Getting Caught Up

 Always. Always getting caught up. I didn't feel quite so bad, seeing as the last post was the end of April. Not everything is photo-worthy. Days are just days and the saying around church is "May is the new December" in the fact that a ton of things are going on and people are busy. True story. Nevertheless, the show must go on!
At the beginning of May, the local train museum opened for the season and Uncle Jeff, the kids and I headed there for some fun on the rails.

The kids loved this so much they took two rides!

We got a 45-minute long caboose ride! A view down the rails..

We took a tour of the owners' suites. Little Man was in train heaven!

Any guesses? It's a toilet! This was the train company owner's room. Bed, toilet, chair, also had a desk and a shower!

There were several trains to crawl on and around. The kids re-enacted a scene from "The Polar Express" in this engine.

 And now, a bunch of random shots that I just loved too much to leave out.

Ryan, combining his two sports loves, by bowling with his golf club. He did a respectable job, too.

My music-obsessed little boy got headphones as big as his head! At least this way I don't have to listen to endless Frankie Valli songs!

This day is gonna come about all to soon! Taking a pretend spin in "Uncle Josh's" convertible.

Is it just me, or does Bella look like Prom Queen?

Off to church one morning. Ryan is holding his umbrella for his sister. That boy is so sweet!

Ryan's fourth birthday! I set my phone to go off at 11:39 am, the time he was born. Found him in the bathroom (no, no-not that-he was doing a car wash in the sink) and snapped a picture of my newly-minted four year old.

Maga and Papa sent a card with money! It was enough to buy- you guessed it-cars. Because 1, 412 is just not enough (although a slight exaggeration).

We had a Hotwheels themed party. But the big "star of the show" was his train table from all the family! It was-and continues to be-a big hit!

Lemonade Day once again! Bella earned almost $60, which was enough to buy a used iPod. Next year we'll either have to run two separate stands, or make it a joint effort. Ryan SO wanted to help with everything!

Bella was complaining about headaches, so a trip to the optometrist revealed that she's near-sighted. Here she is with her new glasses. When I looked at the picture, I laughed at Ryan standing in the corner, sad he couldn't be in the picture...

So Bella got the idea for Ryan to be in the foreground, and she would be in the background, with a mopey face. Sometimes my kids just crack me up.

 The end of kindergarten was filled with a flood of papers coming home, guessing how much lunch money would get us through the rest of the year, and lots of special events. One Carmel Clay Schools tradition is the "Kindy 500." All the kiddos were divided up into teams across classrooms to compete in a bigwheel race in the back parking lot. The kids all made checkered flags, we said the pledge, they crowned a Kindy 500 Queen, and a former teacher sang "Back Home Again in Indiana." We parents ran the pits, and the winning team got half pints of milk! It was a true delight from start to finish.

Geared up and ready to go!

Waiting her turn in line.

Principal Turner, Vice Principal Fagan and the songstress under the "OP Racing Fans Welcome Here" sign.

At the starting line. Those kids were in the zone!

Bella rounding turn four...(ultimately, another team won). Poor girl's knees were scraping the handle bars. And the seat kept falling off our team's bike.

Bella's kindergarten class with her teachers Mrs. Fisher and Mrs. Knight. We were surprised that, as tall as she is (she's #2 in the back row), she's one of the shorter ones in her class!(Clicking on the picture should enlarge it for you.)

 Our adventures for June include a trip to the Creation Museum, a few science lessons, spray parks, and an Indians baseball game. Stay tuned!