It's the Summer of ... 2011

Our summer has been a very busy one (which is one of the reasons I'm STILL behind in my blog posts) but we've managed to fit in some fun!  Boy do I love summers - I love the bbq food, the late, cool nights, the water fun, etc.  Hope yours has been filled with fun too!

Cash's 5th B-day started out our summer.  This was the very first cake of the kids' that I haven't made..sniffle..sniffle. Cash's birthday was the day after we got back from our Oregon Coast vacation and between that, T-ball games the following day, etc., we had no time to make a cake. He was so pleased with his Cars cake that I don't think he cared a wit - just mom I guess...sniffle sniffle.

Of course, the kids' trampoline was their combined birthday present and then he got a camp chair, a remote control dune buggy and a scooter. He loves riding that thing! He picked up on it immediately and has come up with a few tricks already. He pops the front tire as he's riding and he also sits down on the thing while he's riding. He thinks he's pretty hot stuff - we were just surprised to see how good his balance was. 

With proof of his good balance, Ty decided to take Cash's training wheels off his bike.  He thought Cash would likely crash a couple times and want them back on but they were both excited to give it a try.  Ty got him on and started and was holding his shirt until he realized he wasn't really doing anything for Cash and let go...and Cash just took off.  He figured out how to turn and hop off his bike all by himself.  His bike is rather tall for him so I didn't think Cash was quite ready for it.  He had to practice getting on the bike by himself the next day.  It's quite the process - he has to hop up onto the seat while starting to pedal at the same time (since it's a bit too tall) but he does so good now!  Cash's so proud of himself and thinks he is so grown up.  It's one of the first things out of his mouth when ever he comes across a friend or neighbor - "I can ride my bike without any training wheels!"  

One of my favorite past times as a kid - playing on the trampoline with the sprinklers  running under it:

Cash can do flips like crazy!  Now we just have to teach him how to land them.  He has a little buddy a couple years older than him and the kid can land a flip and almost land a back flip.  Cash was just in awe as he watched him!

Cash played T-ball this summer (the month of June) and loved loved loved it!   I guess it's his sport of choice at the moment.  Any ball that was hit his direction he took off running at and dove to pick it up.  He has quite an arm on him and would often catch the little 1st baseman off guard when he'd throw it all the way and directly to him. 

Cash also has a mean swing and I always got a good chuckle at the comments of other parents when they saw such a little guy like him swing so hard at the ball.   His coach was almost afraid to pitch the ball to him for fear of a hard line drive.  He is quite the little slugger and even figured out that if he made himself be the last batter on his team, he got to run all the bases as if he had hit a home run. Then he'd always run over to me and announce, "Mom I got a home run!" 

It was just such a blast to watch Cash play.  He was so ready to do it and enjoyed it so much - I'm so glad!  He put 110% into it, throwing hard, sprinting from base to base - running with all the speed he could muster, and swinging with all his might  - it was such a hoot!

We haven't been fishing near as much as we did last summer but we have made it out once with the family and Vanna caught her first fish (end of June)!  She has own pole now (Cash got a new one from Grandma and Grandpa Mendenall for Christmas and was kind enough to retire his old one for Vanna's use :) and likes to reel in the fish, and touch and hold them.  She tries to throw them back into the water too but her arm isn't quite what Cash's is and we often have to help her.  She'll get there though.  The kids just love to get outside and explore and play in the great outdoors!  We had a good time!

Cash is currently taking his first set of swimming lessons too.  He goes each day for 1/2 hour for two weeks.  While Cash is usually Mr. Athletic/Daredevil, and while he has always loved the water and swimming in a shallow pool or the tub, he is a little nervous in deep water.   The fact that he can't touch the bottom of the pool throws him a little. So we made an effort to show how excited we were that he was going to be learning how to swim well (well enough even that he will someday be able to jump off the diving board and swim to the side of the pool all by himself - he is so ready to do that he thinks), etc.  He is being very brave and has done well to listen to his instructor.  He loves looking around under the water in his goggles and is very good and holding his breath.   I'm so confident in him and know that he'll get over his little fears become a great swimmer.  Vanna can't wait for her turn to take swimming lessons too - she's a little water baby for sure.  I think next year we'll have them both taking them and I think that will only further push Cash (he loves to out-do his sister of course) and before we know it - we'll have two little swimmers on our hands!

Cash's first diving board jump (with a little help from his instructor - Alex)!

Like I've said before, it's been a busy yet fun-filled summer so far.  Hopefully we still have time to fit a bit more in but, gosh, it seems like summer is just flying by!  Hope yours has been great as well!!!