Cavs in the Finals (4.4 years and 2.85 years)

The post season with the Cavs has been a lot of fun.  Austin and Sydney has really enjoyed it too. The Cavs being in the finals was awesome and exhausting.  All the home games did not start until 9pm.  A few away games started at 8 pm.  We took the kids to the watch parties.  It was a great opportunity for them to see the finals without the cost and really late nights.

The Cavs do a great job with the watch parties.  We really enjoy Fred McLeod and Austin Carr doing the commentary.  The kids get to get their hair painted and a Cavs tattoo.  The love all the snacks they get.  The snacks really help them be able to watch the entire game.  I find it amazing that a 2 and 4 year old can watch the entire game.  They have never watched an entire movie at one sitting yet but they can watch the Cavs game.

During the timeouts, the entertainment at the Q is just like regular games.  The have the T-Shirt toss.  Brian was holding Austin and a t-shirt was thrown right at Austin.  Brian was nervous if Austin was going to be able to catch it himself.  This was Austin's opportunity to get it.  If he dropped it, likely someone would get it.  Luckily Austin caught it himself.  He was so proud.  And so were we!

The watch party ended up going into overtime.  Austin started to fall asleep a little bit but Sydney was still pretty awake.  Brian told Austin if they won, he would be able to give strangers high fives.  Austin was really excited about that.  The Cavs ended up winning and Austin and Brian went all over the Q giving people high fives!

Brian and I went to all the home finals games ourselves.  Luckily our neighbor was able to watch the kids.  Since the games were so late, it worked out well for everyone.  The kids had fun with her and her kids.  

We were really sad the Cavs did not win the finals.  But given the injuries to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, it was impressive they made it so far.  It's great to live in Cleveland and be able to experience this. It was great family memories.  We can't wait to see what next year brings!

Our local library has a summer time reading program.  I read to the kids for at least 20 minutes a day and then the kids color in a clock.  Then each week, they get a prize, a popsicle, and a coupon for food somewhere.  The kids really love doing this.  They enjoy reading and picking out their books.  Now when I take the kids to the doctors I bring lots of library books.  We just sit and lobby or room just reading the books.  They are so good.  Before when I didn't have anything for them to do they would torment each other, scream or run around.  Now we just sit there and read.  It makes me so happy!  I'm so grateful for our great library and getting the kids to enjoy reading so much.

Last summer, we we were so desperate to get Austin to poop in the potty we got Austin a fireman's pole for his swing set.  Brian told him as soon as he did that they would put it up.  Well that never happened until Thanksgiving.  Since it was cold outside and he just did it because he wanted too not because of the fireman's pole, it was never put up.  Austin loves fireman poles at the parks.  Brian decided to put it up for him.  Austin loved helping put it up.  He also loves being able to play on it.  Sydney can't go down herself yet but Austin definitely can.  Kids still enjoy their swing set.  It's nice when I am making dinner that they can play on it and I can see them.  It was a lot of work to make but so glad Brian did that!

Also this year, Austin decided he wanted to grow some plants and/or flowers.  I was planning on getting a pot from the store and letting him do that.  Brian thought, "why don't we just make them a garden?"  Brian built them a garden on the side of the house.  He also made sure that the deer and rabbits won't be able to get in.  It has a door with a lock.  It's amazing.  It's a large garden that the kids planted corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, green beans, tomatoes, cucumber, and carrots.  They had fun with that. Hopefully we will actually grow something.  I don't have a green thumb so we'll see what happens.

We also took the kids strawberry picking twice.  They loved apple picking so much we decided to try strawberry picking.  The loved it too!  It is cool to get fresh fruit and watch them pick their own.