Saturday

Aren't they cute!? The boys had to dress exactly like their Daddy

Mads has been admiring me painting my toenails, so I bought some very light pink polish for her. She was so cute watching me paint her toenails. The sweetest thing was the boys' reactions! They were enthralled with the process and were telling Mads how pretty she was and giving her hugs. It was precious!

JC ran to get her princess tiara!

Family Swim

Tonight some sweet friends invited us over to their neighborhood pool to swim and have pizza.We had a great time and even saw a rainbow when it started lightly raining. I was in the pool and didn't have my camera in hand to snap a pic of it! Thanks Loudons for having us over! You guys are precious!

MG checking everything out when we arrive

Mads getting in the little pool with Daddy

The boys having pizza

The girls having pizza

The boys decide to go sit and eat with the Daddies

Caden play foosball

Treasure Hunt

For where your treasure is, your heart will also be. Matthew 6:21

We had our co-op today and the kids enjoyed painting treasure chests and learning a new bible verse. They talked about having a heart for Jesus and storing up treasures in heaven. Mrs. Ashley led them on a fun treasure hunt throughout the house that led to a treasure chest cake that was yummy!

Markers

Unbeknownst to me, the Mads confiscated a permanent marker today and colored her pretty face and dress! Luckily, it didn't get on anything else. This was one of my favorite dresses too, even though it was a $2.98 thrift store find. Oh well! It reminds me of last year when KK used his room time to color his entire body. I found the pics and had to post those too!

"I wonder if my Mommy will like my new look?"

I think his explanation was he was trying to make a colorful costume!

La Tortuga and a Wild Adventure

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Gal 6:9

I am very behind in my posts of our school lessons! In May we did Lesson #6 of MFW-K. The theme is Turtle - I don't quit; I persevere. We enjoyed learning about different types of turtles and also loved the books we read about perseverance. Here are some of our favorites:

The neatest thing about this lesson, however, were the opportunities the Lord gave us to talk about perseverance. Right after we finished this lesson, KK had a chance to go fishing with his Daddy and Pappy. He was SO excited! They bought a special life jacket and fishing pole and made a special trip into Georgia to buy crickets. As soon as they got to the pier, Pappy and Daddy knew they needed to get KK's fishing line ready first. Daddy also told him to be sure to simply drop his line off the dock instead of trying to toss it out. They got a cricket on the hook for him and then he dropped it down into the water and started watching the bobber. Pappy and Daddy were busy getting their fishing poles ready and weren't paying attention to what KK kept saying over and over again. It wasn't until he reeled in a brim that they realized he had been trying to tell them he caught a fish! Not only did he catch the first fish of the trip, but it was also his first catch ever!

His next cast into the river wasn't as rewarding. He forgot to drop the line into the water and instead flung it high the air and lost the bait. Not only that, but the line went wildly in the air and the hook caught his left cheek. He freaked out and started tugging even harder on the line--he didn't realize he was pulling the sharp hook deeper into his face! Kevin was screaming for him to quit pulling the line and KK panicked and threw his entire fishing pole down on the dock! So there he was standing on the dock with a fishing hook and pole dangling from his cheek! By God's grace, the barbs of the hook had not gone all the way through his skin, so they were able to finally get the hook out.

Had the hook incident happened to me, I would have probably packed up my stuff and headed back to the house. I would have given up on fishing and laid in bed with ice on my cheek the rest of the day! I think there is something special about the bond of men on any kind of wild adventure--they want to stick it out and be tough. KK was no exception and didn't miss a beat getting back into the game--he caught one more fish during their trip.

He has talked about his fishing trip a lot since we've been home. He made a book and colored pages showing what happened and named his book "A Fishing Trip of Perseverance." We have talked a lot about how he didn't give up in spite of the fish hook incident and how neat it was that God gave him a story of perseverance. One night when I was putting him to bed, he said "Mom, I have a fishing story of my own!" He said he's going to tell his story to his kids when he's a Daddy and he's also going to make sure to tell them not to throw their fishing line out in the water, but to drop it down off the dock!

Blueberries

Our sweet neighbor has invited us to pick blueberries in her backyard for the past 2 years. This year MG was able to participate too. She loves blueberries and ate them straight from the bush! The boys were real adventurous and climbed between the two bushes to find the really big berries. It was a lot of fun and we thank Ms. Rachel for inviting us!

The boys reaching up high

Mads getting in on the action

KK in the blueberry jungle!

Aaaaahhhh! We saw a grand daddy long leg!

The fruit of our labor :)

Picnic at the Park

Tonight we packed up our cooler and loaded up the kids for a picnic at the park with friends. The park we went to is close to our house and our kids beg to go there every time we drive past it. It really is an awesome park with a lot of different equipment for them to play on and it also has a nearby lake for feeding fish and ducks. There is a huge adjacent field that they love running through. Little MG is starting to become a handle because she rarely wants to play in the same place as the boys and she likes to run off on her own! Tonight we walked across the entire field all the way to the top of the hill to sit under a shade tree and have our picnic. It was a long haul and MG kept running off down the hill towards the play area! It was a nice time with friends and the kids enjoyed playing together. Mr. Sean brought his Monkeyball set and the adults were able to play intermittently between interruptions from the little ones.

MG turning around to see if anyone is chasing after her down the big hill

The boys checking out Monkeyball...KK seems to think they are numchucks

Hopefully JC is sharing...not sure!

Lovin that juice box

Ms. Ashley taking the kids for a wagon ride - it was a breeze pulling the kids downhill, but a real workout pulling them back up!

Strikers Destroy Damerons

We finally got out of the house last night with our sweet friends for a night of bowling! I think they had almost given up hope that we'd ever go out with them again. We canceled our last two bowling dates because of sick children. We were met with a string of obstacles yesterday with another sick child and our babysitter calling to cancel! However, we overcame those obstacles...we were resolved not to let our friends down again! We knew we HAD to show up and prove that we really weren't avoiding them!

We didn't take the bowling challenge lightly--we knew that Ms. Destroyer had her own bowling ball and shoes. So, we made our own team shirts and gave ourselves a name...The Singleton Strikers! Ms. Destroyer, however, showed up without her ammunition--she got in the car telling us that she left her ball and shoes at home because she didn't want to embarrass us. How thoughtful of her...but the question remained--how were they going to feel about our team shirts? And would THEY be embarrassed to be seen with US? When we got out of the car, our shirts were revealed --thankfully, they said they weren't embarrassed to be seen with us. But, we did notice them hiding their faces and turning their backs on us while we stood in line to get our dinner. We had a good dinner at Chipotle...there was a lot of smack talk going on about who would win our bowling tournament. The Destroyers really took cheap shots and even sunk to the low of laughing hysterically at Ms. Striker's swollen pink eye!

We actually were able to play four games! It was a close game with the Destroyers getting a lot of strikes and spares! Mr. Destroyer was on a roll, but he was struck with a losing streak on the third game. And the pins began to taunt both teams by leaving one pin standing...neither team could get that last pin! The fourth game proved to be the winning game for the Strikers. They proved true to their team name with Ms. Striker getting one strike after the other. The cumulative points from all games put the Strikers ahead to beat their opponents! It was a fun night. Our bet is Ms. Destroyer will bring her ball from home next time!

AMENDED TO ADD: Mr. Destroyer was the overall winner with the most individually scored points! His awesomeness can not be denied! (sorry I forgot to mention how well the Destroyers played...all my strikes must have gone to my head!:)

Our friends before the tournament

Mr. Striker celebrating a strike

Nice form

Ms. Destroyer tries her secret bubblegum tactic

Proof of the WIN

Celebration smooch and our matching team shirts

Folding Clothes

Our 5-year old has been doing some daily chores for the past year. Recently, he's started helping Mommy fold laundry. He is responsible for matching socks, sorting underwear and folding hand towels and washcloths. We have gotten behind this week and I was resolved that this afternoon would be laundry day! We had a huge pile and it was a little overwhelming for both of us! As I was sorting through and making his pile for him to work on, he started complaining about how big his pile was. I asked him to look over at my pile--at least 10 times bigger than his pile! We discussed how there are some tasks that we don't like to do, but we HAVE to do to keep things running in our home. He folded for a little while and then fell over backwards into some pillows to rest. I kept encouraging him to persevere, to stay strong, keep up the fight...you know, typical fold the laundry kind of encouragement. It wasn't working. I told him the sooner he finished, the sooner he could go back to playing. That didn't work. He said he was done. I said that was fine. He could lose privileges for the day and not get his allowance for the week. I further explained that it was his choice to make...either way, he was the one to decide. He laid on his pillows and I finished my laundry and started putting up my clothes. He was shocked that I finished so quickly...I said "yes, because I did not quit...I persevered." That coincidentally was the motto of a recent Kindergarten lesson we did, so he is very familiar with the tortoise and the hare and other stories of perseverance. He hopped up and said "I'm not going to quit! I'm going to finish!" I smiled and continued to put away laundry. A few seconds later he ran back to my room jumping up and down and said "Mommy, I LOVE folding clothes!" I said "Great! Would you like me to get some more clothes for you?" There was a long pause and a very intense look on his face as he was deep in thought...he said "Nah" and we both started laughing. It's funny how simple things can teach us both lessons in perseverance and sticking to a task to do our best.

Swim Lessons and a Close Call with Authority

The boys have been taking swim lessons this summer and absolutely love it. They adore their teacher Ms. Stacy--she's really sweet and patient with them.

KK practicing his kicks

KK is doing a great job swimming on his own by kicking and using his arms

He is also learning to swim to Ms. Stacy and then flip over onto his back and float (a good thing to know how to do if he were to fall into a pool or get tired swimming)

KK jumping in to swim to Ms. Stacy

JC patiently waiting for his turn

The Mads hanging out in her stroller eating lots and lots and lots of snacks!

JC all geared up and ready to swim


Practicing his kicks and looking like a little bug with goggles on!


Nice kicking there bro


JC jumping in


And floating


I think the end is his favorite part --they get to pick different toys to drop on the steps and then try to get them

The last pic is of KK sitting on the side of the whirlpool soaking his feet in the warm water. Early into our swim lessons, I got scolded by a life guard for letting the boys wade in the small therapy pool while we were waiting for the other to finish his lesson. But, they are allowed to sit on the side of the whirlpool and just put their feet in--I was again reprimanded because JC sat on the top step of the whirlpool soaking more than his feet--that is not allowed! Feet only! So many rules! I do not like rules and tend to be a little rebellious. It took a lot of self-control to keep from totally ripping off my clothes and belly-flopping into the therapy pool. That would have sent a wrong message to my children--getting removed from the building and banned from swim lessons might teach them that it is okay to disobey rules. So, I restrained myself and we plan to continue swim lessons through the rest of the summer. If you see us there, say hi...we'll be sitting on the side of the whirlpool, lightly soaking our feet.

Rocket Ship

Kaylor went to an art workshop yesterday where they worked on creating various landscapes using fabric and cloth. It was no big surprise that he chose to create something from outer space! The kids all did a great job and he had a lot of fun!

Father's Day

The boys gave Daddy his presents while he was still in bed--he got an iPod Nano and a hunting t-shirt. Then Daddy decided he wanted Cracker Barrel for breakfast, so we loaded up and headed down the road to eat. We actually had a nice meal with no major incidents. Everyone behaved and we were able to finish our entire breakfast without having to remove someone from the table! Praise God! We came back home and everyone put on their bathing suits and headed to the backyard!

Kaylor got a tattoo too :)

After dinner tonight, we headed out again--this time to Heardmont Park. Kevin unfortunately had a flat tire on his bike, so he had to park it. But, Kaylor rode his bike around while the rest of us walked (and MG rode in the jogging stroller). It was a nice night out and the highlight was seeing a firefly and chasing it into the woods and catching it. Kaylor was SO excited and wanted to bring it home, but we didn't have anything to put it in. I wish I'd taken my camera to get a pic of him with his new friend.

Matching Tattoos

My husband wants a real tattoo and so he is living that dream through the fake tattoos of his children. Yesterday he had a tattoo of a Shrek character on his left arm. Tonight, he showed up with a Justice League character on his right arm. Caden had to have a matching tattoo and I had to snap a pic! I'm sure big brother will have a matching tattoo in the morning (he was asleep during the tattoo frenzy!)

A Fun Saturday!

Other than the fact that my left eye is halfway shut and still pink, our family has recovered from our 2-week sickness! We seriously were at the doctors office on 5 different occasions within a span of 7 days and that doesn't count how many times I called a nurse to have medicine called in for us! Praise the Lord all of that is now a distant memory! Today we took the kids to the mall for a morning of fun. The boys emptied their piggy banks and enjoyed walking the mall to spend their money. Kaylor decided on a red Power Ranger costume and Caden bought a Power Ranger motorcycle with action figures. The days of the Disney store and Build-A-Bear are over! They have moved on to the "cool" boy toys. Oh well! Daddy threw in a few bucks and bought MG a tiny baby doll. Then we enjoyed lunch and took a ride on the carousel. This afternoon we all got out and enjoyed playing in the backyard.

MG happy to be outside

MG going "night night" with her new baby

MG's reaction to hearing an airplane

MG's reaction to seeing the airplane

Caden in Kaylor's Power Ranger Jungle Fury costume or as he calls it the "Jungle Purry" costume

A mischievious smile

Kaylor gets his costume back

Daddy - male model

We saw the light of day!!!

Even if it was just a brief outing to the back deck, the kids were SO excited to venture out this afternoon. Caden actually seems to be recovering a little...both his eyes are still pink, but they are looking better. Kaylor is the sickly one now feeling the full-force of the strep...but, he ventured out long enough to snap a picture. I feel bad for MG who feels great! She's been over this mess since last week and sadly has to stay in her pjs with the rest of us watching movies all day!

Red Throats and Pink Eyes!

We have been dealing with an epidemic of strep throat and pink eye at our house for the past week! Now Caden has been stricken! He woke up yesterday with the pink eye and was at my bedside at 3am this morning with a fever and sore throat. His poor eye is nearly swollen shut from the pink eye too! He looks rough!

Nana and Pappy's

Here are some fun pics of our visit at my parent's house a few weeks ago. Nana and Pappy had all kinds of cool new outside toys for the kids to play with. It took Kaylor a while to figure out how to run and slide on his belly on the slip and slide--actually, it was Daddy that showed him how it was done! Thankfully Kevin's herniated disc withstood a beating from the slip and slide. We were shocked that our fearless Caden wouldn't have anything to do with it though. Me, Kev, and Nana spent a long time filling up water balloons one day and then got down and dirty with a family water balloon fight--Nana would only take pictures though. We had a lot of great food and a weekend of fun. Thanks Mom & Dad!

Going for a walk down to the river

Nana carefully leading the boys down a steep driveway of a sweet family that let us use their dock

Daddy and Grace looking at the river

MG enjoying a cookie

One of the many fun outside toys--HUGE bubbles!

Love those little legs...wish I'd taken MG's shoes off for the pic!


We went off and forgot Mad's babies so she slept with this bear from Nana's closet


The extent of Caden's fishing...


Cool Breeze

The infamous slip and slide

Kevin apparently thought it was a water balloon toss...I did get him pretty good in the face once. The bad thing though was the balloons didn't always burst upon impact, so it was kind of a hard blow to the face! He forgave me later. :)

Caden's Birthday

We celebrated Caden's 3rd birthday at Nana and Pappy's house a few weeks ago. He requested a Batman and Robin cake. Although Nana gave the bakery a photo of both superheros for the artwork, they left out Batman's famous sidekick! Thankfully, Caden was too excited to give it much notice. However, it seems the Batman cake drew a lot of attention from the adults who questioned why Batman was not simply drawn from the waist up! Let's just say that there was one piece of cake that no one wanted to eat!