Every year field day marks the end of the school year. It is hard to believe that our eldest daughter is done with 4th grade. The whole family went up to have lunch with Kate for field day. Here are the Ritter girls enjoying the sunshine! (It was on this exact day last year, Kate's field day, that we found out we were expecting baby Grace. -SR)
While we were at school we got to tour the halls and see the Sand Creek Art Show. Kate was very proud that she had four pieces of her art on display. She is a very talented artist.
We also got to see the tape manikin that Kate made with two friends in art class. They each made tape wrappings of the Kate's torso, arms, and legs and then put them together to make the sculpture. You might recognize the blue dress and leggings. Kate wanted to make sure their manikin was fashionable for the art show.
Kate had her first dance recital in Colorado. It was at the University of Denver theatre. Quite a swanky place. On the way in, we passed a huge stone sculpture that included a chair. As you can see, Kate still has some growing to do.
Before the show, we ran into one of the girls from her ballet class whose name is Grace. They are hoping that they will have a class together again this fall.
Once it was time for the show to start, we found our seats in the balcony. Kate didn't perform until the after the first intermission. Believe it or not, there were three intermissions during the show. I thought this action shot came out pretty good for our little camera from so far away.
The next adventure of the summer was to deliver Kate to girl scout camp. This year she went to Magic Sky Ranch which is northwest of Fort Collins which is about 3 hrs from our house. The drop off day was on a Sunday, so Dad, Kate, and Grace loaded up and headed out. The trip went pretty smooth and on our way down the camp road we had some wildlife there to greet us. (And pick up was on a rainy Friday; the 3 hour trip ended up taking us almost 6 hours because our little one screamed most of the way up & the whole way home, even with Mom or Dad sitting in the back. I think by the end of the car ride we were all crying! -SR)
Magic Sky Ranch was pretty cool. Sarah and I both tell Kate how lucky she is to get to go to camp in the mountains every summer. After we checked in, we walked back over to Kate's cabin to drop her off. We passed a huge rock and decided to see if Kate could hold it up. Who needs man strength?
When we got back to her cabin, we made sure she had everything and Dad actually got a hug and kiss this year. This is a picture of us in front of the cabin.
Now that Grace is getting bigger, it is pretty rare that she will fall asleep laying on Dad. This is a pretty special picture!
Our next trip after Kate got back to camp was to Smith Center so that Grandma and Grandpa could meet Grace and so we could deliver Kate to Nana Laurie and Papa Homer. She spent almost a month with them this summer in Kansas City and Bella Vista. We got some great pictures of Grace with Grandma Neola.
Our cousin Pax William rode to Smith Center with Nana Laurie and Papa Homer. He and Kate had a great time playing in the water playset in the backyard! (After playing with Pax in Smith Center & Kansas City, Kate is convinced that she needs a little brother too. Maybe you will have a son one day dear? Yesterday she told me that she should get some say in how many children we have, since she is a part of the family too. Nice try, but no cigar. -SR)
Grace even put on her swimsuit too, but the water was a little too cold, and she wasn't to sure about Pax splashing the water. -AR
I guess I will take over from here since AR is not finished yet & neither is my honey-do list. Thank you dear, now that I know you know how to blog, you can't claim not knowing how as a reason not to blog (did that make sense)?
I title this picture "So Kate, tell us how you really feel?" (Click on the picture to enlarge for a closer look at the facial expression). Getting Kathyrn to ride her very expensive birthday present is like pulling teeth. You would think we were asking her to go bungee jumping into a volcano. The conversation usually goes something like this:
AR & SR - "Kate, we are going for a walk up to the open space, then you can ride your bike while we are there."
Kate - (Sits in sheer terror thinking of any possible reason on earth why she can't possibly ride her bike today)... Awkward silence... Crickets chirping...
AR & SR - "Hello Kathryn, did you hear us?"
Kate - "Huh?"
AR & SR - "We are going up to the open space & you are riding your bike, capeesh?"
Kate - "Why don't we just go for a walk with the dogs, plus my stomach hurts, what if I fall off, Dad will let go, how about later, why not tomorrow, bike... what bike, want to read a book or magazine, maybe even an encyclopedia, umm... (nervous laughter) what did you say again?"
AR - (in a calm voice) - "Kate has Dad ever let you fall? I will be right there with you. It with be okay, you will see. Come on, how about we go just for a little bit and then you can have some ice cream & camp out in our room tonight."
SR - (at the exact same time & in a "stern" voice - as Kate would call it) - "Kathryn Elisabeth, we are going for a bike ride, that is final, some people don't even have a bike, like mom, let alone a nice one like you, now you keep your mouth shut, get on your bike and stop being a wussy."
AR - "Kate, don't cry, just ignore Mom, she is obviously cranky. Honey, when was the last time you ate something?"
SR - "Excuse me? Clearly that is not the case, forget this, we'll try again tomorrow."
Kate - (Sighs under her breath, "Victory!")
RIDICULOUS!
Another, much less traumatizing sport of jump roping. She came home from Kansas jump roping. Have you jumped rope lately? It takes up quite a bit of energy, therefore, I am sure that is why Nana Laurie adopted it as Kathryn's nightly activity. Very wise!
Grace didn't mind Papa Homer snacking on her foot, but if he kissed her face with his mustache then she was not happy. It was actually pretty funny. Whenever she thinks she is hurt there is always a delayed reaction prior to the scream. Andrew now shaves on the weekend for his baby girl because "she doesn't like it when my face is scratchy." Me neither princess!
This was right before our nightly meltdown, in which Grace lets us know that it is time for her bath. Grace doesn't mind when Nana or Papa holds her, which is nice, and she will tolerate Kate for a little while (minutes). She loves watching Kate & smiles and coos at her all the time, but she doesn't really want Kate to hold her. I get the "Mother, what have you done" face whenever Kate has her for longer than a few seconds, followed shortly by crying, in which Kate then hands her back like a smelly piece of garbage. I have come to the point where I "wear" my baby everywhere in her pouch, don't offer for people to hold her, and if they ask to, preempt it by letting them know that it isn't them, it's Grace, and she doesn't like anybody except for me & Andrew, and his parents (thank God). My mom is coming to visit soon, but I have yet to meet a baby that doesn't love her, so I am not worried.
On another note, thank you Laurie & Homer for a wonderful visit! We had fun at the museum (pictures on my blackberry, forgot the camera that day), and all the good food & wine that came along with our time together. Summer has quicky become one of my favorite times of year because we look forward to spending time with both sets of our parents, who work in education and have the summers off. Love to you all!
Grace has adopted her high chair as her favorite place to sit when not being held. Finally we can cook dinner again before the other parent gets home from work! We tried bananas & apple sauce last week, but she got a raging stomach ache, followed by an awful night of screaming, and we decided she wasn't quite ready for solids yet. Funny enough, I think I started feeding baby Kathryn at 3 1/2 months without issues, and Grace is almost 6 and is not ready yet? Well, whatever... as long as she likes to play in her high chair, we are all happy.
This is our upstairs bouncy, that Grace sits in & plays with her rubber ducky while Andrew or I takes a shower. She is pretty happy if you leave the door cracked so she can see you, and doesn't seem to mind that her legs are soaked by the time you get out. What a funny little creature she is! I look forward to comparing her personality when she is older back to when she was a baby. Baby Kathryn was a very easy going baby, and not that she is super high strung, but she definitely has my personality now. Maybe since Grace is so high maintenance now, she will be super laid back like her old man later on. One can hope.
We are rolling over both ways (when we feel like it of course), and almost sitting up without help. Everywhere we go I always get, "wow, your baby is so big"; yes my baby is a chunk, I don't over feed her (and by the way, you can't over feed a breastfed baby), and hello, Andrew & I are not tiny people. Yes she is quite chubby, healthy, and perfect that way! We go for our 6 month check up next week, at which point I will share with you the stats of our baby chub-a-lub! I have no doubt she will be in the upper percentile.
Daddy is pretty smitten with his girls. I've asked him before is he hopes for a boy in the future, and the answer is always the same, "Nope, I love my girls!" And that is very apparent Ritter:) -SR
A very nice entry, I love that you both are participating. Matt likes to edit and critic mine but I tell him untell he helps he may not have an opinion.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures, looks like the Ritter family is enjoying life/summer. Grace is growing like a weed and Kate seems really tall as well. Funny about the bike, cautious has to be better than the dare devil child.
Not sure if you are going but we hope to see you at the Kitzrow wedding:)
I love all the fun details yo both shared! I just wanna reach through the computer screen and squeeze those cute Grace cheeks! And Kathryn looked so lovely for her recital! She's growing up so quickly! Tell her Aunt Sarah said to quit being a wuss about the bike! Just do it already!
ReplyDeleteLove you guys so much! Miss you even more!