Super Duper Outside Summer Fun

Hot summer days and sunshine.  Yup, there's always something to do on a nice May weekend.  This year, we got "lucky" and had a few nice days over the Memorial Day holiday!

Gotta go splashin' in the pool....

Get hosed by Dad....

And even put on a "gun show....

The next day, Ramsey "helped" Dad water some of the newly-seeded grass (we had some patches from some tree stumps that had been ground last Fall).

He started off in his swim trunks, but quickly lost them after they fell off his little butt.

By the end, he wound up in nothing but his Avengers underwear!

Later in the early evening, after sufficiently drying off and composing himself,  Little Mr. Evel Knievel showed off on his Hot Wheels, barreling down the north hill from the house to his play set.  He dragged his scooter up that hill at least a dozen times before he wore out.  Eric and I thought for sure he would biff it and pound into something.  But, he stayed par for the course each time with no catastrophes.

Magisterium

On Connor's second-to-last day of school, he and his AP English classmates were instructed to dress up as a character from a novel they had been reading called Magisterium.    It's a fictional fantastical read (whereas the setting is a world of witchcraft and monsters) and Connor dressed up as a character named "Kevin".

One of Kevin's most distinctive qualities is his bright green Mohawk.  Even though Connor doesn't love "sticking out", I think he may have chosen this character strictly because of his crazy hairstyle! 

 We had fun creating this new look, though it took a LOT of gel, heat, and hairspray to make it come to fruition.   He had to work after school, so a good wash job was necessary immediately!

The only thing that could have made the day a little better for Connor is if he had felt better; he wasn't at his best.  

But, I can't wait to hear how his day went!

Q & A About Mommy, by Ramsey

I had a cute little conversation with Ramsey, which consisted of a few general questions about dear ol' Mom, as a fun ode to Mother's Day. 

As a sidenote, I had to slap down Eric's own comments, which Ramsey was happy to parrot.   He thinks he is quite the comedian!!!

Ramsey's answers, sans Daddy's quips:

1) What is something Mommy always says to you?
"I love you!"

2) What makes Mommy happy?
"Making funny faces that makes people laugh."

3) What makes Mommy sad?
"As I hit you hard!!!!" 

4) How does Mommy make you laugh?
"Hmmm....You say "cockadoodles!!"
(I literally have never said "cockadoodles".... I don't think.)

5) What was Mommy like as a little girl?
"You rocked and rocked in a rocking chair.  In that chair over there."

6) How old is Mommy?
"Um... 600!" then laughs.

7) How tall is Mommy?
"You're 'this big'." (arms way up in the air)

8) What is Momma's favorite thing to do?
"Shoot with your shooting glasses.  Also, night vision glasses."
Wow.  I'm way cooler than I thought apparently... more mysterious too.

9) What does Momma do when you're not around?
"You read stories.  You say prayers.    Daddy snores."

10) What is  Mommy really good at?
Ramsey: "You're good at baseball."
Me: "You've seen me play baseball?" (I haven't played baseball in years.)
Ramsey: "I was watching you.  And Connor was there and Riggsy was there!"
Me: "Was that a dream that you had?"
Ramsey: "No, it wasn't a dream.  It was Wednesday."

11) What is Mom not very good at?
"You're not very good at reaching the lake.  That means you can't do a job."
(I swear, my child is drunk.)

12) What does Momma do for a job?
"It's basketball.  HAHAHAHA!    I'm funny!"

13) What is Mommy's favorite food?
"Um, it's strawberry and zucchini.  And, it's also celery!"

14) What makes you proud of Mommy?
"Hanging out with me a lot."

15) If  Mommy were a movie or cartoon character, who would I be?
"Princess Leia"

16) What do you and Mommy do together?
"We clean up."

17) How do you know Mommy loves you?
"Because... you make me happy."     :-)

18) What does Mommy like most about Daddy?
"You are married with him.   Um, I don't know?!?!"

19) Where is Mommy's favorite place to go?
"To Old McDonald's and to the water park."

20) How old was  Mom when you were born?
"You were 20."

21) If  Mommy would become famous, what would Mommy be famous for?
"Um... I'm thinking!  You'd be a Ghostbuster!"
Then, "Alexa, play 'Ghostbusters'!"

22) How are you and Mommy the same?
"We're not the same.  
We are the same.
Our hair is not the same.  
Our eyes are both hazel, but they're not communicated."

23) How are you and Mommy different?
"Our hair is different."

24) What's your favorite thing to do with  Mom?
"Exploring indoors!"

25) What's your favorite thing about Mommy?
"I love you!"

And here, is little video with the funny question boy who's growing up way too fast:

Aww!

Super Fun Dock Fishing

Eric had been chomping at the bit to get the dock in.  As usual, we were the first (or nearly the first) to get it in the water.   What do we do on a weekend when the dock is in?

 Daddy caught two keeper walleye and a catfish.  Ramsey got to pet the walleye.  The one in the picture was too small to keep.  But, he got some love!

A Mini Vacay

Eric, Ramsey, and I had a "mini vacay" over the weekend, taking a trip to the southern part of the state.  I happened to have a doctor appointment, so we just made a fun time of it, planning some fun things to do and staying in a cool hotel with awesome amenities.

After my appointment, we went to Chuck E. Cheese's for a late lunch.  Ramsey had never been to Mr. Cheese's establishment.  There weren't a ton of kids there, but the place was still rather loud with all of the dinging and noises from the games and machines; it was like a noisy [kids'] casino, without the smoke!

Ramsey was awestruck and stared at everything for quite some time.   He went from game to game, looking around, wondering about each of them, yet not ready to commit to anything.

Eric finally coaxed him into playing a basketball game where he did very well!

Swoosh!

 He started a crazy skeleton pirate game (which I finished and had fun with!).

 And again, while we waited for our pizza, he gawked some more, still amazed at how much there was to look at.  Eric and I were amused at his reactions.   Ramsey speechless?  Priceless.

 Then, more pounding,

 playing, 

 rolling, 

 and smiling for the camera.

 After we checked into our hotel, we hit the pool area right away. Ramsey had brought his water swords and had a blast!

 Eric and I played with him and chased him around the pirate ship pool.  

 This is the look he gave us when we told him it was time to get out.  

 But then, Daddy agreed to take him down the big winding slide and he beamed!

 Wheeeeee!

 And here's the smile he gave us when he got off of the mega slide!  (..much happier camper!!)

 We rested up a bit and then headed to Red Lobster.

 Another first for Ramsey was getting to pet a lobster (and eating the cheddar bay biscuits!).

 We hung out some more, but before we left town, we had to get to our favorite Chinese restaurant.  Ramsey was his usual friendly social butterfly self and was instantly beloved by the nice Chinese lady who served us.  He had told her, "Hey, this food is DELICIOUS!" and he also said the lady herself was rather "ingenious".  Who wouldn't love that?  :-)

So nice to get away from all the hustle and bustle!

Qeepsake Q&A with Ramsey

...Another round of Q&A, from Qeepsake (weekly texted questions for kids' scrapbooks).  Mommy and Daddy do the answering!

Is Ramsey competitive?
Yes, we always have to race up and down the stairs.  Ramsey is a FAST little fart!!  He doesn't like to lose either.    Light saber fights get interesting too.  When Connor is beating him, sometimes he gets frustrated!

Does Ramsey like playing in water?
Ramsey LOVES the water.  He loves baths, showers, pool time, etc.  We need to get him into swimming lessons soon.

What is one thing that makes being Ramsey's parent rewarding?
Eric: "Shin bruises."
Kara:  "Ramsey is a happy little boy.  I love hearing his laughter and seeing his smiles."

How does Ramsey show you love?
Eric:  "He beats the hell out of my 'Devil A-Fraw'."  ("The Claw" aka Crazy Hand, but the enhanced "Devil Claw" version.  Ramsey can't say "CLAW", hence it's "AFRAW")
Kara:  "Ramsey gives me hugs and kisses and tells me how much he loves me."

Does Ramsey sleep with a night light?
Yes, he has a night light that is also an essential oil diffuser.  It changes colors.

What is Ramsey's favorite place to travel?
Ramsey said, "I like to go to the mall!"  (They have a large indoor play set there.)

If you could take Ramsey on a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
We'd love to take him to Disney World, to see the live Star Wars shows!  I think we'll be doing this in a year or two.  *wink*

What simple pleasure do you most enjoy with Ramsey right now?
Eric:  "I like how he sits with me when he's really sick." 
Kara: "I love just sitting in bed, snuggling, watching a movie.  Or, going grocery shopping.  Ramsey is my little shopping buddy and we have a great time together."

If you got an extra hour to spend with Ramsey today, what would you want to do?
Eric:  "I would like him to sit nice with me so I could read him a book.  If the ice was off the lake, I'd like to go fishing with him."
Kara: "Snuggle in the bedroom, watching a movie, talking about silly things, and eating Annie's Bunny Cookies."

What is Ramsey's room like?
Light blue (thick horizontal stripes), cherry red furniture, race car bed (that Bumpa made for Connor years ago), airplane pictures and figurines, lots of stuffed animals and books.

Does Ramsey like to sing along to songs?
Ramsey loves to sing along to songs on the radio or TV.  If he doesn't know the words, he makes stuff up.
He is also the "King of Jingles".   Eric will sing the first few words of a jingle or slogan and Ramsey finishes them.  Our favorite... Eric: "Arby's"   Ramsey: "We have THE MEAT!"

Does Ramsey prefer staying home or going out?
He said, "I like to go places and I like to stay home."

Does Ramsey like cats, dogs, or other pets?
"Dogs.  I like dogs.  I like Riggsy."

How would you describe Ramsey's personal style?
Uncombed hair, hanging out in PJs all day.  
Or, Little Mr. GQ when we leave the house.  He likes his red patent high-tops and doesn't mind wearing a bow tie!

Who is Ramsey's favorite superhero right now?
"Wonder Woman," he says, "because she's strong and pretty."   Hubba hubba, Ramsey!

Does Ramsey have a signature dance move?
Ramsey's a great head-banger.  He likes to spin... and jump up and down.

What is one virtue you hope Ramsey will possess?
Kindness.  We teach Ramsey to "Always be kind."

Is there a treat that Ramsey will do anything for?
The kid loves cookies.... and donuts.  And, cookies n' cream ice cream.

A Fine Evening for Firecamping

 A nice weekend evening... perfect for firecamping, S'mores, and playing with the dog!   Ramsey was so engulfed in his marshmallowless [sort-of] S'more that he wouldn't smile nice for the camera.   Connor always smiles nice.  :-)

 "Cheese!"

 He says, "Hey, take a picture of me!  Cheese!", with chocolate all over his face.   Good grief, kid.

Connor got out his tennis racquet and hit the ball for Riggsy, into the lake.

 He hit the ball for him for[ever]!  The poor dog was so worn out, but wanted to keep going.

While Riggs retrieved the balls, Ramsey and Connor played "chase".