Weekend Water Park Fun!

This past weekend, we headed North to the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells!  Kevin's cousin was getting married and decided to have her wedding there.  The kids knew we were going to a water park..but I really don't think they knew what to expect.  As we approached our exit on I-90, the kids got their first view of the water park and nearly lost their minds!  It was way more then they had ever imagined.  After we checked in and got settled, I took them down to the water park and they had a blast!!!  They hung out in the outside kid's slide area for an hour or so.  Then, they closed the outside because of an approaching storm...so, we headed to the indoor water park.  They had a blast swimming in the wave pool, hanging out in the lazy river, and riding slides!  After a while, we went back to the room to shower and have some dinner.  As I was getting Charlotte cleaned up, I noticed that one of her eyes was really red and had some discharge.  Are you kidding me?  She had pink eye!!!  Thank God I am friends with her pediatrician.  I called her and she called in a prescription to a pharmacy in the Dells.  

We had a great time hanging out with all of our family!  We got to spend some much needed family time with Grandma Judy and Ron, Aunt Colleen, Uncle Andy and Annabelle, Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Sandy and Kevin's cousins Brian, Karla and Charity.  We had great weather on Friday and spent tons of time at the water park.  Mommy even snuck away for a few minutes to ride the "big" slides with Colleen and Andy!  Friday night, we went to dinner with a lot of the wedding guests.  However, it was at 7:00 pm and the kids had been at the water park for 4 hours.  Charlotte and Nathan were practically passed out at the table.  Even Andy said,  "I think Charlotte is going to go face first into that mac and cheese!"  So, I asked the waiter for our food to go and I brought them back to the room to sleep while Kevin stayed to spend time with family.  Too much outdoor fun for the littles!!!  It was a great couple of days and the kids (and we) had a great time!  Who knew Wisconsin could be so fun!  

Nathan coming out of a slide

 So much fun!!!

 The kids area

 Nathan hanging in the pool

 A little chilly, but SO much fun!

 Inside obstacle course

 Nathan...passed out COLD!

 Kevin enjoying a small drink at the resort

 The kids hanging out in the lazy river with Aunt Colleen

 The kids jumping into the pool with Ron.  They had a BLAST with him.  They are so lucky to have him!  Nate has such a special bond with Ron, it's so sweet to see :)  

 Getting a special ice cream treat!  

Charlotte's Six Year Checkup

A few weeks ago, Charlotte had her annual well visit.  So, we headed to the pediatrician for her check up.  The 6 year visit should be easy, no shots, just a quick finger prick to test hemoglobin.  When we got in, they weighed/measured her...did her vitals, and then they asked her to come into the hallway to do the eye chart.  I stayed in the room while they asked her to read all of the numbers off of the chart.  I was listening from the room and was surprised to hear that Charlotte was REALLY struggling to read the letters.  She reads at a second grade level, so I knew she knew the letters...she just genuinely couldn't see them.  To say I was shocked was an understatement.  I had just taken her to the optometrist a year ago for her Kindergarten exam and she passed with flying colors.  The pediatrician recommended we take her to the optometrist again to check what was going on.  

So, last week, we made an appointment with the pediatric optometrist.  They had her read a chart on the wall...and again, she couldn't read it.  They determined that, in addition to having trouble with distances, she was also having trouble focusing up close.  So, because she is having trouble with both near and far...and because she is really at an age where reading is kicking in...they recommended glasses.  They want her to wear them at least while she is reading...but they also said that if she wants to wear them all the time, that's okay.  They also reassured me that this wasn't a "lifetime sentence" of glasses.  She could grow out of this in a few years.  Charlotte was actually really excited to get glasses! She had fun picking out a cute pair of Juicy Couture frames :)  I'm so thankful to the pediatrician for catching this...I really wouldn't have thought to bring her back so soon because she aced last years test and none of her teachers had expressed any concern to me.  

Charlotte's Last Day of Kindergarten

Today was Charlotte's last day of Kindergarten.  She had such a great year at her new school!  I can't believe how quickly this year went by.  Charlotte's education grew by leaps and bounds this year.  She is reading up a storm, writing paragraphs, starting to multiply... we are so proud of her!  We still have to go to her school on Monday for "promotion day" to get her report card.  All of her teachers speak so highly of her.  They rave about her.  She makes me so proud.  Charlotte's teacher said that she wished she had a whole classroom full of "Charlotte's."  We are going to work hard this summer to continue her math and reading success...we don't want to give in to the "summer slide."  They actually sent home a math workbook that has to be completed over the summer and handed into her 1st grade teachers!  No messing around!  I'm looking forward to not getting up at 6:00 am everyday!  I hope the kids will learn to sleep in just a tad later than that!  Here's to a great summer ahead!!! 

First Cubs Game

Last night, we took the kids to their first professional baseball game!  When I went to The Avery Coonley School Auction a few weeks ago, I bid on and won these 4 tickets for last night's game.  We were really excited to take the kids.  However, it was a 7:05 game and the kids usually go to bed at 7:30.  But, since Nate is out of school and this is Charlotte's last week...we made an exception.  Actually, traffic was so bad heading downtown that the kids got a great nap in on the way to the park.  The kids did such a great job at the game.  It was a beautiful night and we were 5 rows behind first base!!  We had been talking up Wrigley Field for weeks...how it's so much bigger than the Schaumburg stadium that we have been taking them to.  The funny thing is...we had SUCH great seats that the kids kept saying, "It's not as big as I would have thought."  Next time, we'll sit in the 400 level to give them some perspective.  The park doesn't seem so big when you can practically touch the players!  

Geting ready to leave for Wrigleyville!

Charlotte and Nathan standing in front of our old building!  

First father/son Cubs game!  Wearing matching jerseys.  Daddy bought a scorecard and filled it out so that Nathan could have a memory of his first Cubs game.

Daddy passing on his love of the Cubs

They suckered us in to buying them these, of course!

We stopped by the "First Timer's Booth" and got them each an official "First Cubs Game" certificate!