backyard progress

Here's how our yard is looking so far this spring:

garden boxes and garden planted: check

swingset up and ready: check

cute baby in the new dress her auntie bought her: check (don't worry Allie, we didn't leave the Buzz Lightyear wings on for chuch)

We have some fruit trees ready to put in this week, 2 pear and 1 peach. We planted some grape bushes too. We hope to put down wood chips around the swing set soon, and then lay down rock and lots more shrubs and flowers this summer. My goal is no dirt showing by the end of the summer!

We have Ryan's Kindergarten tour tomorrow.  He is super excited.  Actually, we both are.  I think it will be so fun to get to see where he will go to school and all that good stuff.  I love elementary schools and I can't wait to get back involved in one.  

It's hard to imagine just having these two monkeys around the house next year.  They are the same age difference as Ryan and Andrew, but it's hard to picture them being the buddies that Ryan and Andrew are.   I'm sure they'll figure it out next year when Ryan is gone all day!

Although.... I will have to keep a close eye on these two.  We already know that Andrew, though as sweet as can be, can be a little naughty.  And combine that with Miss Mabel who is turning out to be quite a dare devil.  She climbs up on all our chairs, beds, stools, pushes things over to climb up on tall things, and can already climb up the ladder to get up our big swingset!  She freaks me out many times a day.

A window into our house

You might see little boys listening to books on tape.  Does anyone else's kids love books on tape/C.D. like mine do?  I think it is the best.  My kids will sit literally for an hour and listen to book after book, just like they would if a movie was on.  

Sometimes we dance.  Their favorite part of the movie "Madagascar" is the ending credits with the song "I like to Move it, Move it".  See Ryan's sweet breakdancing moves?  

You would for sure see this.  It seems like Andrew is always putting his underwear and pants back on.  And he especially likes to go outside.

At least this time the underwear is actually going on the right way.  I let him leave the house a lot of times with underwear on backwards and inside out, and usually shorts are on backwards too.  Whatever Andrew.  He just smiles at me like this whenever I try to correct him so I just let him.  

p.s.  This represents probably about 1/24 of the day.  It's hard to capture a picture of me pulling my hair out or the kids in mid-tantrum :)  So we'll just focus on this part of the day.

little piggies

Mabel's hair is getting longer!

Come over and play

Our swing set is up and we're ready for friends to come and join us!  This swing set was no easy set-up, we are lucky we have a nice patient dad/husband to get it all done.  And a big thanks to Grammy and Gramps who helped us get the ball rolling!  After I took this picture, Spencer finished the picnic table that goes under the playhouse, added a telescope thing, some wheels, and staked it all in.  I'll have to take another picture when we get the wood chips added and have the play area all framed in.  I am SOOOO ready to get rid of all this dirt!

"Argg"

Ryan had a pirate party with a few friends.  I had to force the kids to wear these hats for a picture.

We threw marshmallow "cannonballs" at eachother (my boats are ghetto, I know, that's the way I roll).

The treasure hunt was a big hit and the kids got "gold" candy.

Ryan got lots of fun presents including this razor scooter.  I think he looks like such a big kid!

What a handsome boy.  It was a fun day and I think Ryan liked all the attention.  I, myself, am glad that we are done with our big birthday month.  4 out of 5 of our birthdays fall in a one month period, phew!

Ryan is 5

Happy Birthday to our big 5 year old.  (I was proud of myself for taking a picture of our whole family today.)

We are so glad you are a part of our family!

Could you have ever really been this small???

Easter Festivities

Dying Easter eggs.... I never liked eating hard boiled eggs as a kid, still don't.  But luckily Ryan loves them.  I think he has almost eaten the entire dozen, by himself!

Mabel left the bunny ears on all morning.

Andrew was all business during the Easter egg hunt.  Ryan would excitedly talk about finding eggs, but Andrew was silent and running from place to place.  It paid off too, he got more eggs.

Spencer's parents are in town and the boys have been working on getting our new swingset up!  We can't wait to play on it!