To a Boy...Mulch Pile = Bike Ramp

A couple of weekends ago we had mulch delivered. When I looked in the driveway, I saw a pile of mulch that needed to be put around the house. When my boys looked at the mulch pile, they saw a potential for a bike ramp.

While Jim was mowing the boys jumped the mulch pile a few times to see if he would say anything. He did not say anything so to them silence was acceptance! The next thing I know Jim is standing their watching them jump.

So what does a mom with a new camera do...well go it of course and see if she can get a shot of the boys in mid air! Never mind they are not wearing helmets...I was just glad I was able to get the picture.

Davis had a smaller bike that he could not get up over the pile with, so he decided to ride the bigger bike so he could do it! He had been putting off getting on this bike just a few weeks earlier, but in order to be like his brothers he will do about anything! He was so proud of himself.

And I wonder why everyday that I look in the mirror I see a few more gray hairs!

FORT WAGS

Last Fall Carson talked to his Dad about building a tree house. Dad said that a tree house was not possible, but a clubhouse/fort might be a possibility. Carson had not forgotten about this conversation and asked his Dad early Spring about the clubhouse again. Dad told him he would have to wait until after his busy season. Well, two weekends ago Dad came through! He has been working diligently on this fort for the boys. They are all very excited!

When at Costco a few weeks ago, the boys saw a little playhouse that had a big window, like a drive-up window. They liked the idea and told their dad. So on one side of the fort there is a big window. On the other side there are two windows one higher than the other. In the back there is a window that is higher up just to let some light in! Pretty darn good for not really having any real plans drawn up. Just one little boy with a dream and a handy dad to fulfill it!The fort gets a thumbs up from the boys! They have loved watching the progress and helping their dad work on it.

Oh, the creative play and memories that will be made by these three boys this summer and many seasons to come!

Next step is moving it to the backyard and adding some siding, shingles, door and paint. Dad even said he might build a bench on the back wall for them to sit on!

More pictures to come as the progress continues. Jim has gotten a lot of hugs and thank yous from his boys. I think more than anything knowing that their dad is the one that made it for them will mean the most!

Spring Fling

On Friday, Davis had his Spring Fling. It is his singing program that his daycare puts on every year. He had been so excited to have us come and watch him sing his songs. He had been practicing his songs at home and boy did it pay off! He did a great job! It was also neat to see his brothers give him encouragement and praise.

The neatest part of the whole thing was that an anonymous donor gave the daycare, which is located in a church, money to buy each of the children that attend the daycare a new Bible! Could there be a better gift? I do not think so! I really hope this donor knows what a great impact these Bibles will have on these children. Davis has already had me read him stories from his. It was a special afternoon!

Play Ball

Last Saturday was the Opening Ceremony for our little league baseball.

It was so fun watching the boys play in their first games. It is a new experience for both of them this year. Carson is playing "coach pitch" meaning the coach pitches 7 pitches to them and they either hit or get out. Carson went 3 for 3 in his first game. Defense wasn't too shabby either!

Connor is participating in "player pitch". Which from the picture below...you can see he was the player pitching! He did a great job for his first game. Only hit one kid and you could tell he felt bad about it! Man, is this nerve racking for a parent, especially a mom that is super competitive! I try so hard to be quiet on the sidelines, but I constantly find myself blaring out instructions...("how many outs?", "where is your play?", "bend your legs!", "baseball ready")

Just trying to make them be at the top of their game! They do not always see it that way. I think they are just going to have to get used to it.

Davis' favorite part is the playground and the tire swing! He was just so excited that I found a pair of Carson's old cleats. He calls them his "practice shoes" He literally wears them to every practice and game. He cannot wait to play. I am not sure how we will do it all when he starts! There is 3 of them and only 2 of us.

This week we had a game or practice every night, but Monday! It is crazy busy, but I am just so thankful that they are healthy enough to play and that they have so much fun doing it!

Gotta go...have a couple of dirty uniforms to wash. Why do they even make white pants?! I mean really...couldn't they just have all boys were black pants regardless of the shirt color? My boys have to slide at least once a game!

Toothless and Reading

Carson officially lost his first tooth today! It was bothering him while he was eating lunch so his teacher took him to the nurse and she pulled it out!!! Have you ever heard of such a thing? I guess better her than me...


The tooth pulling out thing kind of gives me the heebie jeebies. I am not good at all with the whole blood thing and just the thought of ripping that thing out makes my stomach feel weird! I hated pulling my own teeth. I would let those suckers hang until they were barely hanging by a thread. It would get so bad that my mom would literally hold me down to pull them out! Yuck!

I do not even like to watch the boys wiggling at them. I guess just the thought that at some point that thing is going to fall out and blood will appear makes me feel so uneasy!


Luckily, Connor would work at his teeth the instant that they were loose and in a matter of hours he would have them out. I think his motivation was the monetary award he could get at the end! The kid will do just about anything for money! Scares me a little.

Carson on the other hand probably knows that he will not get much help from his mother and is afraid of the approach his father will take, so he heads to the school nurse! He said it did not hurt so hopefully he will continue to ask her for her services.

Connor reminded Carson that the tooth fairy may not come tonight because one time it wasn't until the second night that the tooth fairy left money under his pillow! Can you believe that? Must have been a lot of girls and boys that lost their teeth that day and she was way overworked! I think Carson is safe and the tooth fairy will be able to make it tonight. They also discussed how funny it would be if she gave him a $100 bill instead of $1 bill on accident! Yeah, like that is going to happen! So fun to listen to them and their conversations.

On a much brighter note, Carson is really starting to enjoy reading. The book of choice is "The Adventures of Frog and Toad". It is so much fun to revisit these stories that I read as a child.

I love that little finger going across the page as he reads and the look of excitement on his face when he successfully pronounces the words! Don't get me wrong...we still have a lot of work to do, but progress is there and that is exciting!

Spring Break

Whew...what a week! The boys were on Spring Break last week. Wish we could have gone to the beach or somewhere warm, but with Jim's schedule that will not happen. Although, we did not go on "vacation" per se, we still kept pretty darn busy!

Friday March 27 - We headed to Columbia City, then off to a park to play for the afternoon.

The boys played on the playground equipment and rode their scooters around the park. They had a great time!

Saturday, March 28 - Davin's birthday party. Happy 12th Birthday Buddy!

After the party, we went to see the movie Race to Witch Mountain. The boys enjoyed it!

Sunday, March 29 - We went to my Grandma Betty's for Sunday lunch.

We have not seen my Grandma, the boy's great Grandma, for a while so it was nice to catch up with her. The boys got to play with their cousins and second cousins. It was a nice visit!

Monday, March 30 - Went to Chuck E Cheese with my best friend since high school, Chelle, and her three kids!

The kids all had such a good time and it was so nice to spend a whole day with Chelle. We even got to go back to her house and while the kids played her and I got to talk for the afternoon! I really wish we could do that more often. Her friendship is very special to me!

Tuesday, March 31- Happy Birthday Jim!!

We headed back so that we could be with Jim on his birthday. Unfortunately, his birthday is during his busy season, but my mom was here so him and I got to go to dinner. It was nice to catch up with him. We do not see each other much this time of year!

After dinner, we had cake and ice cream with the boys.

Wednesday, April 1 - We took the boy's to see Aliens vs. Monsters at the Imax in 3-D.

It is really fun to see the movie in 3-D! The boys also really enjoyed this movie.

Thursday - April 2 - Day of rest!!

Friday - April 3 - Off to the Children's Museum. We had not been in awhile and the boy's really enjoyed the Lego exhibit. They also enjoyed the Science Works room and the comic book exhibit. It was a great time!

Saturday April 4 - Off to Rochester for Cade's Birthday.

Hard to believe he is 3! Happy Birthday baby...I mean Big Boy Cade!

The boy's and I reviewed everything that we had done this week. I did not want them to go to school saying that they did not go anywhere! It was a great week spent with the boys. I hope they had a great time because I did! Wore me out!

Hope everyone has had a great Spring Break! Now I am ready for the warm weather to be here and stay!

My Baby is 4

Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday that we headed to the hospital early in the morning to have you...Dad wondered why I just couldn't have my babies say at 1 pm rather than 1 am? Didn't seem to work that way with you and your next older brother!

You definitely are our ball of fire! You want to do everything that your brothers do. You have no fear. I am thinking you could have a future as the class clown! You always have a way to make people laugh. You are ornery, but I love you just as you are.

This is from your 1st birthday. You seemed to really enjoy the cake!

This is when you decided that lotion should be hair gel.

Boy did we get a laugh out of this one!

We had plenty of fun getting that out. I think your hair was

greasy for a week!

You have grown up so quickly...guess that is what happens when you are the youngest of three boys. You have accomplished a few things this year. You learned to ride a two wheeled bike last summer. You just recently decided that you were a big boy now and gave up your "night night" (basically a baby cloth diaper that you would carry all over and especially needed when you were ready for bed) I was so proud of you for just doing it cold turkey!

You love to ride your bike, you love to swing, you love to play with your brothers, you love pancakes for breakfast, and you love to play with action figures.

Looking forward to the new adventures you will bring our way in the next year. There is never a dull moment when you are around!

We love you big boy!!!