Adventures in Paintball!

Last Friday, the kids had the day off school for Good Friday. I left Abby at a friend's house, and then met a group of Nate's classmates at SplatZone,  a paintball place in town. This is something I've wanted Nate to try for awhile, but it's always just so darn hot here!! The weather was cooler, and I thought since it wasn't a weekend, it wouldn't be crowded.

Great group!

Nate, Jake, Walker, Beau, Anthony, Chandler, Mason, Ethan, Tanner, Reagan

This picture cracks me up! Nate, the tough guy :)

Listening to the rules

This was a huge course, but they only used a small portion of it. See the group in the far right? They are getting a few last minute instructions.

Nate's team, strategizing before the game starts

Ready, set, go!

Nate is on the right, in all black with the blue hat. He kinda sorta looks like he knows what he's doing! :)

When they got hit, they were told to hold their gun up, yell "I surrender!" and run off the field.

Ready for round #2

I heart him :)

Action shot!

He got hit in the forehead - through his facemask - and was so worried about the paint on his glasses!

Comparing stories & battle wounds

Gatorade break

Anthony & Mason got the worst welts!! :(

All in all, I think the boys played 10-12 games. They all had a ball and there were just a few tears. (Apparently those paintballs hurt!!!) I was really proud of Nate for being tough and hanging in there. (And no, he was NOT the one that cried. Shocker, I know!) It's still crazy to me that he's even old enough to play paintball! The instructor said when they get older/bigger, they are allowed to use a bigger course and even play in the woods some. So fun!

Happy Birthday, Greg!

The kids and I woke Greg up yesterday with a chocolate chip muffin, candles, and birthday cards. The kids were so excited!!

 

Then, at lunchtime, I picked Greg up for a sushi date. I can't even tell you how happy it makes me that he chooses sushi for his birthday lunch! He's come a long way....

Then, he surprised everyone and came home early - at 5 pm! It was such a gorgeous day, and all he wanted to do was play & jump with the kids on the trampoline. They were so excited!

 Greg requested a Mexican fiesta for dinner, so we had oven tacos / Spanish rice / black beans & corn. So yummy! And a marble cake for dessert.

Greg, we love you and appreciate all you do for our little family!! Happy 38th old man! :)

Father-Daughter Dance

Abby & Greg attended a Father-Daughter dance at the kids' school last Saturday. Abby has been anxiously awaiting this date for 2 years! 

It is for ages K-6.

She had a very clear vision of what she wanted for this dance.... a "pink twirly" dress, her hair in curls, to wear make-up, and for Daddy to wear a suit. (Yes, she's a bit high maintenance!)  I tried curling her hair on multiple occasions, and it did not look good. I don't know why using a curling iron on my 6 year old daughter's hair is so difficult for me, but it is! My poor daughter.

So, I asked my hairdresser to help me out.....she curled Abby's hair & taught me in the process. I told Abby getting her hair curled was a one-time thing (until Prom maybe), but I'm not sure she heard me......she was in heaven :)

 

She didn't want Daddy to see her dress until the big day, and she made quite the entrance :) 

Very impressed with his beautiful daughter!!

 Abby had NO idea Daddy was going to give her a corsage! Her reaction was priceless. I'm confident I will never forget it for the rest of my life, actually. This girl just wants to be a princess, I'm telling you!

 We headed outside for a few quick pictures, and I'll be honest, I had a hard time deciding which ones to put on here. So, I put most of them! :) Sorry for the picture overload but they are just too cute together!!

"Abby, why are you holding your arm like that?! To show off my beautiful flower!"

(Normal arm)

Six going on sixteen.....

My favorite picture for so many reasons! The way she is gripping her Daddy's neck, those two smiles, and of course, the pink nail polish :)

I die.

 Greg is not known for his photography skills (!), but in his defense, I don't think Abby stopped moving all night. He told me she danced with her friends a lot, and then danced with him maybe every 2-3 songs. So cute!

Daddy's girl

 The first thing Abby told me when she got home was "I got over my stage fright, Mommy!" (Translation: She did the whip nae-nae in front of 100 people. Awesome.) She clearly had the time of her life and I'm so glad she has such an amazing Daddy that treated here like a princess, and danced like a crazy person too :)

Once Nate heard that they were going to have a father-daughter date, he suggested we go out on a dinner date! He picked Texas Steakhouse (ha!) and insisted on wearing his new blazer :) We talked about girls, being a gentleman, how to calculate a tip, and his upcoming First Communion. Hard to believe my baby boy is so grown up!

I look forward to this new tradition for Mommy & son; I didn't realize how rare it is for the two of us to spend one-on-one time together!

And next time......he's paying :)

Abby's First Field Trip!

For the first time, the kindergarteners were allowed to take a field trip! (In years past, they weren't permitted until 1st grade.) I'm not sure of the reason for the change, but regardless, Abby was excited!

 

The field trip took place last Monday, the 29th, and was to the local children's museum (CHOM) to learn about dental health. To be honest, I'm not sure if the kids knew they were going to *learn* instead of play!

I had a full van!



Mrs. Bullard's class, waiting to go inside CHOM



Besties

Both classes started out by listening to the dentist, and watching a short video on dental health. Then, we were split up into 2 groups & 2 rooms. The first room talked about animals' teeth, and the kids learned the difference between omnivores, herbivores, and carnivores. They got to inspect many different skulls & examine the animals' teeth. It was really cool!

 

The second room was learning all about unhealthy & healthy snacks, food, drinks, etc. Who knew a Gatorade had more sugar than a can of Coke!? (Not me, sadly.)

Thumbs up for a healthy snack!



Signing a thank you card for the dentist

 

Ready to head to the park!

 We lucked out and had  *gorgeous* weather for our picnic lunch & playtime! After lunch, instead of playing on the massive playground, these girls opted to pick flowers and put them in each other's hair. #typical



Ventured to the playground during the last 15 minutes!



Both kindergarten classes!

 I was so happy to get to tag along on Abby's first field trip! It was something she has looked forward to for years, especially after hearing Nate talk about how much fun they are. Love my girl & her sweet class!