Solis Family Escapades: Summer, here we come!!

The Solis Family has officially entered summer! With the wrap up of preschool last week, we have enjoyed the first week of not having to stop what we are doing to load four kids (we picked up a friend daily) into the car and cart them back and forth to school. School was fun, but we are on to bigger and better things!!

The boys are fascinated with science. I am doing my best to engage their interest in the subject. What did moms do before the internet? I found this simple idea online where you mix vinegar and baking soda to blow up a balloon. The boys literally thought it was magic!

Braden loves "science experiments" but doesn't quite get the concept that only certain things make a reaction. He tells me multiple times a day how he wants to create a science experiment by "painting a picture, making ice, put food coloring on the ice and putting the ice on the picture" or how he wants to put "peanut butter and paint in a jar, shake it, put a balloon on top, and see it blow up".

Devin is constantly on the go! This is a rare shot of his front side....

because usually this is what I see has he runs away from me.

Ryan purchased an ant hill with his own money. We set up the sand and then waited two weeks for our ants to arrive. I have to admit, they are soooooo fascinating! In the first night, they made this tunnel. Since then, they have not stopped working and have divided this section up even more.

Every morning Ryan comes downstairs to see if they "have made any progress"....which they always have! Braden watched them for two straight hours the first day!

Another "art" activity thanks to Pinterest. Glue + salt + colored water = lots of smiles.

Last Thursday, Ryan graduated from preschool. His little class (all 7 of them) did a great job during their last performance. First, the children sang songs for us. Next, the teachers asked each of them individual questions about the continents, calendar, seasons, etc. Each child pointed out two site words on a poster and also a state. The children announced an important fact about their state and then showed us the alphabet in sign language. It was neat to see all the things they learned during the year but even more so, it was so fantastic to see how much more confident and mature Ryan has become! All I could think about was how when he started school, he used to hide in the bushes on the playground...and here he was standing up and speaking loudly in public!!

What is a graduation with out cake?? After the tear-jerking slideshow, the school hosted a little reception.

Tony was able to get off early for the graduation and then we all walked downtown to get ice cream and celebrate this fun day! While we were downtown, we made sure to stop by the popular sheep! This sheep has played an important part of Braden's life!! It sits outside of a little shop and gets decorated in various outfits depending on the season/month. Since Braden passes this sheep at least two times a day with me in the car, we always discuss what it is wearing. I was so happy to finally get a picture of him with it up close and personal!

Devin suddenly has a love for Barney (Ar-ney) and Elmo. Every morning he carries Barney around and gives him lots of hugs. It is really cute but impossible to capture since he is always running AWAY from me. This was the best picture of 10!

Papa has a new helper!!

Devin has also learned to give big bear hugs! He loves his big brother Day-dee!!

Last weekend we went to the zoo. Devin loved watching some of the larger animals walk around. Of course everything was "Nala".

And Braden took over 200 pictures of EVERYTHING he saw :-)

The mist was a favorite - as usual!!

And after a picnic lunch and hours of walking around, we were all pretty tired!

Braden is a very serious squirt gun fighter! Grrr....

You can't go wrong with water on a hot day! Later in the weekend when we spent time cleaning and decluttering the house, the boys were happy as could be with a baby pool, guns, and a sprinkler.

Devin decided it was time for lunch!

The pool opened Saturday and we have been several times already. Ryan told me yesterday, "I feel like we go to the pool every day of the week." Well, almost! No better way for everyone to have fun on a hot day! Devin is not afraid of ANYTHING - including putting his face in the water...so he is QUITE the handful. When he is not being dangerous, we all have a lot more fun!