Summer Fun begins

The O'Connell Summer fun has begun!  After a bit of a rough start (my oldest has a hard time with transitions - I forget that life can just be harder for a few days), we're enjoying slower mornings, being outside, and having time with friends.  June is a little extra crazy with weddings, retreats, conferences - we don't have a single week where we're all here together as a family.  Here's a bit of what things look like around here. 

Our Summer Fun weekly schedule.  Fairly flexible - a morning activity, and a post-nap afternoon activity.  Andrew decided to add slip n slide to Sunday - I was going to make it reading/rest time ;).  Although, that is a regular part of every afternoon around here.

Our first outing was Strawberry picking (and we did it on Friday...we can get crazy like that).  It was the tail end of their crop, but the weather was perfect, and we had a great time.  Traffic was insane due to a recycling truck which caught fire on 270.  Our boys got to see the firemen putting it out, which couldn't have been more exciting.

Will mostly watched, which I was fine with. 

The haul.

 We picked peas too!

 And then it was straight to Haven pizza to meet up with these crazies.  Playing outside afterwards.

 Weekend backyard fun.

 A water balloon fight.

 Getting ready with dad.

 game on.

 Lovin it.

 And afterward some hose fun.

 On Monday, Dave gave the boys their first Tennis lesson - they LOVED it.

 On the way to Tae Kwon Do.  Caden has been too nervous to join a full class so far (can you tell by this picture?)..they all know what they're doing.  

But he did join it to break his first board.

Getting ready for pizza movie night. 

Our sweet friend Melanie was insanely kind, and came from Ohio to stay with me for the weekend while Dave was away on the college retreat.  Our boys LOVE her...and so do we.

Summer slip n slide time - it never gets old.

 A random pic from a few weeks ago.  Post dinner fun at the Choi's.  Caden saw a butterfly, and couldn't believe how awesome it was.  Not sure everyone else shared his excitement.  Love this picture.

One more random - apparently Will wanted to make me coffee one morning.  I was sitting at the table eating/reading, and I saw him getting into a cupboard.  Before I knew it he had my espresso maker, coffee, and a spoon (correct size) all pulled out.  That's my boy.

school's out!

We have officially started Summer vacation.  Here are a few pictures of Andrew's end the year festivities:

Signing out of Kindergarten.

 Parents were invited to their "year in review" - I am amazed at all he learned this year. 

 And afterwards an ice cream party and yearbook signing for their last few hours on campus.

 The scene.

 Andrew signing a yearbook.  This was a new experience for him, but fun to watch, especially when the middle school girls wanted him to sign ;).

 We celebrate that evening with an O'Choi outing to big train baseball.  Will especially enjoyed eating this hot dog.

 Cuteness.  It was such a beautiful 70 degree night.

 Borrowing the mascot's hat for just a moment.  Andrew was sporting some fancy sunglasses he received from his teacher.

The next morning we gathered at church for a Celebration of Learning.  I might have to add a video of this song to this post - it was sweet.

One last picture with Ms. Duffy.  She was very touched at how much Andrew has grown this year.  We're so grateful that our kids have the opportunity to attend such an amazing school.

And now let the Summer fun begin!!

graduation and memorial day weekend

Caden has officially graduated from his preschool.  Most of the kids in his class will be moving on to Kindergarten next year, but with his August birthday, he'll be doing Pre-K at Fourth School.

Happy boy with his daddy.

 Getting seated for the graduation ceremony.

 His sweet little class.

 Singing '1 year, 2 years, 3 years of preschool' - absolutely precious.

 Presenting his amazing teacher with her class gift (a necklace from Tiffany's - fun surprise).  

 Our big little man.

 With his classmate Rachel - he liked her, she liked him...cuteness.

Horsin' around with Ryan before Bible studies on Thursday night.

We stayed put for Memorial Day weekend.  We started with some pool fun on Friday afternoon with some friends who just moved back from California, followed by an impromptu pizza dinner at Haven in Bethesda (SO good).  And then we took advantage of being in the nation's capital, and spent some time downtown Saturday morning.  The boys LOVED the Suprasensorial (experiments in light, color, and space) exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum.

    

 Taking in the primary color rooms.

 face shots in the blue room.

 And then this amazing piece by Jesus Rafael Soto - walking through this was by far their favorite.

 Big muscles before walking into a room filled with black lights.

Andrew thought it looked like the "olden days" before they had color ;). 

 Taking in the view.

He wanted to contribute to the experience. 

Sweet face. 

Picnic lunch on the mall, by the Smithsonian carousel. 

 And then some post lunch fun.

Pure delight.

And then Will and I drove home (past the White House, memorials, under memorial bridge, Kennedy Center, and then up the hill past the cathedral) for naptime.  We're only 15 minutes, IF you take the right roads.  Dave and the boys stayed down for a bit more fun, including a metro ride home.

 On Monday we were thrilled to get to catch one of Hunter's baseball games.  I was delivering a meal just a few miles away, we had a few errands to run at the mall, and we got to experience Elevation Burger for the first time (yum).  Caden spent a lot of the game like this - pretty exciting for this sport's lover.

The OConnell boys, sans Will (he was too busy playing in the gravel).