Full-of-Play May

Miss Kate pretty much dominated the month of April at the Robertses' house. The first couple of weeks of Kate's life were very hard on Luke. His little sister really razzed his berries! Over time, he came to tolerate her (you could all but see him thinking, Well heck, I guess she isn't going anywhere), but if we're being honest, I think he was just SICK AND TIRED of being stuck at home. Jeremy, once he got better after his illness, was awesome about taking Luke to do things so he wouldn't get cabin fever. Once April wrapped up, though, I was closer to 100%, too, and we tried our best to have lots of family fun! 

Step 1: Enjoy the Woodall Kids Carnival, hosted by Luke's first "school," the Brent Woodall Foundation. Cousin JD, Aunt Jackie, and Uncle Johnny joined us this year, which was so very cool of them! 

This year's carnival boasted a petting zoo. We were pretty stoked that Luke was actually semi-interested in this! :) 

He also was into digging for treasures, and worked busily alongside his cousin to see what he could unearth.

Kate just chilled out in her stroller while listening to everyone say how adorable she is. Ahhh, is that the life or what?

JD had a fabulous time. He got to do some painting (when I finally got Luke to it, they were out of paint... dang it!), which he seemed to enjoy.

Luke found one of his carnival favorites: the fish (and other animal) pond. We couldn't keep him away once he found it! :)

"Why yes, I am gorgeous. Now go away and let me snooze again."

(Funny story about this sucker; JD got it as a reward for playing the fishing game pictured above it. BUT JD also realized that if you just walked behind the fishing board, you could just get them out of the bag without having to play for it. AWESOME. He is the most hilarious little boy - we just love this stinker!)

Step 2: Water Play!!! Luke's morning school, the ECDC, had a water play day mid-month. Ms. Mary, his teacher, sent me this picture... essentially the most adorable thing that I've ever seen. Oh how Luke just loves the water! 

We also enjoyed an impromptu playdate at Parr Park with some of his classmates later that same week. 

Now if you're local to the Grapevine-Colleyville area, you know that there is a splash pad at Parr Park, but it was closed (or so I thought...) due to a vandalism incident. (Yeah, vandalizing a kids' park... people are pretty much the worst, huh?) So I just came to the park with Luke in his normal clothes, and Kate in her stroller. 

Well guess what? The splash pad was NOT closed. And when I have a stroller and a baby that I won't abandon, I can't run quickly enough to stop Luke. And when Luke wants to go somewhere, he's like Adrian Peterson. The result?

This picture does not show it since it's from a distance, but this boy was DRENCHED. He rode home in his undies. I did take a picture of it, but I'll spare him future humiliation and not post it. And why yes - I am astonished at my restraint. :)

Step 3 - Mini-Bowling! We bravely visited Itz, a very cool arcade off of 183 and Euless Main (I think...). I say bravely because Luke's speed and elusiveness make crowded, dim locations mildly to incredibly terrifying. Yet we went for it, and Luke had a blast. He adored mini-bowling, and we will definitely be there again - though somewhat sparingly, as it wasn't free.

Step 4: Making the Most of the Ordinary. This month, Luke has been super into the 2013 Grammy Nominees album. (Yes... I know... not your typical kid.) His favorites? Lumineers' "Ho Hey", Mumford and Sons' "I Will Wait," and lately and most hilariously, Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain." Man, he really belts that one! He'll even "play" his guitar while he sings. And why yes, his narrow butt CAN fit in a Bumbo seat. We feed him, I promise.

And while I promise I don't consider this FUN, it happened in May: the whole family went to Lowes. We required an additional cart.

(And by the way: I am sure it is possibly weird that Luke still sits in a cart, but honestly, when I was huge and pregnant, I couldn't risk him running off from me, and I can't just leave Kate in a cart while I chase him. I realize Adrian Peterson has quite a size advantage over Luke, but y'all, my small fry is FAST!)

Like we said, while we're at home, we try to keep it as exciting as possible. Though I don't have a picture, his tent that we fill with a ton of little balls has been a big player. I've gotten Luke semi into painting...

...and he's still into his letters, and this idea from Pinterest SAVED MY LIFE on a rainy day.

And whenever he'll be still long enough, we will get Luke to read with Mommy and Daddy. He is so smart and does an excellent job sounding words out! He rocks! 

(P.S. I feel it's worth clarifying that while it looks like Jeremy has on a Hooters shirt, it's actually a t-shirt for the GHS Quidditch Club. Yes, that is actually a thing, and the back of the shirt says, "I have 99 problems and a snitch ain't one." So hilarious.)

The month of May brought lots of fun - can't wait to see what fun lies ahead this summer!