It's HOT!

I can't believe that I've been reduced to talking about the weather, but it's true.  The weather and all of it's awfulness is a topic that just can't be avoided because...


It's HOT in Kansas!


Super, super HOT...


as in close to 110 temperatures every day...


that kind of HOT!


I no longer even hope for a day when the temperature is less than 100 degrees.  


These awful HOT days result in much too much time indoors. 


And too much time indoors translates to boredom...


and lots of sibling fighting...


and total mommy frustration!


I was so excited for the summer days and all of the fun things I wanted to do with the kids.  But all that planned fun wasn't happening because I couldn't bring myself to drag four kids out into the unbearable heat... ever!  And I was beginning to feel an enormous amount of "mom guilt" over the lack of fun I'd been having with my kids.  But with no end to the 100+ temperatures in sight, I finally realized that I have no choice but to embrace the heat!


So on one HOT day last week, I hosted a Water Party play date... complete with bubbles, hula hoops, water squirters, sidewalk chalk, pools of water, water guns, watering cans and lots of snacks!

I had about 16 little people playing outside in my backyard and they were having so much fun, it made the heat {kind of} bearable for the mom's watching them have a fabulous time!  


And just to relieve myself of a little more of that "mom guilt", I planned a trip to the Drive In too!  I've been wanting to take the kids to the Drive In all summer long, but kept waiting for a "cooler" night to do it.  After realizing that there simply isn't going to be a cooler night, I called a few other families and we decided to embrace the heat again and just do it!  So with popcorn popped, PJ's on, and coolers packed, off to the Drive In we went...

 

It's HOT in Kansas!


I'm sweaty and tired and often grumpy because of it. 


But as summer draws to a close (a bit too quickly), I'm realizing that we can still have a lot of summer fun if I just force us to get out of the house and embrace the heat...


even if it tires us all out!

I Finally Got it!

A picture of Abby's 1st tooth!

{bottom left}

*****

Shhhh....

I got a bit behind with 4 month pictures!  

I may have had to do them at the same time as the 5 month ones!

She'll never know, right?!

The Sweetest Things

I have many days when I feel like my head might explode due to the behavior, or rather misbehavior, of my children.


Days when it feels all I do is clean up messes, break up fights, correct misbehaviors, negotiate deals to get toys picked up, make threats, utilize the "naughty spot", and clean up more messes.


It can be downright exhausting...
 frustrating...
discouraging.


But somehow in the midst of all of it, the sweetest things still happen...


Like Emily waking me up in the morning by rubbing my back with her tiny hands...


or


Molly running to get a "boo boo pack" for her sissy who has an "owie"...


or 


Noah entertaining his baby sister with 100% delight...


or


All three of them playing pretend together.


That's one of the great things about being a parent...


Even on the most frustrating days, which are frequent in number, the sweetest things still happen... if only I let go of the frustration long enough to notice them! 

She Can

 Smile {April 4, 2012}

Grab her Toes {June 8, 2012}

Sit in a BUMBO Seat {June 15, 2012}

Stick out her Tongue {June 28, 2012}

Roll Over Both Ways {July 6, 2012}

Reach for a Toy {July 7, 2012}

Sleep in a Big Bed {July 6, 2012}

Cut a Tooth {poked through July 7, 2012}

Favor a Lovie {July 2012}
All of my kids have a special something (puppy or "softie") that they have to sleep with.  It appears that Abby may be favoring this little white "softie" made by her YaYa

Make me Smile Every Single Time her Eyes Lock with Mine and she Gives me her Great Big Beautiful SMILE!

Little Things {early summer 2012}

As it always does, time marches on at whirlwind speeds.  It seems it was only days ago that I was anticipating the carefree, schedule-less days of summer.  And now, half the summer has come and gone and the "back to school" days are coming much too quickly.  While I can't say that these early summer days have been as carefree as I envision in my utopian mind, they have been filled with lots of fun and special moments.  And I've tried to remember to "snap" them into eternity when I see them happening!  So without further ado...

The Holtzman Family

Little Things {early summer 2012}

{Finding a new thing to play with... TOES!}

{Nursing her Baby}

{Funny Baby Hair}

{Baby Sun Hats}

{Building Forts}

{A Brown Eyed Daddy's Girl}

{Imagination.  On a pretend airplane}

{Taking a Puppy in a Purse to a Ball Game}

{Family Game Night planned by Noah & Emily}

{Practicing Baseball in a Poodle Skirt & Pink Sparkle Shoes}

{Backyard Baseball}

{Funny Molly... in glasses & a Minnie dress}

{Pretend Play... taking her baby on a vacation in a leotard & blinged out headband!}

{Swimming Smiles}

 

{Pride.  Her first ever take home craft}

{Shaving Cream Fun with Friends}

{Admiration}

{Hello & Goodbye}

{Independence. Letting her choose her own shoes for a ball game}

{Little Girl Friends at Church Camp}

{7 Year Old BFF's}

{Time at YaYa's House}

{Pure Summer Exhaustion}

{Flowers... that are still ALIVE!}

Here's to the rest of the summer and 

more "little" memories to snap into eternity!