first tooth!

This kid has been desperately waiting for this moment. I kept trying to tell him that he wasn't losing any teeth because he doesn't eat enough crunchy fruits/veggies. He would eat a bowl of noodles and some white bread every day if he was allowed. Now, suddenly there are tons of loose ones.

care package.

Its nice to have somebody to write letters/cards to on Sundays. Uncle Zach's birthday was this week and so we made his favorite cookies (I hope they arrive not in crumbs) and the boys worked extra hard on their cards. 

an extra special fort.

Kosty had been busy setting up a fort for a few days. When I peeked inside, my heart melted when I saw his picture of Jesus inside. Kids are my favorite kind of people, they are the most like Him. 

yeehaw.

we took Porter (our carpool buddy) with us. He was the only one brave enough to wear the sombrero.

^Brayden with his friends, horrified by me following with my camera. I thought I should get a shot of how tall he looks next to them!

Every time our PTO hosts a school fundraiser or any type of party, I cringe and hope my kids forget about it that night. This time they were having a western family reunion. It was raining all day and so I smiled to myself thinking I got off way too easy. But, that PTO is stubborn I guess & they sent out notices that it was still on, rain or shine. Kosty was on team Mom and did NOT want to go. Brayden was desperate to go. What do you do. Well, naturally I tried to convince him onto our team but then when he said Kosty always gets his way, I realized he was totally right, and we went. It was actually a cute set up & I actually had a teeny bit of fun watching Brayden potato sack race and Kosty pan for gold. 

laundry.

Last week Brayden did the family's laundry all week long. Bet he will never (again) stuff a pile of perfectly washed and folded clothes back into the basket to avoid putting them away. Actually, I kind of want him to do it again.

Tys.

just some random cousin pics. Tyson really loves Bubba and I think its so cute. It reminds me of how much "Bubba" loved his Uncle Chase when he was about Ty's age. 

park.

This was another excruciatingly hot day, and the boys decided they didn't care how hot, they wanted to ride scooters at Discovery Park. 5 minutes after and one scooter ride down a hill, they were trying to cool off under the shade. (side note: Kosty picked out these glasses and wore them for 2 days straight and refuses to wear them ever since). That kid.

boys room makeover.

before

before

after

One thing on our summer list (for me) was redoing the boys room. I remember as a kid getting crazy excited over any type of room reno. I was happy that they were pretty excited too. Although they totally had separation anxiety at first when I started taking all the old stuff out..."but I really like that pillow/rug/blanket/curtain/lamp" etc. I did feel bad about taking down Brayden's beloved wall of art. But I reasoned with him that we would so carefully take everything down, scrub the walls and get all the tape off, and then hang them on a cable wire. He was happy then. 

Family time at tempe marketplace this weekend.

Pretending it's nice outside.

Cannot wait for that day.

Slightly deaf & lost my appetite for the day. Always a pleasure, school cafeteria.

I said, "too bad they switched out the big kid swing for a baby swing, huh?" and he replied, "no...I think it's pretty nice that they thought about the babies."

Darn athsma.

This kids lungs have been failing lately! He scared us big time one night when he was gasping for air. Probably the most scary night of my mom life, actually. He hates medicine & it takes hours for him to get one syringe done. But at least he was making cute faces.

Rain gutter regatta.

Not much to say about that. We left him on his own to make his boat. He had fun.

We've been trying very hard to restore weekly date nights. (This time we hit someburros & grocery shopping. You can guess it was my turn to plan). Brayden loves to offer his (maybe illegal) babysitting services & it's been hard to pass up.

Right brained.

One of my favorite Brayden traits is that he is always writing, drawing, journaling, and as of late, cartooning.

Piano.

Brayden's grandma gave him her piano. We are so grateful. His piano teacher said it was time to move on from the keyboard & it was the perfect time. He's also playing a whole lot more.

I can't remember if I put this on here already or not, but it's one of my very favorite pictures. A hug like that from Kosty is pure goodness.

Rocker.

Brayden was gifted this guitar & decided he would start a band that day. He named it "Enslave the Mollusk" ....of all things?! According to him mollusks are pointless creatures that rarely produce pearls. So he rocked out for a couple days. Haven't heard much from the band since.

Three.

3 of the best boys belong to me. I kinda like em.

Hickey.

Kosty stuck my ziplock vacuum on his cheek (right as we were leaving for school) & couldn't get it off. He had a nice red spot for a week.

Haircuts.

I love how hard they are trying to prove their hatred of getting haircuts here. Don't be fooled, they were giddy over the free soda & suckers.

Saturday is a special day.

Kosty gets done with his chores & is ready to get in with the day. Meanwhile Brayden is easily distracted & can't focus. Such opposites.