In our Yard

My garden has been pretty neglected lately, but I have big plans to whip it into shape this weekend (87 degrees!).

I planted this clematis a couple years ago and this year is the first year it's been really pretty.

The peony was here when we moved in, but it had a couple years where it budded out but never bloomed. I was thrilled to see these blooms (don't they look great on the kids' filthy picnic table?!)

We have grapes growing up a trellis to the side of our front porch. They do great there, but unfortunately the seedless grapes we thought we planted have seeds in them. So they aren't nearly as convenient to eat (although Trevor thinks they are - unfortunately grapes/raisens are poisonous to dogs so I really have to watch him).

This spring we have a nest in our grapes and Ed actually saw a baby bird in our yard. When we got home Monday, Brady asked to get a ladder so he could look into the nest. He spent a lot of time up there!

Campfires

We enjoyed 2 campfires over Memorial Weekend with my brother's family. Saturday night my brother told a story that Brady was still talking about the next day (Big Foot) and Sunday night my dad told one of his beloved "Sour 'ol Sam and Henrietta" stories (I will never tire of hearing my dad talk about Sam and his friend/mule - it was nice to hear parts of the same stories I was told when I was little).



The kids enjoyed smores . . . . . and some enjoyed a little nap.

At the Lake

I barely threw our swimsuits in.

But I'm so glad I did. And I'm so glad my mom and I decided to leave the auction early Saturday morning (after we saw "the lake was like glass" - as my mom says) to go because it was the best day of the weekend. And I'm so glad my dad humors us and says he can try and charge the boat in 10 minutes, when he usually does it for a couple hours.

It felt wonderful.

Ed and the boys were brave and swam - they said it wasn't bad, but I felt the water (with my pinky toe) and it was chilly :)

And after seeing how brave Brady is around the water this year already, he is officially signed up for July swimming lessons!

Memory Keeper

No one ever told me how cool the Goodwill Store is. There's one right by my office and I've found some really cool things WAY cheap - like this old "type case" (that's what I've seen them called on the internet).

The wood is in really good condition and I love the green color on the outside - $4.98. Now I just need to figure out where I'm going to hang it and what's going inside. . . . . I really like this idea and am sure we'll find we have lots of "treasures" - hopefully we'll look back and it will hold lots of memories for us!

Celebrating May Birthdays

It was a lot of fun to celebrate some May birthdays Friday with my family! I share my birthday with my nephew, Garrett, and Brett's bday is 2 days before ours (and Ed's is at the beginning of the month!).

My brother's family was camping at Melvern Lake for the weekend so we all met out there and ate KFC.
We all spit, I mean blew out candles, on this cake.







It wasn't very pretty, but it was colorful!

Copycat

Cute and simple - I might have to make this . It would be cute on my front porch in my wicker chair. . . . .


$29 at Pottery Barn

Happy Birthday Brett!

Brett, although you were a little slower than some to talk, you are making up time now! You ask questions about everything and are VERY excited about turning 3!


Brady made you a birthday card and you were pointing out the letters.

And excited to take these treats to Sandy's today -

Funny Brett"isms" I would like to remember of this age -

• Instead of using a pacifier, you have always done a little "suck face" and you continue to do this sometimes when you're tired. Now, you think it's funny to show us when you do it so we can get after you for it.
  


• You are beginning to think it's funny to argue with Brady (yes/no over and over again) and like to say "Brady did it!" - on a more positive note, you encourage him and are great about saying "Good job Brady!" all by yourself



• You love fruit and applesauce and are the only kid I know that won't eat macaroni & cheese



• You love to play kickball, cut paper, play in the sandbox and dig in the dirt



• You say "McDonald's!" every time you see the golden arches

Happy Birthday babe!

Night at the K

What an awesome night we had to go watch the Royals! The upgraded facilities are great - the boys had a lot of fun playing in the kids area. And it was t-shirt night - bonus!





Brett, how old are you going to be?

One word answers

A fun quiz -

1. bra or no bra? no bra
2. Couch or Sofa? couch
3. vaccinate or not? vaccinate
4. wedding or elope? wedding
5. polyester or wool? neither
6. Bikini or one piece? bikini
7. Dog or cat? dog
8. Are you morning person or night? morning
9. what came first....the chicken or the egg? chicken
10. if you were stranded on and island..which one item would you have to have? camera
11. homeschool or not? no
12. Beach or city? beach
13. is it Grey or Gray? gray
14. red wine or white wine? red
15. caviar or escargot? caviar
16. soda or pop? pop

Breathe

When Life gets crazy, it's important to put everything into perspective. Take a break - and if it makes you feel better, put a little dirt in the bird feeder and squirt it with water until you make a nice little mud pit.

Celebration has begun

Brady started asking for party horns last night and I also finished Brett's "bday crown", so this morning I dug some leftover party horns out of the basement and Brett tried them out.

5 more days until my baby is officially 3!

I used these directions for the crown and it was SUPER easy to make and it stays on really well too.

Number's Club

Brady's class has a "Number's Club" - you become a member when you can write your numbers from 1-100. I saw this in the newsletter and was a little skeptical. I guess I didn't know how hard he would work at it. (He usually wears out around 40-50 at home, but said he has done it at school.)

This picture reminds me slightly of "A Beautiful Mind" :)



He loves playing hopscotch at school and recently got a tub of new sidewalk chalk. Very cool that he can make his own little game (this was his first try - I showed him how to make the 2 squares together and then just 1).

Crack up

Every time I look at this picture I can hear my dad saying in a funny voice, "How big a boy are ya?"

Little things

Things are super crazy right now with work, Brady's baseball, Ed's corporate challenge and weekend activities. But I still have a list of things I want to make (and some of them have a deadline - Brett's bday!) and these pillows were one of them.

1 down, 1 to go! Completing the pillow made me happy amidst the craziness - it's the little things :)

My Superstar

Brady had his first coach pitch baseball game Sunday afternoon. All 14 players play the field and all 14 players get to bat each inning, so in the 1 hr. 15 minutes time limit, they made it through 2 innings.

Brady played short stop and left field and hit the ball both times up to bat. I think he had a lot of fun. It's been a learning process for me for sure. I want to give him space to just be with the team, but I also feel like I want to be nearby in case he needs help with his helmet or something. I'm figuring out how to play the "helpful mom" and not stress him out or get fired up ;)

He looks way too grown up for me in these pictures. It's official, I will cry on his first day of kindergarten.

Almost 3

This Saturday, we celebrated May birthdays with Ed's dad/Jacki and Tim & Debi. Brett is so excited about turning 3! He always says "My birthday"and thinks it will "super fun" to open presents and have people sing for him.

Yikes! Just a little close to the candle . . . .

He got a cool parachute and snow cone maker - I'm sure both will get lots of use this summer!

Tea Party

With two boys I didn't think I would ever attend/have a tea party, but Brady's class invited all of the moms to a "Mother's Day Tea Party" Friday afternoon. It was so nice - the weather was great and the mother's enjoyed visiting while the kids enjoyed adding cream and sugar to their ice tea and taste testing it.

Ms. Deja serving us tea and cookies -

Perry and Brady - I was talking to her mom and we decided we needed one of them together on the playground in case they meet again someday and their "romance" continues :)

Brady's class with Ms Deja and Ms Stacey -

Bike Train

C'mon ride that train, ride it!



Go daddy go!

Spring Music Program

Brady's spring music program was yesterday morning. They started with the Pledge of Allegiance and sang 8 songs - with instruments (sticks, tamborines and tone bars) and actions - which they had been working on since January. They did great!

Sticks high - Sticks low

Tone bars with Grace - It made me happy that when the teacher said anyone who hadn't played the tonebars could go up at the end and when one of the tables remained empty, he went up and played at the table by himself.

Video - "Kansas City Hot Dog"