barrett: 74 months old

Barrett is living his best life this summer!  We've decided that this is the summer that the puddle jumper life jacket gets thrown away.  Admittedly, it's coming apart at the seams and won't last much longer, but we're also past the point that Barrett needs to be a swimmer.  With the pool in the backyard, and swim team coming up next year, he's ready to swim like Britton does - like a fish!

Yesterday we went to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and got to see the dinosaurs and gemstones - amazing!  It was fun pointing out the children's birthstones to them, especially when Barrett's emeralds were in a queen-like necklace, 100s of carats total.  We also did a first for us - we went to the planetarium!  Barrett loves space, and he especially enjoyed the show.  We have a membership to the museum, so I really do need to plan more trips to the museum and planetarium this summer - such a good place to hide from the heat!

Barrett also loves Pokemon, and can't get enough of Eevee.  We decided to put together a chore chart for him to earn the Pokemon plushies he really wanted, and he was begging to wash dishes and take out the trash!  I can definitely see a Pokemon backpack on our back-to-school shopping list.

Likes:  Pokemon, talking about how far space goes, building LEGO cities

Dislikes:  when Britton won't let him play with her stuff

119 months old

One month until this sweet thing turns 10!  Mostly sweet, and sometimes salty and emotional for no reason, and when that happens puberty comes and hits me in the face with the reminders of the emotional rollercoasters.  I'm not ready to navigate the "tween" years and yet, here we are!  

We've been planning Britton's birthday party - she again wants a pool party at home.  And that's fine with me because she's up for some fun games and activities!  The theme this year is "mermaid" which is so apropos because this summer Britton really came into her own with her swimming.  I think she must be part-mermaid (comes from my side)!

Britton's dance recital was in June, and she had THREE routines to remember!  Her class consisted of ballet, tap, and jazz, and she's already signed up for next year's intermediate class of ballet, lyrical, tap, and jazz, because she enjoys dance so much.  And it's rubbed off on Barrett, who is now enrolled in a hip hop dance class for the year - these kids just love moving and grooving!

Tap Costume

With dance friends

Likes:  playing on her iPad, swimming, dyeing her hair (the red has all faded out!), getting ready for sleepaway camp

Dislikes: being with Barrett for too much of the day and Toy Story 4 (gasp!)

barrett: 73 months old

Barrett and Memaw put together a first-aid kit, and Barrett has taken that thing everywhere!  Even to his monthly pictures!  He tells me that if people get hurt, he can help, and it's just like this kid to be thinking of others.  And I love that he painted the top white and added the red cross, being as artsy as he is.

Barrett is loving his summer, even though Britton's activities have taken precedence over his down time.  He's happily joined her for swim meets, dance recital rehearsal, and goes with the flow, so long as he gets some time to draw pictures, play with his stuffed Pokemon characters, and dance to some You Tube Kidz Bop videos.  

Likes:  corn dogs, rainbow sherbet ice cream, Squirtle and Bulbasaur (Pokemon)

Dislikes:  most dinners I've made this week - this kid could live off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Goldfish crackers!

118 months old

School's out for summer!  And Britton is ready to start her summer vacation!  First up - swim team.  Britton has swim practice every morning for almost an hour, and just last Saturday had her first swim meet.  I must not have believed everyone who said I would be there for six hours, because guess what?  I was there for six hours. And Britton was in only two events, so it made for a looooonnnggg day.  Luckily, there's only 3 more meets left!

Britton also has her dance recital this Saturday!  She's doing three dance routines - ballet, tap, and jazz - and she modeled her costumes for us tonight.  They are stunning!

Likes:  sequins and feather dance costumes, Drumsticks ice cream cones

Dislikes:  getting into the pool when it's chilly in the morning

barrett: 6 years old

This little guy is 6 today!  We've been treating his birthday like an Indian wedding - it's been going on for days!  We went out to dinner twice, held his party on Saturday, and celebrated today, on his actual birthday.  But it's impossible not to celebrate this kid, he's just the best.  His enthusiasm is contagious, and love and positivity just ooze out of him. If you can be in a bad mood around Barrett, you'd best get on because no doubt you've got the devil in you.

Barrett is in kindergarten, and is reading on his own!  He likes reading "Dick and Jane" books because the repetition makes learning new words easier.  Currently, he loves learning about outer space, dinosaurs, and animals.  Every night, after we read 3 books together (sometimes 4 if he gives me the sweet smile) he lays in bed for a bit and "reads" books on his own.  He flips through large books about the planets or plant-eating dinosaurs, and gets drawn in.

Barrett's favorite activities including imagination play, like setting up dinosaurs to battle or Power Rangers to fight each other (or the dinosaurs, you never know).  He loves acting out books he has, so he'll gather all his books of one subject (Piggie and Gerald, the Pigeon, My Little Pony, etc.) and the toy figurines, and act out an entire play of sorts.  He has a remarkably creative imagination!

Barrett played soccer this fall, and started piano lessons in January.  Like Britton, he will continue piano lessons for a few years (more if he enjoys it), and sports as he develops the interest.  One of his true passions is drawing.  Barrett can use up a ream of printer paper faster than anyone I know!  His drawings might reflect what he saw one day, or a scene from school, or a story he made up.   He loves scotch tape (so much so that the Easter Bunny left him a 3-pack in his Easter basket, and it was the highlight of his haul!), and tapes up his pictures all over the house.  

And the hair, yes the hair - he doesn't want to cut it.  We've offered, shown him pictures of shorter looks, but he likes what he likes.  Maybe he'll get a trim when the heat of summer hits!

Likes:  drawing, play dough, orange yogurt, any carb ever, apple juice, music

Dislikes:  allergies, when Britton gets snippy with him, when anyone gets impatient with him, piano lessons

Sizes:  clothes - size 7, shoes - size 13/1

117 months old

Britton started swim team!  And got a case of swimmer's ear, but luckily that is clearing up quickly and she can get back into the pool tomorrow.  She's really taken to learning the strokes, and get irritated when she can't get in the pool every day.  I do believe that she is part mermaid, and as someone who can stay above water but never learned actual swimming techniques, I'm glad she's enjoying it so much.  Swim meets start in two weeks, and the hubs and I are required to volunteer....ugh.  It's always easier to just sit and watch the meets!

Someone learned to cross her eyes

Likes:  freestyle swimming, singing, making videos on her iPad

Dislikes:  backstroke

barrett: 71 months old

Look who is one month away from turning 6!  He's so geared up for his birthday party.  I had to plan his birthday a bit earlier this year, since we were going to Germany and Austria during prime birthday-planning time.  We're going with a dinosaur theme this year, and I think his little friends will have a blast!  

This kid has the biggest heart.  Let me share something that happened today - Britton was scootering down the driveway and took a spill.  She banged up her elbow pretty badly, and was crying.  I hurried her inside to wash her scrape, and after, I noticed Barrett still outside, crying.  He was upset because he didn't want Britton to hurt and he was worried about her.  He then went and drew her some pictures to make her feel better.  A ridiculously sweet kid he is.

Likes:  Power Rangers, gummy bears, chocolate from Germany

Dislikes:  waiting for his birthday