Summer and David went to preschool this morning for the "Donuts with Daddy" event. It was a HUGE deal for Summer to have her daddy wear a tie. As you can see, she picked the elephant one. She loved showing him around her classroom and serving the donuts and milk. She has been talking about this Daddy time all week. Summer absolutely loved every minute of this special time with her daddy.
For those of you who haven't met Leigh, Summer says she is "very deaf." Leigh is hearing but for Summer to say this makes us giggle every time we bring it up. Summer has a clear understanding that it doesn't matter what your audiogram says, what you are makes who you are. Leigh is fluent in American Sign Language and is on her way to Gallaudet where she is pursuing her Masters in Early Childhood Education with a focus on Deaf Education.
Can't get this little saying out of my head lately. I have spent the past week discussing with David for many hours about "What if...?", "Should we...?" What our life holds in the near future. This cute little poster has come to my mind often. I can't wait for situations to be perfect and think, "then I will be happy". One of the many things lately that makes me happy is how beautiful and healthy my children are. I am appreciative of the simple times I spend with my kids and David. What a blessing.
It has been pouring rain all day and I couldn't be happier. Forrest sat in his chair this morning just watching the rain. On our way home from picking up Summer at preschool I took the kids to get hot chocolate. You would have thought I said we were going to the beach. I think they all love the rain as much as I do... especially since it goes hand in hand with hot chocolate and whip cream.
We went to the strawberry fields this afternoon after picking up Summer from preschool. Summer and Forrest each got their own little bucket and were able to pick their own strawberries right off the vine. After Forrest picked a few, he sat down in the dirt and just ate to his hearts content. Summer kept picking the whole time we were there but I think her motto was, "One for the bucket, two for me...". Each time the kids spotted a HUGE strawberry they squealed, "This one is for daddy!" The strawberry fields went on forever. It was a sunny day and so beautiful. I am thinking we will have strawberry shortcake for dessert tonight... that is if the kids and I don't finish them off before dinner!
I am constantly telling my kids how lucky they are to have each other. I tell them that no matter what... they need to love and look out for one another. That throughout their lives no one will understand them or "get them" as well as a brother or a sister. I know this from firsthand experience. I often say, "Friends come and go but siblings are... (and they repeat with me) FOREVER".
It's the little things in this home that make us happy. I am not sure what Forrest loved more, helping mommy make cookies or licking the mixer spoon. The last picture is my favorite because the messier, the happier he is. An awfully cute happy tummy boy if I do say so myself.
Today was a perfect day at the lake. The Sailing Club their annual clean up day. While David got into the action, the kids and I had so much fun. Summer and Forrest spent hours building sand castles, searching for living creatures, scooping and dumping water, and walking along the lake shore. The kids were happy, I was happy... A perfect day. Days like this makes me excited for summer. I bet you can guess where we will be the majority of this summer.
David is preparing for some serious landscaping work. Not one part of it sounds fun to me but he is really excited. With work and family life being a little crazy lately, he hasn't been able to do as much as he would have liked. This week he has been going full speed building the retaining wall with two days off from work. I went out to the backyard and found Forrest and his daddy together just like this. The cutest thing is that he thought of this idea all on his own. David said he just pulled out his truck toys from the garage and went to play on the dirt pile. Forrest has always been 100% daddy's boy. Whenever he gets hurt it's his daddy that he wants to comfort him. There is nothing sweeter in my opinion than watching him with our kids.
Today David came home from biking and the kids went running full sprint to meet him. It is like that any time he comes home. He has his own personal fan club. They hear the garage door opening and I can't contain them. Maybe not for a few years but someday they will realize how lucky they are to have him as their daddy.
