Growing Butterflies

I found a great deal for this butterfly garden online a few months back and thought it would be perfect for Carson, Owen and I to do over the summer. Once we recieved the habitat (basically a large net), we sent in for our caterpillar larvae and special food.  The caterpillards hatch from the eggs after a week or two, and then we got to watch them grow bigger and bigger until they formed their cocoons. We then hung the cocoons inside our habitat, and one morning another week or two later, we had our first butterfly! It was so exciting to watch the transformation. Carson was really interested in our 5 little "pets", and even Owen enjoyed looking at the caterpillars and butterflys, although I'm pretty sure he just wanted to grab them and squeeze them in his hands! After a week watching them fly around in the habitat, we thought it was time to send them on their way. Hopefully they survive this dry heat! Now everytime we see a butterfly outside our house, Carson thinks it's one of the ones we watched grow. Here are a few pictures of our butterflies.

 

 

The cocoons, with our first butterfly (sorry the picture quality is so poor, I think the netting was messing with my camera and I couldn't figure out the settings)

Pudding Painting

One afternoon we decided to try out pudding painting, mainly because I knew Owen could participate in the activity without me constantly have to say, "Don't put that in your mouth!" And you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you how many times a day I have to say that phrase. :) It was super easy to make, and the boys loved it! 

Our pretty pudding paint!

Carson trying out the paint

Owen loved it so much, he tried to eat his painting! :)



Owen's artwork

Carson's artwork

4th of July in Arizona

I love the 4th of July - I love the fireworks, I love the barbeques, I love it all. Living in Arizona, it just wasn't the same this year. We couldn't even have sparklers, understandably so with all the fires in the area, but I just miss going to the firework tents and loading up on explodable goodies, and I miss sitting under the stars watching the sky light up. I know, I know, it's not just about the fireworks - I do love why we celebrate this day (I promise!) - but the other stuff is just so darn FUN! :) I have so many wonderful memories of my dad blasting apples with firecrackers in our backyard when we were young and going to Goddard to watch the fireworks each year with my family, and I want all of this for my kids, too. I keep reminding myself, they will have different 4th of July memories than mine, different, but still memorable - like the Benson parade we attend each year on the morning of the 4th, and the water fight with the local firefighters in the Benson park, and the barbeques with friends and their kids. And you know me, I also had to throw in a 4th of July craft and an America puzzle (which Carson has done about a million times this past week!) He loves the fact that the capital of Nevada is Carson City. He's so proud, (like he named it or something, hah), but I think it's secretly because he has something Owen doesn't have because I overheard him tell his little brother the other day, "Sorry, there is no Owen City. Just a Carson City."

Our "Salt-Absorbing Fireworks" craft, from one of my favorite blogs, I Can Teach My Child. We made glitter fireworks, too.

My crafty little boy!

This is what happens when mommy looks away for too long. Someone gets a hold of the glitter and dumps it everywhere. I think I am STILL cleaning up glitter around the house!

Owen trying to sweet talk me into not being mad. :) Since the mess was already done, I just let him go at it for a while.

Grumpy Carson before the parade.

I think he's finally awake!

Me and my O!

He stole Carson's chair. One thing I have learned - they automatically want what the other brother has - no matter what it is! The joy of siblings! :)

So happy!



My sweet boy waving at the firefighters and police officers. I love Ethan's face (Owen's friend) in the background, too.

I'm sure Carson is thinking, "Hurry up and take the picture so I can go get more candy!"

Jason, Carson and his friend, Tyson, watching the parade.

Water fight in the park. I didn't notice Owen was in the picture until I uploaded it to the computer. He looks so tiny! And cute! :)

Soaking wet!



We hope all our friends and family had a fun and safe 4th of July weekend!

VBS & Swim Lessons

I'm too drained to think of a more clever title for this post, haha. As I said in the previous post, Carson has been busy with vacation bible school and swim lessons. Vacation bible school started out with a little hesitation on Carson's part. I think he thought he was going to have his same preschool teacher and the same kids in his class, so when he got to the sanctuary, where there were a bunch of kids and teachers hustling about, he was a little nervous. I told him to give it a day or two and if he still didn't want to go, then I wouldn't make him. By the 3rd day, he barely waved to me as I dropped him off. :)  I love that Carson is interested in learning about God. He came home each day with a bible story to tell me. He's very insightful, too, always asking more questions and pausing to think about the answers. He's a smart one, that Carson!

Next on Carson's agenda was swim lessons, which Carson really flourished at this time around. He is my cautious son, unlike another little boy I know. :) So he is never thrilled about putting his head under the water, whereas Owen already puts his head in the water and then laughs (this makes bathtime particularly interesting because everytime he puts his face in the water, mommy freaks out!). Anyways, Carson floated, kicked his feet while moving his arms, and much more. By the end of the session, he was putting his face in the water more and jumping in, but his teacher thought it best to take the class again; she wants him to be more comfortable swimming with his face in the water. Carson was really disappointed when swimming lessons ended, so I tried signing him up for another class, but we had to settle for a waiting list. I am so incredibly proud of my little guy!

Carson's drawing of our family. The order was me, Carson, Owen and Jason. 

 

 

Owen wishing he was in the water.

 

Summer Fun....So Far

So far our summer has been busy, busy, busy......which is how I like it. We are involved in swimming lessons (pictures to come in a later post), vacation bible school and our playgroups. With our busy schedule, I have kind of put the blog on the back burner. By the time I get a few moments to myself to post (I have learned I cannot post with Owen around, who finds it hilarious to bang at my keys....my poor broken "x" key can tell you all about it!), I just want to post the pictures and take a stab at my usual mile-long list of chores or keep working at losing my last few pounds I gained back after I stopped nursing! Also, with Carson turning 4 in August and Owen already 14 months, I have been trying to soak up this time with them. Life flies by much faster when you have kids, and I want to look back and know I spent every minute I could with them. So I apologize if my posts have been short. But, as you can see from the pictures, we've been having loads of fun!  



Making snow cones with our very own snowvcone machine



Yummy!



Our bubble machine has been a big hit with the boys! Thanks Hege's!



Yay, bubbles!



Such a happy face.... :)

My lovlies at a picnic in the park

Eating his PB&J

Slip 'n Slide Fun



Fighting dragons with his sword on the way down the slip 'n slide...boys will be boys :)



Carson and his friend, DJ

Owen and I digging for dinosaur bones at The Dinosaur Discovery Center in Tucson

 

Carson and Jason digging for dinosaur bones. Carson had so much fun with this, that later that week, while we were playing outside, he asked me for a toothbrush. So I found him an old one, and he said it was his dinosaur digging tool. He preceded to carefully brush off the dirt off of rocks, or "fossils". I adore him!