Questions

Recently Connor was encouraged to ask us some questions. Any ole' questions will do, really. After just mentioning this little activity Connor started spewing all sort of questions... all afternoon long:

Why do snakes have no feets?
Why do whales swim? Why do they swim up on the beach and get stuck?
How do baby giraffes eat leaves on tall trees if they are not tall enough?
What do kangaroos eat?

They just kept coming. We had no idea that he was holding out on us all this time. So, then tonight as I am tucking him in, he says he has one more question for me. Great! What is it?

Mama, how you do keep your hair on?

Oh, the things that perplex a 4-year old. Still so much to learn, apparently. Priceless. 

P.S. I told him that my hair is connected inside my head and that it grows from the inside out. It is stuck on there unless you pull really hard. Then I asked him how he keeps HIS hair on. His reply. "I don't know!"

The Boss and His Helpers

With all the hot weather this summer, Connor's favorite "toy" is our garden hose. If I don't find something productive for him to do with it, then the rest of us end up getting soaked... by surprise. Best idea yet: "Car" wash. So far, Connor has washed his 4-wheeler, lawn mover, rocking-dog, and many other toys and whatnot's:

 He loves all the soap in the bucket, and so do his helpers. 

Actually, the suds and water is the best part, really.

 Connor can be a bit of a slave driver, though. I told him his sisters wanted to help. Anytime one of his helpers got distracted, he would yell, "Come on helpers, let's get back to work!" (Bossing them around is his favorite activity...well maybe second to soaking them with a hose.)

 I guess its okay, however, if the boss gets a bit distracted playing with the foot-bath:

Soccer Camp

The chaos. Connor is wearing a black shirt, red shorts in the middle.

We signed Connor up for a "British" Soccer camp for one week this summer. The "camp" mostly entailed 3-4 year olds running all over the grass with or without their soccer balls and basically paying almost no attention to the coaches or their directions. They lined orange cones up around the perimeter of their "field" to mark their square which basically means nothing to 3 & 4 year olds. For Connor's one-year old sisters the cones looked like pretty good toys. In fact, the biggest challenge of the camp was keeping Kaia & Ashlyn off the soccer field. Every chance they could get they would dart out there, and well, I am only one person after all. After the first day of camp Connor says, "Mama, I think my sisters really want to join me, but they are too little. Sisters! You guys can play next year when you grow big enough." Later, at a point when I have one girl in my arms and the other darts onto the field Connor runs toward her yelling, "Don't worry Mom. I'll get her for you since you can't carry two girls." (Me: Umm, actually I CAN carry two, but  just can't be in two places at once. Please don't drag your sister off the field by her arm. Go listen to your coach. *Sigh*)

They did manage a few dribbling drills and a few running games.

Here three soccer stars are listening to the coaches. 

However, there were 13 kids at camp. Not sure where they all are here?

Connor in Blue

The Team!

We got lots of good sunshine, met up with some good friends, and Connor, Kaia, Ashlyn, and I all got lots of practice on our running, chasing, and diving skilz.

Family Va-cay!

We took the kids on a little family vacation...to Grandma & Grandpa's. First, Connor stayed up for his first fireworks show. We lit sparklers, got him a glow stick, and then he insisted on wearing his earplugs. Totally normal. Maybe not quite ready to sit so close.*

 

Then off to the beach in the morning. 

I seriously can't tell you who loved the water more...Daisy or Connor.

 

 ...Or was it Casey?

The girls had a good time exploring 

EVERY. POSSIBLE. NICHE. at Grandma's, inside and outside. 

They keep us too busy for pictures, I guess.

Connor was invited to stay at Grandma's an extra night with his cousin & aunt. Since Connor apparently misses his Littles (and his mom) so much that it is hard for him to go to preschool, soccer camp, and pretty much anywhere by himself (according to him), I was surprised when he was excited to stay. Rumor has it, when it was time to head home, Connor gave Grandma some big sad eyes and said, "but I am not ready to go yet." Apparently he is quite capable of spending some time without us!

*Close - as in over 1/2 mile away, that is. 

Park Wish-List

It is getting harder and harder to take all three of the Cunningham kids out to parks. With three walkers, I prefer to find places where there are few people, a fenced enclosure, and well... rubber matting on the ground would be nice. However, it seems that my park wish-list doesn't really exist. Hello! Don't park designers consider what its like to take two 1-year olds and a 4-year old out and about? No? Well, they should...they could greatly prevent crazy-frazzled-mom-of-twins-syndrome. 

We recently ventured out to a new park nearby. This is where I discovered that the girls were way more into the bike rack than the actual play ground. I guess I just need to limit our park-going to those with bike racks...   

Preschool Carnival

In the last week of May was Connor's last day of Preschool. (Yea, I know this post is a tad bit late. Chasing around two 1-year olds and a 4-year old doesn't leave much time for the blog-o-sphere). Connor's school put on a dog-themed carnival for the kids:

 They sang a few songs for the parents. All the other parents love this, get teary eyed, and take lots of videos. Connor never sings with the group, so I don't bother with the tears or the videos. He will sing the songs later for just me ...if I beg him. Then he tells me, "I don't really like singing with the other kids." Obviously.

 Digging like a dog for his name on a bone...

 Crawling like a dog through the tunnel...

 Showing off his dog ears...

 Posing with his friend Max in the dog house:

Apparently acting like a dog for the day isn't too much of a stretch for this preschooler. 

Arwooo, woo, woo, woof!

Let's Party!

In case you have never attended a joint birthday party for one 4-year old, and two 1-year olds here is a glimpse of what it might turn out like...

First, the parents need to spend the better part of the month prior planning, the better part of the week prior cleaning (and re-cleaning the house because three children do live there after all), and the entire evening the night before baking/decorating cakes so that everyone is satisfied that each child "has their own cake" (This is how you talk a 4-year old into sharing his birthday party with the "Littles" obviously)

 One train cake and two flower cupcakes to satisfy the agreement.

I'm FOUR!

 Early in the morning, as the phone was ringing, Connor got all excited and started shouting "My guests! My guests! They are calling! Hurry!" Then slightly later around 10:30 am Connor informed me he was ready for his rest time. Ummm, I think it is still slightly early for that, Birthday Boy. He informed me that I could call all the guests and tell them to head over, because he would be done resting soon.

Some Guests have Arrived! Christina, Cousin Carter, Michelle, and soon to be honorary cousin Emma.

Cousins!

Check out our super cute party dresses...

That ultimately got all WET...

 The Big kids ate cake at the kitchen island. The Littles got their own high chair. After the messy cake eating began, Connor came to sneak a peak at the girls, then ran back into the kitchen to tell cousin Lauren, "Come quick, Lauren. You have GOT to see this!"

Kaia barely getting started.

Ashlyn

Kaia at her peak performance.

As if the party contained absolutely no chaos what so ever, we decided to open gifts. Lucky there were enough gifts that EVERY. CHILD. COULD. HELP. What a relief! That made the job much, much less chaotic. Thanks kids!

Although all the gifts were loved by the children, 

the squirt guns were especially loved by the big big kids:

Cheers!