Continued Summer Fun

Bridget has been doing very well at potty training this summer, but she finally overcame her fear of going anywhere but home. Erin sent me a text on the 15th that Bridget had used to potty while picking Abigail up from theater camp. I wanted to make a big deal out of it so I took her to her favorite place for super, Pancheros.

Cheese!

Last weekend was Father's Day. On Sunday afternoon, Abigail and I hooked up the boat and headed out to Big Creek. The weather was nice and I'm pretty sure every other dad in the area must have had the same thought because the lake was BUSY. I'm glad we took the boat because I'm not sure there was an unoccupied shore fishing spot. Abigail started catching fish in the first spot we anchored. She caught several small bluegills as well as a 14 inch drum.

Ready to fish

Waiting for the fish to bite

Caught one!

After about 45 minutes Abigail complained that her arm was too tired from catching fish so we cruised around the lake for awhile before loading the boat to head home. 

Driving the boat

Abs helping to unhook the boat

This past weekend went by very fast and I ended up spending a lot of extra time at work. The weather did get a lot nicer so I planned to spend Saturday playing outside. Erin was gone to a women's retreat so it was just me and the girls. I showered quick after getting home from my morning run and we headed outside until after lunch. My sister stopped by with her kids later in the morning to play as well. 

Abigail beat me in bags twice

The Bridge heading down the slide

Snack break

After an afternoon nap, we headed back outside for more fun, this time with Aunt Jess and Uncle Ben in tow. It was a picture perfect day to be outside and a lot of memories were made. I hope that we have a lot more days like that in the future. 

Fun with Jess and Ben

This coming week brings vacation bible school for Abs along with a planned trip to see the ICubs on Tuesday. It also marks the last week of June (how did that happen?), which means that I will officially be off work when I leave next Friday!

Big Changes And Summer Fun

Erin's last day of school was June 5th and as of June 6th she is officially a stay at home mom. I don't plan to go into details in this blog post, but it is an understatement to say that we are all very excited for this new adventure.

Abigail spent June 4 - 8 at my parents house in Evansdale with her cousin Aubree. It is my understanding that they both had a great time although I don't know all of the particulars. What happens at grandma and grandpa's house, stays at their house. During those days Bridget got a lot of one on one time with mommy and loved every minute of it. They went to the zoo, walked to Casey's for donuts, and spent time at the library.

Bridget with her donut

Abigail returned on Thursday and all of the real summer fun began. Erin took the girls to a program at the Urbandale library where the got to climb in and check out all sorts of trucks. 

Checking out a fire truck

Last Tuesday, I took Bridget fishing for her first time (with me at least). She did a good job listening and we actually spent much longer fishing then expected even though we didn't catch any fish. On Thursday evening I took Abigail. My initial plan was to take the boat but with the temperatures heating up I ended up deciding to just head to Big Creek and fish from shore. We caught a few fish, but after about an hour Abigail had enough of the heat and asked to go home. 

The temps kept on heating up, so on Sunday I got out the water table and our inflatable pool. Bridget was not behaving so she lost her chance to play in the pool, but I spent a couple hours with Abigail playing outside while Bridget and Erin played inside. Swimming was about the only thing worth going outside for with temperatures in the 90's and high humidity. 

This week Abigail is attending theater camp and absolutely loves it. They are planning and putting on shows which is a passion of hers. While she is at camp, Erin and Bridget have stayed busy by going to the zoo and playing at a splash pad. Of course, just because I'm at work all day doesn't mean that I miss out on all of the fun. After work today Abigail and I headed to the Clive aquatic center to do some swimming. We had a blast playing in the pool and floating on the lazy river. We even bumped into my nephew, Ethan, while we were there. 

I do hope we get some cooler temperatures in the next few weeks so that we can spend more time outside in the afternoon when I get home from work. 

Memorial Day, Dance Recital, And The End Of A School Year

After spending last Sunday working at the cabin, Erin and the girls drove down to spend the day with me on Monday. It was a beautiful day to play outside. I took several outdoor games with me to the cabin and had them all setup and ready to go when they arrived.

All ready for a fun day!

Rolling the ball down the slide

Hunter getting some attention

After playing for awhile, I grabbed a shovel and we headed down to the garden to plant some watermelons. I dug the holes, Abigail planted the seeds, and Bridget played in the dirt. 

Playing in the garden

Before lunch I hooked up the wagon to the ATV and we all went on a ride around the big field. Then the girls took turns taking a ride around the yard with me. 

Mommy and Bridget riding in the wagon

For lunch I cooked hot dogs over the camp fire. After lunch we started packing everything up before heading home. It was just about the perfect way to spend the holiday. 

It was a good thing that we enjoyed some relaxation time at the cabin, because the rest of the week was crazy. Abigail had her last day of Kindergarten on Wednesday. She also had rehearsal for dance recital on Tuesday and Wednesday evening followed by the dance recital on Friday evening. My mom and mother-in-law attended the recital with Erin and I. Abigail did a great job in both the ballet and on her tap dance performance. 

On Saturday morning Erin and my brother-in-law, Ben, ran the Dam to Dam half marathon. My mother-in-law, Mary helped me take the girls downtown to watch them both finish. It was a miserably hot and humid day but luckily we had a spot to watch that was in the shade of the buildings. Ben and Erin both ran great races and we had a great time cheering on all of the runners. Well, Abigail and I did at least. Bridget spent most of the time playing games on the Kindle.

All of us are very excited for the start of summer vacation!

Grandma Daycare And Surviving The School Year

With less than 2 weeks to go until the end of the school year, we are doing everything that we can to just hang in there. Things always get crazy this time of the year but relief is right around the corner with Erin staying home with the girls.

Last week our daycare provider was on vacation, so my mom graciously agreed to come down to watch Bridget for the week and take Abigail to and from school. The girls loved having grandma here for the week as she always does a great job of keeping them entertained. There was a lot of time spent playing outside, a trip to Burger King for Bridget and McDonalds for Abigail.

We also took the opportunity to start working on potty training with Bridget and I'm glad to say that she is doing great. She spent all 9 days at home wearing big girl underwear during the day with just a few accidents. The bad news is that when returning to daycare this week, she is refusing to use the potty there at all. We aren't quite sure what is up with that, especially since she is still doing great at home in the evenings, but that is just another reason to look forward to the end of the school year.

With more good weather on the way, we are looking forward to a lot of time spent outside in the upcoming week, including a potential family trip to the cabin on Memorial Day!

More Birthdays and Mother's Day

It has been an eventful couple of weeks at our house. A lot of nice weather has given us the chance to spend evenings outside and a week and a half off of running has allowed me more time with the girls.

First of all, I must mention that Abigail has lost her 2nd tooth and a 3rd one is already loose. At this rate, I'm thinking we are going to have to put her on a liquid diet or get her some temporary dentures.

Bridget celebrated her 3rd birthday on May 6th. It was a very nice day so we met my sister, Melissa, her kids, and my parents at a park in Dallas Center for picnic and play time. The kids had a blast and Bridget showed her fearlessness by trying pretty much everything at the playground.

Minnie Mouse, sunglasses, and frozen shoes for this girl

Cousins sitting on a rock, kids still know how to have fun

Picnic lunch with mommy

On Sunday our house and yard filled up with grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and cousins as we celebrated Abigail turning 6 and Bridget turning 3. We had brats and hamburgers for lunch followed by chocolate cake (Bridget's choice) and brownies with frosting (Abigail's choice). Everyone had a great time, especially the kids.

Birthday girls looking into the sun

Opening presents

Opening presents

One night while Erin and Abigail were gone, Bridget and I got the garden planted. She did a great job helping to put the seeds in. She also liked picking rocks out of the garden beds and holding her hand under the hose while I sprayed water. The green beans, carrots, and zucchini are already up but I still have to buy the tomato plants. 

Last Sunday was mother's day so we had the opportunity to celebrate how fantastic of a mother that Erin is. I made her favorite meal, Chicken Parmesan (queue Payton Manning) and she spent the day playing with the girls. My mom arrived Sunday evening in time for supper as she is helping us out this week watching the girls while our daycare is closed. 

Mother and daughters

Easter And Abigail's Birthday

It has been a busy few weeks in the O'Connell household and things are only going to speed up from here. A couple weeks back we spent time celebrating Easter. The day before Easter we headed out to my sister's house for an Easter egg hunt sponsored by the Minburn Library. The girls had a blast! I really like the small town atmosphere out there.

Waiting for the whistle

My parents stayed at our house that night and said it was their first time spending Easter morning with any of their grandkids. The girls found eggs hidden by the Easter bunny before exploring Easter baskets that he left behind before heading off to mass. They were lucky enough to get baskets from both sets of grandparents as well. 

All ready for church on Easter morning

Later in the day we headed back out to Minburn to hunt for more Easter eggs and have a wonderful lunch cooked by my sister. Every time I see my daughters play with their cousins, it brings back such fond memories of playing with my cousins at Grandma and Grandpa O'Connell's house every Easter. 

Cousins!

Last week Abigail's school hosted an art open house. Every student had a piece of artwork they had worked on displayed in the hallways of the school. We got to walk around looking at all of the art then stop in the cafeteria for some cookies. Abigail also got a chance to draw a picture for her teacher. Abigail's artwork was a picture of herself painting because she likes doing art so much. 

Abigail's picture is in the top row above her head

Yesterday was Abigail's 6th birthday. I don't' even know how that is possible but I checked like 10 times and she is indeed 6 years old. She started off her day with a pop tart and eggs for breakfast (her choice). The she spent time reading books and watching some shows on TV. In the afternoon Erin took her to see the play Fancy Nancy at the Des Moines Playhouse before returning home to have Casey's pizza for supper. After supper she got her present from us, it is a portable basketball hoop for the driveway.

A present for all of us really :)

Next Abigail and I made some peanut butter zucchini bread. About a month ago I started a weekly baking/cooking night with Abigail to start teaching her what I know about working in the kitchen. She is becoming an expert in reading recipes and using measuring spoons and cups.

Daddy daughter baking time!

Since we have a joint birthday party for the girls planned for next weekend, we didn't have any cake or dessert planned for this weekend. There were a couple of cupcakes left from the treats that Abigail took to school on Friday so Erin stuck a candle in one and sang happy birthday. 

A single candle in a lonely cupcake

We ended up making it a weekend long celebration. Grandma Weiler was in town for a baby shower and spent the night at our house so the girls got a chance to play with her and Great Grandma Engelmann this morning before heading to church. Abigail also got to open a birthday present from Great Aunt Lisa and Great Uncle Mark. 

She says it is her new fishing hat

To cap off the weekend we headed to Red Robin for dinner. There was a bit of a wait as the restaurant was understaffed, but the food did not disappoint. Abigail had her favorite, mac and cheese with mandarin oranges and topped it off with a birthday sundae as the staff sang a birthday song to her. 

Mommy stealing some of the birthday girls dessert

An Exciting Week!

It sure was an exciting week in our house. Abigail lost her first tooth at school last Wednesday. It has been loose for quite awhile and she finally managed to wiggle it enough to get it out. Oh yes, and the best part is that the tooth fairy came!

After Bridget crawled out of her crib last weekend, we finally decided on Friday to convert her crib into a toddler...I mean "big girl bed". She has done an outstanding job so far at both not falling out of bed as well as staying in bed during naps and at night. 

Proud of her big girl bed

She kept getting in my way while I was converting the crib so I
had to punish her in the worst way possible

On Saturday Erin decided to take the girls out to Bass Pro to see the Easter bunny. I can't really share much about this as I did not go along. Taking the girls to see the Easter bunny or Santa Claus are 1 of my top 2 LEAST favorite things to do. I have taken them by myself several times so it was nice to get a break this time. No worries though, they were great for Erin and didn't have to wait long at all. 

Abigail also went to a cheer leading/tumbling clinic on Saturday and had a lot of fun. Bridget and I spent the time making a brief visit to see my sister and her kids out in Minburn. All of us spent time outside enjoying the nice weather on Sunday. Abigail played outside for a couple hours while I worked on a project in the garage. Erin took Bridget out to a Creamery where she got to see a "baby cow" and try all sorts of dairy goodies. 

This week promises to be another exciting one with more chances to see family while celebrating Easter next weekend.