Friends

Kids are at Grandpa's and we are off to have dinner with friends. I get to see my friend Deanna that I haven't seen in a year or so. That makes me happy! I've known her 21yrs ! wow! Michael had asked me how long I knew her and it made me think about it. At first i said 11 years! LOL! Then when the math didn't work it hit me!

Losing 2nd tooth!

On the way home from VBS last night, Michael's tooth was so loose that he was telling me to hurry home so it wouldn't fall out before his Daddy saw it. He even said , "I hope Blake is still awake too so he can see it". (B wanted to stay home with Daddy tonight)

When he gets a loose tooth he wiggles it constantly. With his tongue, with his finger. I remember his first tooth he lost (July) not but a few weeks ago I guess, and it started being loose before school let out. I have graduation pictures (end of May) of him trying to get it loose thru the whole production. And not every child does that. I have plenty of patients that won't even try to move a loose tooth because they are scared. But Michael, he works and works till it comes out!

Our fun day

The boys and I went on a picnic in a shaded park and then an adventure to find ducks. Since we live by water it seems like it would be easy, right? Well, we ended up going to 3 different boat ramps looking for them! The boys ate icecubes in the backseat of the car when we ran out of drinks. They thought that was so much fun. Amazing what entertains kids sometimes! But when they got out of the car they both looked like they had accidents due to the big wet spot on the front of their pants from the icecubes ! But considering its high 90's it didnt take long to dry!

In the mind of a 4yr old

Yesterday at VBS the boys were asked in class, "What can you see that reminds you of God?" Michael said "clouds" and Blake said "milk". : )

A boy and his bug

God gave boys a Daddy so they could teach them about bugs. Now, I will hold a lady bug or lightning bug but not a preying mantis like cool Daddy. He caught this for the boys (he caught them a turtle a couple weeks ago) and put it in the jar for them. For the last few days he has even been catching it crickets and spiders to put in this bugs jar. Blake has been fascinated by it. Him and Brian sat at the table and watched it eat a cricket.

VBS

Michael said tonights VBS was "the best I've ever been to!" It was a pirate on the seas adventure theme and the teachers were dressed up as pirates and the stage was made into a pirate ship. I will have pictures to send another day since we got home so late. He had so much fun he told me he didnt even want to leave. At the end of the night he was running around the gym dancing with some friends to "pirate Christian music" he called it!

Appreciate

Appreciating....

I appreciate... (and this is of course besides family and friends and good health)
big bath tubs,
a good book or movie you can get lost in,
a fireplace,
good food,
canoeing,
hearing "I love you",
hotels,
flowers,
a perfect dress,
swimming pools,
vacation,
hugs,
a card in the mail when you are having a bad day,
an "I'm sorry",
cell phones,
and I could go on and on if i sit and think about it. We should all sit down and remember each day what we appreciate. Otherwise we get lost in the busyness of life.

Canoeing

Gliding along the Buffalo River for the last two days with my hubby I tried to remember the sites and sounds so I could put it in my blog when I got home today. We had a great time!

The perfectly blue sky and huge white fluffy clouds above us. For a moment thinking about the kids as I saw a form of a shark in the clouds. If they were with us, they wouldve been picking out shapes in the clouds too. The sounds of the small rapids we were approaching. An occasional "plunk" into the water as a turtle went into the river. A soaring bird in the blue sky. The peacefulness of nobody around. Just the smooth gliding of our canoe and then the sound of Brian's fishing bait hitting the water. Leaning my head back so the sunshine could hit my face before we drifted thru a canopy of trees. It was very hot. We heard 100 degrees. So we spent alot of time in the river and on the islands on the side of the river cooling off under a giant shade tree. We watched a "wasp kind of bug" carry a dead spider thru the rocks at our feet. We had picnics of sandwiches and chips for lunch. For dinner Brian grilled hotdogs and baked beans. The 2nd night we had scrambled eggs and sausage and beans.

What a gift the weekend was.

Story

I love this little sweet face. He was sitting in time out and I saw his face and just had to take his picture. This is probably the only time he sat still. He loves to run around and play chase and climb and laugh.

Lots of blueberries

Today I took the boys to pick blueberries. It is one of my favorite things to do with the kids. We all love it and the kids can run around and be free. We have a picnic at the little playground they have there too. When we got home the boys helped me make the best blueberry muffins. Then I got motivated to make a blueberry cake too since my mother in law is coming tomorrow. They are both good! The cake tastes like a sugar cookie with blueberries. Yum!

Appreciating

Today I am thankful for:
being able to call my mom when I am stressed out.

My true friends who love me no matter what.

My hubby who actually loves to cook and is an awesome cook.

Exercise videos.

Nonstop cartoons (not just on Saturdays like when I was a kid)

My mother in law for always babysitting when we canoe.

Rock wall

When we went to the space and rocket center they had this big rock climbing wall. At first B didn't want to do it but after watching the other 3 kids do it, he got brave. They had the best time climbing this! He is in the yellow to the left of the picture and M is the 3rd one from the left. They all made it to the top of the wall. I need one of these at home for them to climb! LOL!

Cleaning

The boys wanted to earn more money in their allowance and I was cleaning the kitchen so they helped me clean the blinds and baseboards, doors and walls. Then M helped fold towels. M said he now feels sorry for me having to clean all the time! LOL! He said it was "a little" fun but he was worn out. They did pretty good helping but B had pretty much everything soaked by the time he was done cleaning. Their favorite part was spraying the cleaner on everything!

Yesterday I was laughing because I have been teaching the boys about the civil War lately so I am assuming this is why M said this, but just out of the blue he tells me he doesn't want to be in a war because he would have to eat whatever they cooked and it probably wouldn't be any good! : )

This picture I took because I noticed B went into his room and was in there for a little while being quiet so when he walked out I went to investigate. This is what I found. Him having tucked in his stuffed monkey! Sweet!

Fun time!

I didn't write in my blog last night because I took the kids to the space museum and we stayed the night so they could swim with some friends of ours. We had a great time. The traveling Star Wars museum was held there too so we had two awesome things to go see. They had the original costumes and stuff that were in the movies. The kids even got to climb a rock wall which was amazing to see 4yr olds doing! They did science experiments. They had alot of fun on this ride (see picture) at the kids space park. It wasnt very busy so the girl let them ride this over and over and over again! Fun time!

Happy Birthday

Michael is so sweet. He called his grandfather to get his Granny's phone number so he could call her and wish her a happy bday. So when she answered he sang the whole Happy Birthday song to her! I wish I had known he was going to sing to her so I could've recorded it! How many 6yr olds will do that? Makes a mom proud.

Library magic

I took the boys to see a magician at the library. They thought he was pretty funny! I love this picture of their faces.

War

The boys loved going to the civil war battlefield today with their cousin. They were amazed by the 9min. video we watched which was a reenactment of the battle. We visited the museum, cemetary and battlefield. M asked SO many questions about the Civil War.

Cousins

The cousins had a big time this weekend. I think it is so sweet how they always want to hug in pictures! Nobody tells them to do it. They just do! I accidentally put the picture of me with the kids instead of the other cousins picture and I can't figure out how to remove it. But anyway, it shows some personality anyway! LOL!

Sparkle

I was laughing tonight because in my younger days, vampires were always said to die if the light touched them. In today's "Twilight" era, everyone who reads the books or watches the movies knows that vampires "sparkle" in the sunlight which gives them away so that is why they avoid the sun. So tonight M was talking to Makayla and somehow they were talking about vampires and she said "if they get in the sunlight they die" and my son says "No, they dont, they just sparkle!" I cracked up!

So funny!

Michael was asking me a question about clouds and I said, "we can look that up on google" and he says "how does google know?"

Swim

How lucky the kids got to have swim lessons with their friends. M is like a fish in water! He loves to swim. He told me tonight that he wishes he could take lessons every day.

Sleepover

I am looking forward to getting my nephew for a few days. The boys and I are going to get him Sun-Tues. He has never gotten to spend the night with us. I told B that he could sleep in my bed while his cousin was here. That way my nephew could have his bed. B said he'd give him his bed but he'd like to sleep in there on the floor between him and his brother. That should be interesting!

Yum

The boys and I went to a friends house and watched Mary Poppins today. I always loved that movie as a kid. I had 3kids cuddling with me watching it. (2 on each side and one in my lap) I looked at my friend and said, "What did I do to deserve this?" I am not sure, but I sure enjoyed it! Then we had swimming lessons. Michael is doing great in there. Blake is still not keen on the idea. After dinner we had a dessert the kids and I made yesterday called Neiman Marcus bars. YUM is all I can say. I have a new dessert recipe I am excited to make for my mother in law the next time she comes to visit because she loves Nutter Butters and it is made with them.

Sparklers

When I was a kid I remember going to 4th of July parties at my aunts house. They would always have red, white and blue popcorn. I always thought that was so cool. And I loved sparklers! Now, having kids, they make me a little nervous with sparklers! LOL! I like the new long ones they invented. Those are very cool and much safer. The bottom pictures makes me laugh because B is holding a small sparkler. The Dads handed out the big ones first so when the kids got to these they didn't like them as much! But the first picture shows how happy he was with the long sparklers!

4th

Hope everyone had a good 4th of July. Blake loved the fireworks and Michael was more interested in going in and playing with his DS.

1ST tooth!!!!

My sweet boy lost his first tooth today. It has been driving him crazy and I told him to eat an apple and it came out! Halleuluhia! We were all so happy!

Frog

Michael wasn't going to pick up the frog until his buddy Ashlyn did!

Slip and Slide

I love the summer! The kids loved the slip and slide they got to go on at their friends house.