McCauley Kids Tidbits

The kids have been busy this week. Yesterday was Kellan's last day at preschool for the summer. Marc brought Kellan's horse, Smoke, for show-and-tell. The kids were so excited! Kellan demonstrated how he cleans Smoke's feet and brushes his fur and shared some fun facts about his favorite pet.

Each kid got a chance to sit on Smoke and get their picture taken. Kellan was thrilled!

Today was a rainy day in Helena so we didn't do much. This evening the kids were outside helping their daddy with a little work and they caught a baby grasshopper. Well, Megan and Kellan named it Hoppy and, of course, brought it inside. I overheard Megan tell Kellan that she was going to check to see if it is a boy or a girl. I thought to myself "Oh NO! I am NOT ready for this!" However, I then heard her say "I can tell by its antennae." Whew! This story ends with Hoppy's tragic death - they gave him/her a bath with soap. Kellan said that Hoppy took a taste of the water and it killed him. For some reason, Kellan is fascinated with death right now. I hope it's just a phase.

I think I need a vacation

So...I just realized that I was humming one of the songs from Curious George and dancing around my kitchen while making tacos for dinner. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just think I probably need a vacation....or something.

Anyway, Kellan had his first t-ball practice last night. He had a great time! I have to say, I never really considered t-ball a difficult game....until I watched Kellan's coach attempt to teach twelve 3 and 4-year-olds how to play!

Megan and Kellan are also taking swim lessons right now. Megan is having the time of her life - she absolutely loves swimming! And Kellan has decided he wants to be a lifeguard when he grows up - just like Uncle Sean!

Not Me Monday!

Please tell me that I didn't just about kill myself working out and then polish off my workout with a big gooey piece of chocolate cake. Oh wait....I didn't...'cause it's Not Me Monday! Ha!

There are a lot of things that I didn't do today - things I might have done any other day, though. For instance, I didn't practically inhale my Raisin Bran this morning so I could leave before my littlest got out of bed....so I wouldn't have to go through the trouble of getting him dressed and dropping him off at daycare before work today. That would be so totally inconsiderate of my husband! Furthermore, would I EVER just drop in on my sister right at dinner time without calling first and then let her feed Kellan and I dinner before T-ball practice (which was cancelled anyway due to rainy weather) without even helping? No way...not me! And I most definitly would never mutter under my breath "F*&^ing cat!" as our annoying cat tripped me while walking down the stairs to work out this evening. How innappropriate and rude would that be?! Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy Not Me Mondays?!

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Anywho, as I previously might have mentioned, Kellan was supposed to start T-ball tonight but it was too rainy....so we get to start tomorrow night instead. Are you up for another dinner, Auntie Ami? After enjoying the best meal we have ever eaten, Kellan and I met up with his soccer teammates. Because their last game was snowed out and the kiddos didn't get a change to get their medals and team pictures, their coach arranged for an evening at the Carousel. Kellan had a great time and did not want to leave when it was over.

Kellan and J.D. conversing over ice cream

I took the sweetest picture of our littlest yesterday at the soccer field, but I forgot to add it to my post last night so I'm adding tonight instead. Jacksen loved blowing the dandelions yesterday!

End of Soccer Season

Today was Megan's last soccer game for the spring season. The girls had a great season, but they were obviously ready to be done today! Let's just say it more of a social hour than a game for most of the team...except Jaymee...she rocked!
Coach McCauley was very glad to be finished with season also! Swimming lessons start tomorrow morning for Megan and Kellan. AND, Mr. Kellan starts T-ball tomorrow evening...I'm thinking we must be crazy!

Auntie Ami and Chris came over for dinner and dessert tonight. We had a great time bbqing in the rain! Kellan really enjoyed his chocolate ice cream cone for dessert:

What a guy! I don't know how he did it, but he even had ice cream in his nose!

The Great Outdoors

Today was sunny and warm and we spent a lot of time outside. Marc and I rode our horses in the hills this morning while the kids rode their bicycles to the playground with Grandma Linda. We actually had an entire conversation with no interruptions!

We all enjoyed a nice nap and then we celebrated Megan and Kellan's successful soccer season with a trip to Tons of Fun with Megan's friend, Andrea. Tons of Fun was actually tons of fun!

Jacksen on a Big Bird ride

We all got hungry so picked up dinner at McDonald's and went to Memorial Park with the Fields family and Grandma and Grandpa McCauley. Here are some photos of our evening at the park:

Friday Evening

What a week! As I type this post, the McCauley kids are eating ice cream sandwiches and Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies while watching The Parent Trap. I realize the nutritional value of their bedtime snack is quite impressive, but they are so blissfully happy that it's worth the sacrifice!

Anyway, it's been an interesting week for the McCauley family. The end of the school year brings lots of changes - both good and bad. The kiddos get to stay up later and sleep in, which is fun for Megan and Kellan but kind of challenging for Jacksen. You see, Jacksen is very schedule-oriented and has a difficult time with anything outside of his daily routine. He has not gotten nearly enough sleep all week so he has been a little monster to live with. Last night he did not fall asleep until 9:30 (mostly because it was still light outside) and then he was up before 6:30 this morning! Thankfully, it was a quiet day at his daycare and he took a 3-hour nap. Let's just say we are really enjoying having our happy Jacksen back this evening!

Last Day of School

It's official. Megan is now a first-grader. Today was unexpectedly emotional for me. It seems like just yesterday I was walking Megan into her kindergarten class on her very first day of school. I remember it well because I started crying right in front of her teacher, who I really did not know at the time. Very embarassing. I hope every school year doesn't go this fast - if it does, she'll be all grown up in no time at all. Good reminder to enjoy every day with my babies!

Anyway, we had planned on going to lunch and a movie with Megan's good buddy, Shayna; however, it turns out there were no matinees today. So instead we enjoyed a fun lunch at Pizza Hut and then the girls had a grand time playing at a park with Megan's cousins. We actually saw a few kids from their kindergarten class. This is good because they were both in tears on the playground when I picked them up from school. You see, they had the most wonderful kindergarten teacher, Ms. Brothers, and they had just realized she wasn't going to be their teacher anymore. They felt much better when I explained that Ms. Brothers would still be at their school and they could stop by and give her a hug even when they are in first grade. So sweet! Anyway, when the girls got tired we went downtown to The Parrot for ice cream. Here is a picture of the girls toasting each other on their kindergarten graduation:

After The Parrot, we walked to Kellan's preschool, which is only 3-4 blocks away, and picked up Kellan. On the way back to our vehicle, the kids spent some time climbing on the trolley, which rests on the walking mall in downtown Helena.



While these pictures are okay, they are not very clear because I forgot my camera today and used my cell phone instead. (Thank you Katy for showing me how to email pictures from my phone to my computer!)

This evening Megan and I joined our good friends, KayCee and Jessica, at Alive @ Five in downtown Helena. Whew! All in all, it was a great day. The McCauley kids are now sleeping soundly and I am going to join them....except in my own bed where I'll actually (hopefully) get some sleep!