Come On Spring

My birthday gift arrived the other day. 

And now I am ready for morning coffee and my hyacinth to bloom.

Happy Spring

During recent travel for me, the kids had a legitimate snow day off school...

Legitimate for the South, at least.

Spring Fever

With all of this time out of school, there is time to do some research. 

And take my garlic from the pantry and grow it yourself.... 

And maybe talk your dad into buying some lumber. 

Because you have  time to plan a garden. 

Or many gardens. 

And then you have a day left over to stain your raised flower beds. 

It is starting to look like spring around here for real now. 

Easter Awaits!

I'm so excited!

Spring Fever Begins

Spring

Has sprung

Spring

Continues to spring

around here.

Small signs

Popping up all around here.

We're ready.

In Texas

Swimming pools come out in March, and air conditers get flipped on as well. 

Two Wheels

For two boys.

Well, that's four wheels.

They took all of no teaching to take off without the training wheels.

Of course, they've been riding so hard on the training wheels, they were nearly bent off anyway.

This slowed them down for an afternoon.

It's Already Time

For Spring fever.

As grandma and grandpa raced back through Memphis on their way home from North Carolina to beat perhaps more than 15 inches of snow, we ambled outside to enjoy a beautiful weekend. Even daddy had to take a break from school to come out and enjoy the weather this past weekend. It was one of those days that you grab the camera, take a quick picture, and then put it down so you can just play.

We've had a little taste of Spring here and we've had enough snow now. So, it'll surely get cold again, dashing our hopes for more days like these in the near future.

The Home-Made Slip-N-Slide

Not being one to puncture imagination, I watched for a few minutes before I figured this scene out while taking a break from cleaning the laundry room Sunday afternoon.

They were like ants marching back and forth from bathroom to storm door all in different states of dress, church clothes, pajamas, no clothes.

Then I watched Alida wipe-out with her hairbrush in hand in her fervor to make it to the bathroom before her brother . She spun out like a cartoon character and smashed into the open bathroom door. She announced to all that she had slipped and hoped up, continuing on with her work.

And when they finally explained that they were using the wet hairbrushes to clean the door, I wondered who I was to stop this sudden outbreak of cleanliness. So I put down some towels to mop up their path and went on about my business, just as they did.

The Saturday Outing: Breakfast of Champions

There's nothing like having brunch with friends, and then chasing a baby goat around the yard.

Particularly when the adults help you catch it.

Or, there's nothing like just running around the yard in the beautiful weather.

Then we went home and had some serious spring cleaning, which is still very much underway.

The Saturday Outing: Cedar Hill Farms

We were up and out Saturday morning to Cedar Hill Farms and first in line for the Hayride to hunt Easter Eggs with Emily, her parents, and our friend Tena from work.

Elaine on the left; Alida Emily on the right.

Alida took off for some other part of the ride. I guess she didn't want to be associated with us...

And five kids under five sent out into a field to pick up exactly 13 eggs.

Yeah sure. Elaine's bucket was filled to the top by the time I got around to her quality assurance check.
But they had fun.


And after this I was on the run.
And I am so sorry to have missed the rest of their trip, which was artfully documented by the Kings, but I had to run to go get groceries and maybe some Chik-fil-A.
Thank you Tena and Kings for giving me a solid block of time to get a few things crossed off my shopping list.

Coming Soon

I had my first chance to stow-n-go the other day.

After pulling the stuck lollipop off the floor along with some carpet and ignoring the other debris that had already made this new-last-November car disgusting, my parents helped me go pick up my Mother's Day gift to myself. Let's just say, it was so big that the trunk wouldn't close. I only had some twine to tie it down. The first speed bump we hit popped the sucker open. So, they drove, and I crawled in the back and wedged myself into our large load. Then we drove home with me holding the door down with the help of twine tied around the license plate. You would think such a well thought out car would have a place to tie off a rope piece of lousy twine. Good thing I have my daily strength training hauling people back and forth to time-out.

We'll have to wait for the great unveiling for Mother's Day weekend when I can get some folks around to do some construction. I am currently dreaming of creating gourmet meals while the children play outside. I'm dreaming of hours of free time in the kitchen as I watch the kids taking turns. I'm dreaming of our first trip to the emergency room...

While you wait, don't forget to go read me ramble on about deployment at The Good Stuff Guide again today. Sheesh, you would think I don't get out much the way I chatter.

Randomness: Ready for Spring

Ben wasn't sure what to do with the chocolate covered marshmallow.

Chocolate alone=good

Marshmallow alone=good

The 2 together=not.so.much

I kind of agree.

When we were leaving here last month, the boys got in a fight over a bouncy ball they found along the way. Nicholas went all Hulk and shoved Benjamin near the longer pool of fountains in the top right. Ben came gaspingly close to tumbling in just as a line of princesses from a birthday party paraded past us.

Good grief, we've had a strange winter.


Sometimes, you just have to fall asleep at the top of the stairs.

I started growing these last month. My dad did the same at his house.

Armored trucks--these could be useful lots of places.

So, um, yeah she's still cute.

Taking 4 to the doctor at once. At least it was an ice storm and the place was deserted.

Mine bloomed!

My dad realized he's allergic.

Long winter days. Why not just pull out the bubbles inside?

Happy Birthday this week little chick.

Give him a kiss, he says: "Oh darlin'!"

He admitted that the girls at school taught him this. Already?

The Weekend: Bravery

Grandma and grandpa arrived late Saturday.

To pitch in and hopefully avoid our germs.

Everyone was given a canister of Chlorox Wipes Saturday morning and told to go play with them; we flung open the windows and each put on a sweatshirt to get some fresh air; and, I think we ran the washing machine the entire day long.

Here's crossing our fingers that was the end of the spring sickness.

Remember When?

Remember when we had that one weekend with no rain this Spring?

Yeah, that one.

This entertained us that day.

At first Elaine just plunked herself down in the middle and they looked like they were playing some funny game.

And then we realized that she was passively obstructing a project of some sort.

Well then she just gave up passive.

And if you look real close, you'll see that Nicholas is celebrating backward day. Even his underwear...

The School Playground Two Blocks From Our House

Still as ugly as it ever was.

Easter Traditions

Scream through the group shot.

Nicholas was the only one who understood that smiling for the camera would get him candy. Too bad he looks a little crazy.

Pile on top of Easter baskets

That calmed them down for a moment, until a fight broke out over those sippy cups each has in a hand up there. And then off to church. At least no one threw up on their Easter clothes.

Having no sense of holiday tradition, carry on like it is a normal day.

So we dumped some chocolate milk down our shirts and piled on top of dad to watch a movie.

Tradition.

Happy Spring

Morning Sunshine!

Our first ever stick seeds in a cup and see if they grow project.

I'm a little sad at the results.

And in other news, Happy Birthday Emily!

We can't wait to bring you these tomorrow.