Veronica moved up to a more administrative position!  But Ms. Veronica has come back to teaching for the summer, so Tate had her back the past two months and oh goodness was he absolutely thrilled.  I moved him to an afternoon class starting in July in order to snag an afternoon spot before school starts, because everyone wants the after school spots.  If you don't get one now, you'll end up wait-listed in the fall.  So here's his last day with Ms. Veronica!

Friday night I had a girls' night with several of my sorority sisters from college!!  It was a fantastic evening of excellent food, great wine and love & friendship from years gone by.  Some of these girls I haven't seen since they graduated, so 27-28 years ago.  Three girls came in from Dallas!!  It was just fantastic!  Tate stayed home with one of his favorite daycare teachers, and I had just a lovely evening out!

Saturday morning he happily built the red lego train all by himself!!  While I slept until 830!!  So he was up for about 2 hours doing without my help.  A huge feat in my opinion!! I was really impressed!!

We went to soccer where he didn't have a great time this week.  Much whining about the grass on his legs (it hadn't been mowed in a while).  Complaints about the heat and everything else.  Sigh.

We went out to lunch and he was still in a grumpy mood.  He didn't want to eat outside which I suppose turned out to be a good thing as it started pouring halfway through our meal.

He did smile for our selfie!

We made our way back home and we had one of his little friends from soccer come over to play for a bit.  Tate was getting back to himself, and had fun with M.

Dinner was ok, but Tate's been refusing to eat much the past week or so, especially at dinnertime. He'll still eat his entire breakfast with gusto, but only picks at his dinners and lunches.  I'm not terribly concerned, but I've definitely noticed.  He's not even wanting his favorite foods.  Certainly a phase, but as I'm trying to get him to try new foods this isn't making it easier.  Oh well.  I know in two or three weeks he'll go through yet another growth spurt and eat me out of house and home!
This morning we made it to church again!!  Woohoo!  Our two times a month quota has been met!  Tate had fun, and I let him bring his Dusty plane along.  Maybe not such a good idea on my part as you can see in the Gospel processional, which is when the priests walk through the congregation inviting the children to walk behind and join them up front where they read the Gospel and give the sermon while the children sit close by.  It's a lovely lovely service.

This afternoon we went to Constellation Field to see the Houston Skeeters play baseball;  they're Houston's minor league team.  Good grief it was hot, but the kids had fun.  Though they too were complaining about the heat.  Susan came along with her parents and her two kids.  My mom and dad joined us as well!!  When we left at the middle of the 5th inning the Skeeters were winning 4-0.  We couldn't take the heat anymore.

The stadium is great and it has a wonderful area for the kids...a huge playground, a splash pad, bouncy house, carousel and an open grassy area.  Lots of fun.  

Susan's mom stayed up top in the shade!!

Tate and Katherine jousting!

Poor Tate...the thing was quite heavy!

Such a cool guy!

Now we're back at my parents' for a couple of days as they will take him to soccer camp for me Monday and Tuesday.  It's only from 8:30-11:30, so they'll hang out with him for a bit for me! I'm off the rest of the week for a mid-summer break...thank goodness!!  Whoever thought one would need a break in the middle of summer?  But we've been crazy busy at work, so I definitely do!!

Summer!!   I'm loving it this year!!!