Case Playground and Jasper's milestone

Jasper mastered the monkey bars. We have been going to the local elementary school playground. The playground is pretty great as it is just the right size for the boys. They are able to do plenty of climbing like the monkeys they are and if they fall, it is not far enough for them to get hurt. Jacob tried the monkey bars too but hung there. I am proud of them.

We back another time and a little girl was helping them do the monkey bars they were higher up. Jacob was in awe.

I'm really grateful we live close to so many playgrounds.

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Camping!!!!

On July 11th, we had our first family camping experience. We stayed at Marblehead off Lake Erie. Joy's mom stayed over our house watching Ace.
We spent the afternoon at the beach. The water in Lake Erie looked a little iffy, so we mostly stayed on the beach in the sand. We made a lake, dam, and river in the sand
After we got to the camp site, I took the boys to the playground while Joy put the tent together.
The boys liked the playground but I thought it would be better.
After Joy put the tent together we went for a walk by the lake but the Mosquitos got bad so we headed back.
The boys spent most of the night after jumping in the bounce house which was our tent with an air mattress.
After dinner, I went to find a trash can and use the bathroom. When I came back it was dark. Joy and the boys were in the car. Joy said to me "they want to go home, convince them this is fun."
Afterwords we caught fireflies. They were having a lot of fun but then got too dark to catch them.
Joy brought out the glow sticks. They had fun with the glow sticks. We brought them in the tent. Then after some fussing with the glow sticks that were hanging, we tried to do bedtime.
Jacob was really upset I wasn't reading them a bedtime story. Which was my fault, I should have not tried bedtime without one. So I grabbed my nook and read to them. Eventually they fell asleep.
I was waiting for any minute to wake up crying and then us driving home. So I had a hard time sleeping. However we made it through the night!!
The moment we all woke up, we drove home. The boys were glad to be home.
I thought the camping trip was a mild success. I'm happy we made it through the night but not sure we will try camping again any time soon.
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Fourth of July

For the Fourth of July, we went to the Cleveland zoo with grandma and uncle John.

We ended up staying there for four hours. The boys went down the big slide and also went on the large spider web. We saw the dinosaurs. Uncle John got the boys lemonades and elephant straws. We also went to the rain forest.




The fireworks in Akron were really cool. We ended up in a children's hospital parking lot. Not very crowded, which was nice.

We showed up about an hour early after playing at the park and getting ice cream.



The boys played in the parking lot. Jasper was jumping from parking spot to spot then Jacob joined.




After they were getting wild, Jasper sat with grandma while Jacob and I watched a girl light of smoke bombs.

The fireworks were really amazing.


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Fireworks at Fairlawn

Last Sunday, we saw the fireworks in Fairlawn. We watched from a cemetery. The boys had glow sticks and loved throwing them and running after them.

Jacob was under the impression that Captain America was going to be there because I told him it was America's birthday.

When the fireworks started, Jacob got really close and say in my lap. He was a little scared but eventually started to wander a little.

Jasper was setting in front of Joy, directing the fireworks. He waving his arms to bring in the fireworks. Joy tried to scoot him in closer, but me moved further.

They loved the fireworks. After the fireworks, we walked and drove through the cemetery. The boys fell asleep in the car on the way home.

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Pool time!!

Joy caught me in the pool with the boys

Fishing!

Joy's mom called during the week saying she was buying the boys fishing pools. So Joy arranged us all to go fishing last Saturday.

I talked to someone at work and she said due to the heat, the fish probably wouldn't bite. I said that's fine with me.

I haven't fished since I was in middle school and don't really remember catching anything. And there's being a vegetarian and all.

We headed up to Wadsworth and I quickly got over my fear of baiting maggots.

Jasper was with grandma and Joy and I was with Jacob when Jacob caught his first fish.

We reeled him in through the seaweed. I panicked and had Joy come over to help. She tried to get the hook out of him and threw him back.

I did the next one... And got over my fear of touching fish and de-hooking them. We let the boys throw them back.

We brought root beers with us. Right, fishing and (root) beers???

I was eventually with Jasper and Jacob was with Joy and Grandma. At this point, Jasper was heavily into his root and throwing rocks in the water. He would laugh and say "boom!"

We caught a few fish while Jacob kept reeling them in.

We eventually stopped for a picnic and played at the playground.

There was big pole you can slide. It was big enough where I could slide down. I went down and it hurt my hands.

Then Jasper went down like it was nothing. He had a blast. Eventually Jacob did it too. He was a little more scared to go down but he got over his fear after the first time.

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Big boy beds

The weekend after the boys birthday party they got big boy beds. Joy bought them bunk beds but set them up as individual beds.

I was sad at first because I thought it would be the start of not cuddling in and reading them to sleep.

But we still do. We group in Jacob's bed and I read to them. When they fall asleep I put Jasper in his bed.

They love their beds. They Thomas the train sheets/pillows, also Toy Story (buzz!) sheets/pillows and comforter.