Bob Armstrong

Tia came over for the 4th and made yummy Bob Armstrong dip. For those of you who haven't had the opportunity to taste this delcious treat- let me tell you: queso with sausage, rotel tomato (just the rotel juice for us since Troy doesn't like tomatoes), a scoop of guacamole, a scoop of sour cream all mixed together to make the best chip dip ever!

4th of July

We started off our day with a little 5K. Hogan was a great supporter and fun to talk to while we ran.

Bubbles

I decided a couple of week ago that Hogan and I would explore the wonder of bubbles. I had plans of experimenting with different bubble solutions and bubble-blowing tools. There was a lot of negotiating between Hogan and I in order to find a bubble method that satisfied us both. Me- I draw the line at eating bubbles. Hogan- not so much into traditional ways of blowing bubbles. We found that using straws was the best compromise for us- you can just stick the straws into the solution, and blow into the solution and a bubble foam forms on top. Food coloring or washable paint also adds some excitement to blowing bubbles. I think I learned way more about how stubborn Hogan and I are than about bubbles- but definitely a fun exercise in patience and compromise!

Laughing with Oma

Hogan got those deep down tummy laughs one afternoon while blowing bubbles with Oma.

The Lake

We haven't the greatest lake/beach less than 30 minutes away from our house. It's the perfect place to build sand castles, feel waves, and laze on an inflatable raft.

Cousins

The following conversation took place in the car between Hogan's friend L. and me. We were on our way back from a disastrous wedding event (never take a 2-year old to a wedding, no matter how short and casual the bride claims it will be!). We were babysitting L. for the evening and on our way home.

(The sound of Hogan screaming happily and kicking his feet is resonating through the car. Troy, who is maneuvering through Dallas traffic, is trying not to lose his temper in front of our 4-year old guest L.)

L: Why is Hogan screaming?

Me: Well, he's excited that you're here. He doesn't usually have friends sit in the back with him.

L: Doesn't he have any cousins?

Me: No, Hogan doesn't have any cousins.

L: Well, I could be his cousin (I think this was a desperate attempt to get Hogan to stop screaming).

(L. grabbed Hogan's hand and declared the two of them cousins.)

Hogan liked the idea of being cousins.

Hogan: This is my cousin L. (he has no idea what a cousin is)

L: This is my cousin Hogan.

(Unfortunately, Hogan continued to scream and Troy finally did end up losing his temper- sorry L. I guess since you're family now we can let down our masks!)

End of the year party

On Hogan's last day of school, his teacher had a splash afternoon to celebrate. It was so fun to watch the kiddos. They've all become such good little friends. We were thankful that Hogan was in a place where he was loved and was able to learn the important social laws of life- like friends don't like to be tackled, sharing toys is important, and we all need the occasional time out!