Easter Weekend

Grandpa and Grandma made the long drive to see us for Easter weekend. We showed them historic Smithfield and our favorite beach. The boys took their shoes off and enjoyed the sand between their toes for the first time this year. They soaked up lots of Grandpa and Grandma love and attention, enough to get them through until our next visit. 

Monster Trucks and Random Pictures

John and I cannot decide where Luke's obsession with monster trucks came from. We do know that we currently have two (the Easter bunny may be delivering more) Hot Wheels monster trucks that are Luke's two favorite things in the world. They are the first things he plays with in the morning and the toys he chooses to take to rest time every day, and he asks to watch the monster truck video on Netflix every single day. Since he has been working on dressing and undressing himself, he walks around the house without a shirt on a lot. You can imagine the jokes John cracks about poor little redneck Luke. 

Of course since the monster trucks are Luke's favorite things in the world, Jack wants to play with them. He's learned how siblings torment each other. Lucky me. 

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Jack and Mom Gardening

Watching for the Ice Cream Truck

Favorite Photo Face

Jack's Beloved Kitty Cat

Luke's Other Favorite Thing

Our Weekend Adventure

John, the boys, and I try to do at least one adventure with lots of activity each weekend. We've found a state park that runs along the bay. It's pretty and not heavily populated this time of year. There are lots of little treasures to see and to motivate little boys to walk farther than they normally would. John and I guessed that we walked about a half a mile down the beach and then back. Luke made it all but the last little bit and then cried the rest of the way because it was Daddy who carried him instead of Mom. Booger. A little pug who was walking her owner was distressed by Luke's cries. She was absolutely desperate to lick his tears away in typical pug fashion. It's these times that I want to remember, and it's these times that I hope my children will remember when they reminisce about their childhoods.

Marion, John wanted you to see the wheels on this beach bike. What a workout!

Our Family

Daddy, Luke, Mommy, Jack, and Lucy

Gopher Giggles

We are wearing our gopher gear to cheer my nephew David on as he competes in the NCAA tournament. Jack absolutely hates his gopher shirt. I think it is because the gopher is making a menacing face. Jack is all about smiles and twinkling eyes. When I put his gopher shirt out for him to dress in yesterday, he yelled, "Mom, I don't want to wear this mole shirt!" I convinced him to put on his gopher shirt by telling him that David was going to help Jake teach him how to fish this summer, and the least he could do was wear the shirt to cheer him on. He reluctantly put it on and came downstairs for breakfast. I can't be sure whether it was intentional or not, but not ten minutes after the gopher shirt conversation, he spilled yogurt all down his shirt. Little stinker. I ran it through the washing machine and made him wear it to gymnastics anyway. Score 1 for Mom. 

Fast forward to today. I am spending quite a bit of time watching for David to wrestle online. Jack came by while I was waiting and asked me, "Is David wrestling yet? Is he wrestling for the moles today?" There are plenty of laughs around here that Jack can take credit for. 

Cute Story Everyday Moment

The other day I was picking out Jack's clothes while he got undressed. When I turned around, he said, "Look, Mom, I look like Jesus." I had to laugh. Where do they come up with this stuff?

Bird Nests

Jack likes to celebrate every holiday. With today being the first day of spring and Easter on its way, we decided to make some bird nests. 

Jack was very careful to put three eggs in each nest. Occasionally, he tweeted and showed me eggs that were cracking open to let the baby birds out. His imagination is always engaged. 

He had a little predator he had to deal with. Luke had no interest in putting eggs into the nests, but he would snatch an egg at every opportunity and stuff it into his mouth. We decided that he couldn't be a snake because he used his hands to take the eggs, and obviously snakes do not have hands. We decided he must be a raccoon. 

Eventually, Jack decided the best way to deal with the predator was to just sacrifice an egg every time he came around. 

Those sweet little hands have lost their baby fat. 

Birthday Festivities

I got to celebrate my birthday with two of my favorite guys today. John is working in Western Virginia, so he missed out on ice cream with us. He didn't miss out on my present though; he sent me to a hotel on the beach on Saturday night for a little time to myself. It was the best present he could have given me. I realized while I was away that I haven't spent any real time by myself since a year ago when I went on that women's retreat. It was long overdue. 

Discovering What Our City Has To Offer

We are beginning to discover some activities around Hampton Roads that are fun for the kids. This is a nature preserve that is about five minutes from our house. They have walking trails that range in length from 1/4 of a mile to 1 mile. On Saturday, we walked the 1 mile trail that goes around the lake. The boys love physical activity, and John and I love how tired it makes them. :-)

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