Last Day of Pre-K and Loads of Park Fun

The Blog post is a day early because Mommy and Daddy are going to a Brad Paisley concert Sunday night (Daddy's Father's Day gift) at Darien Lakes Performing Arts Center .

We had an uneventful week and are thankful everyone is happy and healthy.
Ayson had his last day of school on Monday! His Teachers sent home a nice picture of his class with all of the kid's names.

Monday:
Addie playing with her dress up dolls






Ayson's Pr-K class


Gifts from Ayson's Pre-K Teachers:






LAST day on the bus as a Pre-K student!



On Tuesday night, Mommy and Daddy had wine with the neighbors. Gianna watched the kids (they were already in bed) and Mommy and Daddy caught up with Neighbors Denise and Rick and Jo and Dave.



Thursday:
Since it was rainy, the kiddos played with "squishy sand"



Happy Friday!
Ayson snagged the camera on Friday night



Mommy knew the weather was supposed to be rainy for a majority of the weekend so we made sure to make the most of Friday night and Saturday morning!
We went to the "Big Park" for a bit of fun on the playground equipment and road the bikes



Ayson posing with his visor backwards...just like his friend, Chase, (we saw at Chase with his Daddy at the park)



After the Big Park, we picked peas and red and black raspberries in the yard.  Mommy has many fond memories of picking peas and raspberries from her yard, her friend Barbie's yard, AND picking strawberries from Grandma Jennie's front porch strawberry patch.  Daddy's memories of picking strawberries from the massive garden Grandma Collene had are not so fond :)



Daddy showing the kids the difference between red and black raspberries



Bounce time...everyone in the air!



On Saturday, we all slept in...ahh!  Then we got up, had a quick breakfast, and made our way outdoors before the rain started.  We went to Green Lakes State Park (just east of Syracuse).  Of course, the playground equipment was a big hit!



The equipment was pretty cool and both Mommy and Daddy wished they had a set up like this when we were little!






Then we went for a stroll around the lake.





The path around the Lake reminded Mommy and Daddy of the bike path on the perimeter of Mackinac Island (cedar trees around the edge and steep sides/cliffs)


Daddy pointing out a fish to the kiddos


Getting our toes wet at the swimming beach portion of Green Lake


After the park, we went to lunch at Bonefish Grill (the kids were great) and then we went to Hobby Lobby so that Ayson could buy a new robot toy (with his own money...both kids paid for a portion of their own new toy).
Addie wanted a new kitty and Mommy was not certain we would be able to find stuffed animals but luckily the store had a small shelf of stuffed animals and Addie picked out a kitty that looks just like "New Kitty."  So now we have "New Kitty" and "Brand New Kitty."

Ayson's new vacuum robot.  Other than the wires, he put the parts together by himself by looking at the pictures.


The boys and the new toy


Brand New Kitty, Addie, and a freshly washed New Kitty!

Mumford Concert, Cook Out, and Happy Father's Day!

On Monday, Mommy and Daddy went to Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, Canada for the Mumford and Sons concert (Mommy's Mother's Day gift to herself :)  The kids spent the night at Linda's house, a sleep over.  The kids were SO excited for the sleep over!!!  Ayson told all of his teachers and friends at school that he was going to a sleep over!!  The kids did great and Amy and Adam had a fantastic time at the concert (we tried not to call ourselves "Mommy" and Daddy" while on our little adventure :)

For Father's Day weekend, we went to Grandma Collene's for a cook out. Happy Father's Day to all of the Dad's in our life!


Amy and Adam on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, near the mouth of the Niagara River, in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario.



The concert venue was at Butler Barracks: most famous use was during the American Revolutionary War



Listening to the opening bands.  They were pretty good!



The four musicians that make up Mumford and Sons (on the big screen). It was an outdoor concert and the weather was perfect...once the sun set :)



The concert was amazing and everyone was dancing and singing the entire time.  We were able to get up pretty close to the stage.


What a fantastic night!



All week, Ayson kept bringing home various Father's Day gifts for Daddy.


A framed picture of Ayson holding a Father's Day sign.


Trampoline time with Daddy!
Superwoman Addie


Superman Ayson



A bit of Ayson's school work:






Ayson has come such a long way in his coloring!









The cute "tie" that Ayson made for Daddy



Addie and "New Kitty."  New Kitty is never far from Addie!



On Thursday, Ayson had a lunch picnic at school and Daddy attended and had lunch with Ayson!


Playtime!





Lily, Ayson, and Phoenix



On Friday, A^4 went to Grandma Collene's for the weekend.  Daddy and Uncle Jay built an off set smoker out of cement blocks (a red neck smoker :) and then they tested it out on family and friends on Saturday.

Jacob, Riley, Ayson, and Addie playing with Ruby


Everyone posing with the smoker


Pretty sunset with a sliver of moon in the left section of the picture.  The sunset looks like Daddy's tattoo!



Placing gobs and gobs of meat on the grill Saturday morning around 10 am.



The boys with their bounty


Cheese!



Auntie Fran and Addie



Grandma and a cold/wet Ayson



Jacob carrying Addie like a "sack of potatoes"



Both Riley and Jacob are GREAT with the younger kids!  Our 2 have such fun with their cousins!


Auntie Fran brought her puppy, Eli, and Eli's chew toy (a rubber chicken) was a big hit with the dogs AND the kids.  Just give both a card board box or rubber chicken and nothing else is needed:)


Addie and an extended cousin on the teeter totter





Horseshoes for the big kids








Ayson had fun with Jacob, and 2 little girls, Rory and Jessie.



Addie, Grandma, Aunt Sally (Ric's sister), and Mary Kate (friend)




Addie watering Grandma's flowers Sunday morning with the rubber chicken...sigh.



During our last fishing trip at the Big Park, Ayson's fishing pole was not working right.  So, Daddy purchased a new BIG Boy pole for Ayson and we gave it to him Sunday afternoon.  Ayson was so excited!