School's Out For Summer 2023!

 My Dearest Evan,

You are a roller coaster in life right now, son! You have wonderful moments where you are so kind and giving and sweet and loving. And you have not so wonderful moments where you whine and think the world is out to get you. Dad and I are working hard to make sure you understand the consequences of your actions when you're having not so wonderful moments - and also praising the wonderful moments too.

You finished the preschool year so well - graduating AND getting the virtues award at the graduation ceremony. Dad says that's because you're a tattle tale ;) but I am happy you're staying true to yourself!

You also finished the soccer season and pronounced you want to do flag football so we did one camp and you're in love (for now). You actually did catch the very first ball ever thrown to you! So you are signed up for the fall season with eight games and a tournament. You're currently training to be a receiver. Something new to all of us: it requires a mouthpieces and a cup! Oh my little boy! You're also saying you want to do baseball in the spring so we will see about that when it gets closer.

After graduation we went to Great Wolf Lodge in Scottsdale to kick the summer off right and you really loved that. Then you had tennis camp, which you lied, and then we went to Boston for Avery to attend a soccer camp. That gave dad and me five days of toodling around New England with you while she was in camp! We had a blast and you kept asking to go back to see the dinosaurs over and over again!

You also still have quite a few cutie little boy words and phrases you're saying:

• Markof is when you have pain in your lower abdomen as you fart or prepare to poop. We now all use this term - no clue where you got it!
• Sheesh in July instead of Sweet Caroline - we learned this as the Boston Red Sox game during their traditional playing of the song!
• Frain Breeze - I just love this one because you say it with such commitment! I know it's just a matter of time until you get it right so I"m trying to enjoy it while you're mixing it up.
• You have figured out how to say "tired" the right way so it's no longer "tie-red"
• When prepping you for the Boston vacation, you said "so we get to suck our thumb and say bad words?!?!" like that's your ideal vacation from life - haha! Your mind works in mysterious ways!

Here's your life in pictures right now:

Easter baskets!

Swim season!

Finishing up the soccer season with coach Matt!

Celebrating Avery's birthday!

You like to play with Damian and Marco, Gabby's brothers, while Avery plays soccer

School! Goofy!

Fountains in Scottsdale - we went for a day trip.

Your final Webby dance was fantastic - you're so precise in your movements!

Helping Avery celebrate her birthday at Fintastics!

You were so scared on this one - it just went up and down

Taking a break at the splash pad area of Funtastics

Trampoline park

Avery's pinata!

Last photo at Leman preschool!

You love this marble run you got for Christmas!

Teeth check - good!

Prepping our annual custom jersies for the trip to Boston!

Your flag football team is the Dolphins! These guys are so hard core which will be good for you to build some grit but also a little different than our desires: they want to win trophies, we want you to catch the ball!

Your preschool graduation gift!

Party time!

Oh my heart! You're pointing at me in your song!

The virtues award!

Visiting the new version of Toys-R-Us in Macys

Playing with Pascal and Camilla, Eva's sister...while the girls play soccer

Diamondbacks game!

And snakes, of course!

Phoenix Children's Museum!

Dance time at Great Wolf Lodge!

Yummy smoothies at GWL!

Tennis camp!

Red Eye to Boston! You liked it, Avery didn't - not surprising!

Eating on the same bench we ate with Avery on when she was one (in Boston)!

Regular work outs with dad during the summer!

Boston Tea Party Museum!

Boston Science Center was awesome!

Tired babes!

Yummy breakfast place near our hotel in downtown Boston

Getting ready to take off!

Boston Aquarium!

Avery's camp

Beautiful location. You liked doing sprints up and down the sidelines

Red Sox playing the Yankees - thank you, Raytheon and Aunt Ash, for the best seats!

One Patriots Place, of course

In Boston, you wanted to go to a farm a feed animals so we found one!

Feeding a boa a rat!

More New England farm time

Fresh off the farm grub for lunch!

Fresh farm ice cream too!

The tongue tickled your hand!

Waiting for dinner in Cape Cod!

Trying to find our photographer in Cape Cod

You really wanted to see dinosaurs while we were in Boston so we found the Rhode Island Zoo had a dinosaur exhibit and went - you LOVED it!

They set it up like finding dinosaurs in the wild (and try to scale sizing)!

Every year!

First time bowling ever - was in Boston! You did really well

Football camps!

Good catch right here!

Watching Avery's camp close out

Still occassionally finding time for the water table

Coffee maker broke on my birthday so we went to Dunkin Donuts for some coffee and you and Avery got treats!

July 3 fireworks at the FC Tucson game - with soccer friends, of course!

And Avery got a cast on - you have swimmer's ear and Avery has a buckle fracture!

You were really good when the doctors were tending to Avery!

Oh Evan, I can't get enough of you! You have some more excitement coming up, as we visit family in Kansas City later this month, you have a soccer camp with Avery and you start your official football practices. You also start Kinder at Avery's school and we're planning a football treat for dad for his birthday coming up! 

I love you to pieces, little man.

All My Love,

Mom