A Day Of Mourning

Today is a day I have been dreading for over 11 years.
Today is a day I want to forget.
Today is a day I don't want to get out of bed.
Today is the last day at home with my 3 boys before they all go to school all day long.
My "Stay-At-Home-Mom" Days are over.
It's worth a good cry, don't you think?

The last 11 years have brought me more happiness and joy than words can express.
Today I am reminded of many of those moments....

Davin's birth - no drugs
Davin using me as his Binkie
Nursing every hour for 16 months
Davin's love for his mama's belly button
Davin getting his hair cut
Davin sleeping though the night for the first time
Davin's love for his green, blue, red, and purple guys
Davin's love for cereal in a baggie
Davin's love for his mama's belly button
Learning how to swim and ride a bike in the same week
Davin's fears about going to Kindergarten
Exploring Dillon Nature Center
Snuggling with Mom after taking brothers to school
Davin's love for "Boomer" the dog
Davin going down the "big" slide for the first time
Davin asking to get baptized
Davin's love for his mama's belly button
Davin climbing in the front yard tree
Painting the sidewalk with water
Davin letting daddy pull out his front tooth
Davin's love for his mama's belly button
Holding hands

Deion's full head of hair
Deion's itty bitty teeny weeny fingers and toes
Deion's infectious giggle
Deion sleeping though the night
Sucking on his toes
Deion's love for taking out the pots and pans and pounding
Deion's giggle
Deion falling asleep in my old doll bed
Deion's first big boy underwear
Wearing Papa's cowboy boots
Deion's contagious giggle
Deion's love for his first scooter
Deion falling asleep in Davin's baby car seat
Front two teeth getting pulled out
Deion's love for his Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Pittenger
Deion's love for basketball
Deion feeding the ducks at Annenberg Park
Deion talking in his sleep
Deion's giggling
Deion's chomping is food
Deion's love of the movie "Space Jam"
Deion's hugs before bedtime
Deion's smile

DaMare's lost Binkies

DaMare's love for mashed carrots

DaMare's first birthday cake all over his face

DaMare's Binkies

Stopping 5 times in one hour road trip to nurse DaMare

The way he fearlessly jumped in the pool at 1 1/2 years old

DaMare's love for his Binkie

DaMare putting on adult shoes and flexing his muscles

DaMare's love of horse books before bedtime

DaMare's love for digging

DaMare running through the Topeka Pumpkin Patch

DaMare's love for Sheridan's Custard

DaMare's love for his Binkies

Climbing GG and Papa's tree

Exploring the MANHATTAN letters

DaMare eating cotton candy and corn dogs at the Riley County Fair

DaMare learning how to ride his bike in GG and Papa's backyard

DaMare's first day of Kindergarten at Bergman Elementary in Manhattan

DaMare's first Afro

DaMare's tears the night before moving to Hutchinson

DaMare staying up until midnight reading Tree House Mystery book series

DaMare singing in the shower

Lord have mercy! Can you imagine what I'm going to be like on DaMare's first day High School or Deion and DaMare's first football game together or the worst of all, Davin's last day of High School. I hope Jesus comes back before that date.

Three Boys One Cousin Summer Fun

Nothing better than a campout... in a tent... in the basement!

Have I said, "I LOVE these faces!"

And these faces too...

Oppps! Same faces

Dillon Nature Center

Dillon Nature Center is the perfect place to take three brothers and one cousin to on an 85' Wed. afternoon. All the creapy crawly things were out today...

First we ate our sack lunch...
Then brother D and cousin Z braved the Bee Crossing!

I made them all take this picture, the eagle just screamed, "Take a picture with me!"

Cousin Z was so excited about this waterfall he let out a little squeal.

At the top of the little waterfall was a small pool of water. What boy can resist putting their sticky hands in this pool of water?

Have I said I LOVE this boy...

And have I said I LOVE to cuddle this boy...

Walking along the trails we counted birdhouses.

Have I said that I could not live without this boy!

This boys likes to look at creapy crawly things only when they are behind glass...

We made water tornados....

We looked at fossils...

We peaked over into a glass pool of water....

And the flowers, how could I not take pics. of the flowers...

Daddy's day off....

Daddy suggested we have some water slide competition...

The boys said "Bring it on, DAD!"
Somehow even though daddy is in the picture he still is not in the picture, how did that happen?
Reach Deion, Reach!

It's solo stunt time.... Introducing Deion.

Next down the catwalk is Davin.

Cousin Zumere

Cousin Zumere is visiting the Simms house while his mama, Aunt Nan's, is recouperating from surgery. We are very excited to have another frog hunter around the house. Zumere quickly learned you have to be quick with your hands, those frogs in the backyard are slippery little fellows. Zumere caught on fast, he was petting and naming them his first evening in Hutchinson. Zumere is always fun to have around, Davin especially enjoys having a new play partner. Zumere wants to give his Mom a shout out, " Hi Mom!"

Monopoly with Papa

GG and Papa visited us for the weekend. Saturday morning we woke up early to run in the Dillions irun. DaMare and Deion ran the 1 mile and finished strong. Jena ran the 2 mile, she finished in 2nd place and won $75. Saturday evening DaMare and Deion talked Papa into playing a quick game of Monopoly. Well the game turned into hours of fun for the boys, including Papa. Needless to say, the game of Monopoly is never quick and they finished Sunday morning with Papa coming out as Grand Champion. GG and Davin played, Hit the Deck," Davin's new favorite game. The Simms brothers can always count on GG and Papa to play games.