Park Day

This morning we found ourselves with a little extra time on our hands - well, not really EXTRA time, but we used it as an excuse to head to the park!  The weather has been a bit cooler (meaning below 90 degrees at 9:00 in the morning!) so it seemed like the perfect day to fit in one more park adventure before I flat-out refuse to take my children to any sort of outdoor activity that does not involve a swimming pool.  :)

We pull up to the park and the kids notice that none of their friends are there.  Then, the complaining starts..."What are we gonna do????"..."Who am I gonna play with?"...blah, blah, blah.  My wonderful reply...'It's a park!  You'll find something to do!'  Sheesh!  I guess it's probably my fault...we usually do go to the park with all our friends because, let's face it...I enjoy it a lot more too when I have a friend to talk to while the kids play. :)  But anyway, we were on our own today for the most part!  

But, when all was said and done, we had a BLAST!  Garrett and I put the stop-watch function on his wristwatch to good use!  We had a full-on competition to see who could swing across the rings faster than the other person. Yep, haven't done that since 5th grade!!!  We timed Ethan until he reached his personal-best time in 'running-up-the-slide-as-fast-as-you-can' competition.  7 seconds...not bad for a little 4 year old!  Garrett and I even timed each other as we raced to see who could climb up and down every single one of the ladders on the play structure.  And let me just say that I WON...even though it was harder than I thought to contort my body into some of those tiny child-sized rope ladder entrances!!!  We probably would have seen who could jump farthest off the swing, we were on a roll...but Olivia was done with the heat (I guess it wasn't as cool as I had hoped!) and was quite vocal about it! And we had some friends show up and I didn't quite feel like showing off my jumping skills...or being shown-up by my 8 year old son!  :)  Or who knows...maybe they could have joined right in!?!?

So take a stop-watch with you the next time you go out!  Who knows what kind of fun you can have!!!

Testing the Waters...literally!

Yesterday I took my two younger kids with me to meet a couple of friends for lunch.  While we were there, Ethan announced that he had to use the restroom.  Me, being the really great mom that I am, assessed the situation - I had just gotten my food (10 minutes after everyone else) and was way behind...Olivia was restless and not wanting to sit in her high-chair and was threatening to jump out at any given chance...and we were sitting very close to the bathrooms.  So I send him in alone, telling him to make sure he washes his hands and to come right back out as soon as he was done.  Maybe not the best decision for a 4 year old, but a few minutes later, he comes out wiping his hands on his shorts...so all is well.

Fast forward enough time to devour a really yummy lunch and visit with amazing friends while trying to keep the kiddos entertained and somewhat quiet.  I had noticed two older couples sitting near-by, watching our kids.  In fact at one point, one of the cute older ladies with super white hair came up to me and told me that I should "treasure these times".  I assured her I was trying...but she just smiled knowingly and patted my arm as she walked by, like she totally understands how hard it is sometimes to treasure these moments!  :)  Bless her.  This cute group seemed entertained by all the crazy kids and not annoyed like some people could be, so it was a very nice lunch.  

As we were outside, ready to leave, this group followed us out and stopped to chat while one of the men went to pull up their car.  The other man walked up to me, and asked which kids were mine.  I pointed them out and then the guy moved in really close, patted my arm, and said that he had been in the restroom at the same time as Ethan.   He then proceeded to tell me his observations.  Ethan apparently had been standing at the urinal...doing his business.  Then the wheels in E's little head started spinning and the guy could tell that he was trying to make a decision.  After a few hesitations, Ethan decided to go for it and stuck his hand into the urinal to experience the running water first hand.  In the man's words, "He tested the water...not tasted mind you...but tested it." So I guess I should be grateful, it could have been worse!  He then proceeded to tell me that watching E had made his day and that he hadn't stopped laughing about it since.  :)  I joked with him and said that I needed to excuse myself and go over and sanitize my child's hands and that his daddy would be taking him on a tour of the men's room soon enough...and pointing out all the things that we don't touch in there!  :)  He just kept saying that it was the funniest thing and that he had truly enjoyed watching all the kids.  The cute white-haired woman then started in again on treasuring these moments.  I wonder if her little ones had ever tested the urinal water?!?!  

But, really I'm trying.  I'm trying to cherish these moments that are flying by much too quickly!  Some days are better than others...but I love it!  How blessed I am to be the mother of these three crazy and delightful (and apparently very germy) children!  :)

They're Back!

Tonight, my boys went from this...

with a little of this mixed in...

and this...

To this!!!  

Aren't they handsome?!?!?!?  

I've missed my short-haired boys!!!

Happy Friday!

Summer is here.  It's finally the weekend.  Could it get any better?!?!?!

Happy Friday, Everyone!!!

Laundry Fun

I know I've posted before about how my kids "help" whenever the laundry basket comes out.  Their folding always makes me laugh!  The number of times underwear on the head can be funny is quite amazing!  Olivia sitting on the couch across the room watching me pull clothes out and fold them and shouting out with each new article of clothing, "Dad!!!" - for Dad's shirts.  "E!!!!" - for Ethan's clothing.  "Gar!!!" - for Garrett's stuff...you get the picture!  But I especially love when Olivia starts putting on clothing.  It doesn't matter who's clothes they are...she just starts to pile them on...layer after layer sometimes!  

In this particular picture, she is wearing a pair of her shorts, a pair of her pants over that and a pair of Garrett's boxers to top it all off.  Then just to complete the outfit, she went into the kitchen, (apparently dumped her water all down her shirt!), pulled out an oven mitt and started wearing it around the house like a big shoe! Yep...total girl...it's all about the accessories!

Got your back...

There is never a dull moment at our house!  Not with these crazy kids around!!!

Nifty Fifty

I remember very clearly being in 2nd grade and sitting in the back of the classroom with my teacher and passing off my 50 states that I had memorized...all in abc order.  Garrett was doing this in school a month or so ago and I have LOVED hearing him here at home, rehearsing his states.  He heard a song at school, which he promptly came home and asked to YouTube it so he could memorize it for the next day.  It makes me so happy hearing him sing it...mostly because I LOVED learning the states myself when I was little.

But, what makes me even happier is ETHAN singing the Nifty Fifty song - all day long!  He knows an impressive amount of them...some with his own 3 year-old pronunciation of the names, but he's really pretty good.  My personal favorite....Connetakick for Connecticut, Fontana for Montana, and the falsetto voice thrown in every few states!!!  It kills me!  :)  He skips over a few states here and there...but the next time he sings it, he'll remember those and leave out different ones, so honestly, I think he really does know them all!  I guess it pays to have an older brother!