May 2018

This face...

Summer is officially here!

May is always one of the busiest months of the year for me with end-of-the-year chaos at school. And this month brought lots of parties, traveling, and visits with family and friends too, so it was exceptionally busy and flew by. Buckle up, there are a lot of pics in this post!

We went to FOUR birthday parties this month which meant tons of playing with friends, running around, and most importantly (to Noah)... the cake!

After an hour of bouncing, time for a group photo! "Make a silly face!" Noah isn't feeling it, apparently.

Seeing all these friends together at birthday parties is the best. Their kindness and excitement is so sweet to watch. 

More birthday fun at Desmond's party!

And of course, plenty of chase!

These four kiddos. They're just the best. <3

Heading to Maisie and Coraline's party!

Enjoying a frozen hot chocolate before getting wet!

Ah, the Parker scowl is strong in this one.

Maisie and Coraline did an awesome job of helping me keep cool in the 90+ degree heat by continuously dumping water on my feet. Thanks, girls!

Noah discovered a new love of squirt guns!

All that splashing worked up an appetite.

A lap full of kiddos. I am so lucky!

In the middle of the month we travelled to MN for a weekend to attend a wedding. Jordan's friend from college, Matthew, got married at his parents gorgeous home a little ways outside of the cities. My parents were nice enough to meet us at the hotel so Noah got some special grandma and grandpa Parker time while Jordan and I got to enjoy being alone with other grown-ups for the first time in a LONG time! It was a very quick, whirlwind trip but it was so great to see friends that we haven't been able to see in forever.

12+ hours in the car. Noah was an expert traveler!

Morning hang-out in the hotel.

This is the life! Noah watching cartoons, I'm working on grading, remnants of breakfast everywhere, and everyone still in PJs. We should go on vacations more often!

Noah has been very into imaginative play with his Paw Patrol figurines lately. At Desmond's Pokemon birthday party, he got a little Pikachu figure that I thought would be a good addition to Noah's playset so I packed it in with them. Apparently Noah disagreed as he immediately tossed poor Pikachu out of his bed when he discovered him mixed in with his pups.

While playing in his tent, "Pikachu, what are you doing here? You're not in the Paw Patrol!" Rejected again. Sorry Pikachu. Maybe we need to work more on teaching inclusion.

All dressed up for the wedding!

Jordan and Tanya- reunited after too long!

Matthew and Cassidy had such lovely details- their wedding was beautiful!

Despite a little rain and cool temps, it was a lovely day.

Aw, look at us!

2012 at our wedding vs. 2018 at Matthew's. We love these people and were so happy to get to reconnect with them. Geoff was definitely missed so I used my expert photoshop skillz to make sure he got into the picture as well. :)

Jordan had a great time reminiscing with his former roommates!

The day after the wedding was our long drive back to Madison, and it also happened to be Mother's Day. Because it ended up being a day of travel, unpacking, and getting ready for the week, Jordan and Noah did a Mother's day re-do the following weekend. I was lucky enough to sleep in, get breakfast in bed, and have fun with my family- what else could a mom want?! That weekend was also my last Sunday school class. I made a little art project to do with the kids using clay and paint and it was a big hit!

On Mother's Day at a rest stop in MN. How did this kiddo get so big?!

The remnants of my breakfast in bed- eggs, ebelskivers, and fruit with hot coffee. I am a lucky girl!

I love these dudes so much.

Coffee shop fun!

The kids did a great job with their painting! They were so careful making their designs. I think this was the first time that the whole class of kids was actually quiet and focused- behold, the power of Art!

Even the other adults in the class got into it!

The results! Added some sparkle sealant and leather cord to finish and everyone had a necklace to wear home.

One of the sweet kiddos in my class braided my hair before we left. Working with 6-7 year olds was definitely a new challenge for me, but I will miss the hugs and over-the-top enthusiasm! 

Near the end of the month, my parents came to visit with their camper for about a week. They always stay at a lovely campground and it's so nice to have them here and get to visit for an extended time.

Ahhh, this is the life!

Could these two be any cuter?

<3

The weather was perfect for just hanging out, enjoying the sunset. 

Keith always has the best accessories.

Keith's sunglasses: Who wore it better?

Noah, obvs.

Parkers are experts at relaxing.

Also, we're experts are eating s'mores.

And safety experts. Stay away from the fire!

Awww, look at those Parkers!

These are my guys!

Noah learned how to do bunny ears... kind of.

And as always, the random pictures at the end of the post that didn't really fit anywhere else... we have been trying to actually put plants around the outside of our house and keep them alive, and Jordan is cultivating a small garden in his office at work... food... friends... splashpad... check it out. 

We've made lot of greenhouse visits this month!

Jordan's office greenery

Noah and I had a special big breakfast one weekend while Jordan slept in. (Can you tell that Jordan and I both really value and miss being able to sleep in on weekends?! I think we're both looking forward to the day that Noah isn't up and ready to go by 6am even on Saturdays...)

Monkey faces are common around here...

Wedding dress shopping with adorable Carrie!

Hotdogs and neon orange mac & cheese. Yum!

My fave summer drink!

A vet check-up for Jack- I like the mix of fear and curiosity on his face. All is well with him, I have a feeling this hardy cat is going to end up being 25 years old. (Much to the chagrin of Jordan!)

Noah and his best buddy from preschool, Jake. These two.

Splashpad fun!

So cozy.

The many face of Noah watching a "scary" movie. It will probably be awhile before we take this sensitive dude to see a movie in a theatre- he is overwhelmed with the sounds and action on our TV at home. I can't imagine his reaction to the big screen!

After noticing my painted toenails, he asked if I would do his. Of course I will!

He picked out a sparkly green for his big toes (it's pretty translucent and didn't show up much here) and gold for the other toes. He informed me that "this will help me not bump into things." Sounds good, dude.

Whew! We only have 4 days of school left and then I'm officially on summer break. Although between traveling and teaching summer school, my time is already pretty full in the coming months, I'm looking forward to having a change of schedule. See you in June!