Party of 6

We went for our first hike as a family of 6.  Memorial weekend we went up to First Landing State Park.  We saw lots of toads, and toadstools to go with them.  Trevor and Braden had some map-reading practice.  It was a great first hike for Miles.  You can see that he was really working hard.  We'll have to do lots more when the weather cools down again!

Antics

Fiona is getting so much more interactive, I started getting out the baby toys. I didn't know that she'd have to take turns. Christmas could have been so much less expensive ...

Water Balloon Fight

We love visiting with Nana and Grandpa, because Nana is always full of fun ideas for special things to do. (I get tons of fun ideas, but let's be honest: only rarely do they see the light of day) This one was definitely a big hit with the crowd! For some reason, though, they seemed to be more hesitant to catch the water balloon than a baseball. (yes, Braden is cringing) Even before they got splashed with one! Still, it's a good day that includes water balloons. My mind is fast-forwarding about four years and imagining the havoc they will be wreaking when they can make some without help.

Winter Wonder

We just got back from our trip out to Virginia. We had a wonderful time being with family and doing things that we just don't get to do at home. Trevor and Braden had been hoping for weeks to see some snow on our trip, and what do you know? We saw some! A lot, actually! When we woke up on saturday, it was snowing lightly. Trevor told me, "Mommy, I prayed to God for snow, and it's snowing!"

Well, the weatherman predicted a dusting, but it ended up snowing all day, leaving more than enough for a snowman...or two...or three... even if the grass did start to peek through.



And after the snow family was built, there was plenty more left over for a good snowball fight. I had to be careful not to get caught in the cross fire. Snowballs went flying with no regard for age, size or expensive cameras.



No children were harmed during the making of this blog post.

Moonrise

We are loving the cooler weather here and are outside as much as possible. This time of year, it's great to have the whole desert for our playground.

Opening Day

The family pool is open!

Carnage

I left and came back, and this is what happened. I just can't leave these guys alone for even a minute. When Iron Man recovers, he's going to have a serious bone to pick with Human Torch.

The Cardboard Box

The kids had the coolest toy this week: a cardboard box. Well, it wasn't really a box....it was an airplane, a jailhouse, a car, a train, a fort, and probably lots of other things that I didn't hear about. Along the way, of course, it needed a few modifications.

Yes, it was irritating to have dragged around the house. Yes, the sheer volume of cardboard made their room feel claustrophobic for 3 days. But, it's so much fun. It reminded me of a great, classic book: Christina Katerina and the Box. It's a super cute book that tells a story about a girl who had the very same experience (much to her mother's chagrin), in a really funny, entertaining narrative. If you or your kids have ever loved a cardboard box, then you'll love this book!

Let's Go Fly a Kite

"With your feet on the ground you're a bird in flight, with your fist holding tight to the string of your kite." Mary Poppins

Baseball Season

The boys seem to have baseball on the brain these days. I suppose it's appropriate- MLB spring training has begun and Little League starts soon. My boys played catch with their Daddy this weekend.

Number 2

Not to be outdone by his Big Brother, my "Baby" decided to display his physical prowess during soccer practice. Trevor never has been a climber. Braden has always been very physical, but too chunky to do anything so dexterous. So this genuinely shocked and amazed me. Ladies and Gentleman, my Climber:

The Year of the Big Boy

Toy, that is. This was the year of the big boy toy. It's a whole new section of the toy department when you have all kids over 3 years. The really good part about that is that each child thinks he got double since he can play with all his new toys and his brother's. All the presents were open by 11am, so we had plenty of day left to enjoy them all. Trevor spent a couple of the afternoon hours putting together a LEGO trashtruck. A few helps from Mom, but mostly he followed the directions all by himself.
It was also the year of the outdoor toy, since we have limited indoor space. Living in AZ has it's perks. It was a little windy, but you just can't grumble at a sunny, 70 degree Christmas Day.

Seriously. Is this the coolest toy or what? A competitive racetrack. Sometimes they have to drag Mom & Dad away from it.

Trevor has declared that now he is ready to learn how to make some things for real. Sounds great to me! I could use a Sous Chef!

The Joyful Times

Sickness came into our home yesterday. Fortunately, it's stay was brief. Still, a day of crying, vomiting and semmingly endless laundry makes one thankful for better days. This thursday is Thanksgiving Day, but I decided that I needed more than one day to consider all the blessings God has given me. Today I am thankful for the joyful, carefree times. Is there anything more carefree than a couple of boys playing with the garden hose?