How Much Can We Squeeze?

How much can we squeeze into a week?  It's been crazy, and rather emotional for me.  I'd like to blame it all on pregnancy hormones, but a good bit I'll have to blame on John and Eve's phenomenal teachers this year.  Anyway, let the squeezing begin!  We started off by seeing how much fun and shrimp we could squeeze.  The answer was...A LOT!  Yum!

 This has been quite a tradition for us on or near Memorial Day.  It moved from NC with college friends to home the day Eve was born, and has become a fun tradition with our friends at home.

 This year the kids actually enjoyed playing on their own quite a bit, and we enjoyed being able to enjoy each others' company a bit more than in years past.

 Carys is such a cute!

 What's a southern picnic without watermelon?  I don't know.  I've never heard of such a thing and it sounds crazy to me.

 Look, Dad, I got my hand a little dirty (Krispy Kremes with ice cream and chocolate.  Mrs. Suzie is the Sugar Bomb!)

 During the week we squeezed in end of the year program for Eve (I only to video, no stills), and Kindergarten graduation for John.  I really can't say how much I loved their teachers.  Mrs. Storch kneeling and Mrs. Howell standing.  John really didn't want to pause for a picture.  They gave superlatives all related to candy.  He got the Life Savers award for being so helpful to his teachers.  Anyway, about their teachers, I can't imagine any other teachers (and I'll include John's teachers from last year) being so patient and loving to the kids.  They genuinely listened to the kids' stories, and even cried when they hugged the kids goodbye today, the last day of school.  I couldn't even look at them without tearing up.  They were so so very wonderful.

 There's my handsome grad...home from the last day of school.

 Our new tradition, 2 years running, is the summer do.  It hit 90 today.  I think this was a nice treat.
Tonight we also chased the balloons and had a blast doing it; although we had to wait forever for them to launch.  The weather was hot, but perfect balloon weather.  I counted at least 30 balloons, and they were beautiful as always.  Unfortunately, you'll miss out on hundreds of pictures because I left the camera card at home.  We had a great time, though, and this year John was brave enough to go close to the balloon, just holding his hands over his ears when they fired the burner.  Ellie and Eve were a little nervous about the noise, but a little distance and they were fine.

 AND, how much can we squeeze in one room?  Since school's out, as a late birthday present for Ellie and early one for Eve, they each got a new big girl bed, and all three kids are now in the same room.  Our neighbors graciously gave us the beds, and we got matching linens for the girls.  We still need to rearrange wall decorations a bit.  I was pleased at how everything fit.

 John helped assemble the beds and was excited they'd all be sharing.

 Eve was thrilled and immediately bouncing on the bed.  She's been in a toddler bed for a long time now, but it's the crib with the front off, so this still seems like more of a big girl bed, and the lady bug comforter is fun.

Ellie was also trilled and immediately bouncing.  They were all pretty wound up for quite some time, at least an hour or so.  They were still going when it was time for us to go watch the balloons.  Tonight we got home late from balloon chasing and still had to eat, so I didn't close their door until 9:22.  I'd say within 20 minutes they were fairly quiet, just a bump here and there, but up until then it was clear that waiting for the summer but not waiting for October was a good idea.  They're going to love it.  Whew!  I'm emotionally spent!