Love/Hate

We love the warmer weather and seeing the backyard space put into use again.

We hate the fact that it is still light at bedtime. The following phrase is no longer persuasive:

"LOOK how DARK it is outside! Oh my, we better get to bed."

Clap Your Hands

We think that warm weather is here for good.

Elaine is showing off the toddler modest line this season.

Nicholas is starting a colony on the other hand.

The Bismark's Spring Run 2009

Daddy is home for a couple of days, so he took the boys out to run the Bismark after dinner last night.

Apparently at the edge of a pond that cars threaten to dive in to.


Awe, he even took pictures of cute baby ducks.


And a pretty cute kid.

The Bismark, which still has not sunk, did get pretty loaded down with moss.

Notice the camera bag in Nicholas' hand. Once he gets a hold of a thing, it is his in his mind. We had a bit of a melt down when I had to rescue it back at the end of their trip. Really, can't I have one or two things that are mine?

Oh, what do I care? How often do we get to see Benjamin so happy?

The Saturday Outing: Get There Early

The secret to a successful Saturday outing?

Get out of the house early and bring grandma and grandpa if you can.

We toted the stroller thinking the GIRLS would perhaps need a break.

These two wouldn't get out.

There was room at the zoo to ride and be carried everywhere.

But the weather was perfect.

Alida continues her fascination with all things fowl.
Certainly she is not my daughter.



I'd say the girls walked and the boys rode, but mostly the boys rode and the girls were carried.

Alida lingers chasing birds when she isn't carried

And when we were through at the zoo and driving away at 11:30 traffic was backed up out of the place to the city streets. We were off for hamburgers and nap refusal.

Randomness: Spring Has Finally Sprung

You all were so well behaved at the motel breakfast we were complemented, even though I think you all ate 10 buckets of yogurt that morning and then threw them up later in the car.

Alida: If it were only this easy.


Kisses

Brian saved you. And then you crawled right back in there, didn't you?

Alida, the girl who would not sit still, has bonded with grandpa, the grandpa who would like nothing more than to just sit still with a grandgirl.

This is Brian and Lori's kitchen. It was clean when we arrived.

This is Brian and Lori's living room. It also was clean when we arrived.

And the girl just sat with him.

And he is speeding this way to do it again this weekend girl.

When we couldn't find Elaine I had a couple of heart attacks here. We finally spotted her on the third level wandering around. I still have no idea how she got up there.

Back to work.

Alida so charmed grandad, he even did some cooking with her.

Creepy. But fun.

Why I haven't posted as much lately.

And how I celebrated Earth Day.

This happens when he is home.

He hasn't been home much the last month, but we managed a batch one evening. Except half way into it I realized I didn't have chocolate chips and only peanut butter chips. They weren't nearly as good.

Things we've gotten used to: piles and piles of clothes.

But bare feet and bare arms are finally here I think.

We celebrated Easter on Eastern Orthodox Easter too--mainly because Uncle Curt and his girls brought us back candy from their meanderings. It was well received.

It's getting heavy, isn't it?

Morning Conversation

Nicholas: Mommy.
Me: Yes.
Nicholas: Your car is like a school bus. And. And. And daddy's car is like a RACE CAR!
Me (dejected): I know son. I know.
Nicholas: Yeah, like a red race car.

Rain, Rain

Right about the time we got everyone ready to load in the car to get dinner Sunday, the rain turned into torrential downpour.

And they had a blast sticking their heads out and running back. Until. Until a ball got away from Nicholas and he ran out into it and discovered quickly that some rain showers aren't very fun to play in.

The Saturday Outing: Mississippi

Saturday morning it was raining at home, but our friends to the South didn't have any. So it was an even better excuse to load up and go visit a rural area with plenty of space to run and play with new friends.

And we did a little work for them. Nicholas got these all the way back to the house without dropping either.

But this was the favorite toy by far.

And in the middle of me with my back turned droning on and on about how Benjamin needs to learn that we aren't going to intervene every time he needs/wants something--as in his turn with the car--he simply dumped Nicholas over on his side to let him know it was now his turn. So um, yeah. You need to stand up for yourself Ben, but let's channel that a little differently next time.

And the fresh air tuckered us out and everyone was asleep within about a rural block of leaving late in the afternoon. And then we all went straight to the bath when we got home.

The School Playground Two Blocks From Our House

Still as ugly as it ever was.

Let's Review and Forget

March 10: He leaves
March 13: Gayle and Al come save me for the weekend
March 16: Gayle and Al think they need to go back to their real lives
March 20: He comes home

March 25: I have a doctor appointment; he leaves; my mother arrives
March 26: The remaining of us head to Texas
April 3: We return from Texas
April 4: He comes home; my mother leaves (one instance not directly related to other I don't think)
April 6: He starts working crazy hours to write a stupid long document

April 9: Have a little surgery and the kids leave to Arkansas
April 11: Kids return from Arkansas; he is still writing stupid long document

April 13: He gets in a car and drives to Indiana; my brother and nieces arrive
April 14: He drops off crazy long document and drives back from Indiana; my brother and nieces depart
April 15: Doctor Appointment

April 12: Easter Sunday

Today: Preparing for the next Guard weekend a short week away from now when my parents will return

We All Have a Twin

And while we thought that Benjamin was Nicholas', I think that Nicholas may be Uncle Brian's.

Weekend Adventures

How is it that they'll do this for other people? Well, unless it is a photographer that I hired...

Go HERE to see the kids weekend adventures.

Thank you to The Three Kings.

Westward

We were lucky enough to see cousins and uncle last night when they stopped to rest their road weary heads on their way West. I love explaining to the boys that Uncle Curt is mommy's brother and that grandma and grandpa are mom's mom and dad. They just stare at me.

We'll catch you on your Eastbound adventure later this week! Have safe travels.