blissful spring

This was a picture of W on the night that T first rode a two wheeler during family home evening

The water festival in Thailand.  They throw water on each other as part of the new year celebration.  I believe it symbolizes washing all the bad away in life from the previous year

Take a picture of me mom!

They found a bug in the ivy

E was meowing, pretending to be a cat in the ivy.  W was a bug sitting in the cool ivy

E eating snack in the top of the tree he can climb

basking in the sun

T holding thor the kitty

Thor in the "kitty hammock" on w's dress

T's face of pure content to be holding the kitty

Pretending to go sailing.  W picked a ton of flowers

T helping W get a flower in her clip for her hair

my sweet sleeping baby

Making papa proud.  W's drawings of goomba (aka bad mushroom) and "onion"

These two really love to play together.  Tai set up everything for E to have what he has.  E follows him around when it is preschool at our house

waiting for snack

Here is something that we have been doing.  Swim lessons!  T really dreads them.  E can say what his brother and sister need to do next

W loves swim lessons

I let E play with the forbidden ducks while I cleaned the shower

Helping supervise the ripping out of the ivy

T helped me dig the hole to move the laurel

swim lessons

T lined the ducks up so they could watch a movie.  He used the dollhouse TV screen for them to "watch"

This was so cheerful for me!

T drew this truck, complete with landing gear and the correct number of tires

my sweet baby

T showing me his beautiful jewel nails

T wanted to blow out papa's candles

 

My first bike ride with T.  It reminded me of when I went exploring with my dad when I was younger.  We biked all over

T enjoying a creek

T got thirsty so he laid down in the cool grass like a kitty to rest a bit

E loves to do this.  he knows several book titles and quotes from many books so I find him reading to himself often

E pretending to be a kitty basking in the sun

Global warming is totally in my favor here.  Maybe the tomatoes will ripen this year.  Been loving not turning on my heater all the way through june.

Before I get started, I should mention something that someone told me about that is still making me laugh.

This guy at church said he saw a bumpersticker that read:  "Jesus is coming!  Everyone look busy!"

We definitely have been looking busy, hopefully in the repenting department but probably not as much as we should be.  It's been awhile since I've blogged  So I am lumping most of the months of April and May together and calling it spring.  W keeps asking me when summer will be here and the number is getting pretty small.

T and W played duck swim lessons for several nights in the bathtub.  They teach the ducks and octopus too how to blow their bubbles.  He also taught me how to blow my bubbles. 

W and T can both swim without floaties for a few strokes.  T still panicks a bit getting in the water and especially if there is any water in his face.  But they won't immediately drown if they fall in.  Goal achieved. 

T loves it when it rains now.  He can splash in puddles either with the dolly or his bike so there is spray like how cars make spray with their tires.  He rushes outside when it starts raining to do it.

We had some thundershowers lately.  One day W told me, "mommy come look out my window to see what I discovered"  She had found a lovely, complete arc, rainbow in the sky.  I rushed everyone outside to get the full view.  It has been a long time since I've seen one of those.  We don't usually get sun after rain.

We stayed outside after looking at the rainbow to blow bubbles.  W can blow huge bubbles with a bubble thing she got as a party favor.  She blew this huge bubble that went up as high as the branches in the firs.  I'm guessing about four stories up.  I guess the bubbles weren't popping for a long time because there was still so much moisture in the air.  She had tons of fun launching huge bubbles.  E smashed bubbles T blew on the driveway.  In case you didn't know, bubbles land unpopped on wet driveways.

One thing that was super fun about this past month was mother's day and my birthday.  I decided this year to tell Jim what I wanted for Mother's Day.  I told him I didn't want to feed the kids breakfast or get them ready for church.  So he set his alarm and got up with the kids and made me a beautiful eggs benedict breakfast and fed the kids what they wanted.  He got their church stuff on.  Yeah!!!

For my bday I was very surprised. He remembered my bday two days in advance.  And then he picked the five cakes.  He got lots of points.

Of course I need to write lots on E and his speech abilities.  I know it is his thing, but it still continues to amaze me how rapidly he is developing expression of language.

He likes to run through the house yelling "Super Ethan!".  Whenever I read to him, he repeats phrases that he hears or key words.  When we read scriptures he repeats Book of Mormon, scriptures, Jesus, etc.  He repeats parts of story lines like in the Richard Scarry book "what do people do all day" there is a part where the Grandma bear says "wait, wait!  Where is my birthday letter?  Sorry Grandma".  That is what E says verbatim.  There are lots of phrases like that in books he does.  He knows the titles to all his favorite books.  He reads me "I am a bunny" verbatim.  W is really tired of reading tons of trucks.  But he likes to name all the types of trucks.  He also likes to yell "semi truck!"  whenever he sees one while we are driving.  He even tells us whose window he sees the semi truck pass him. We have lots of pics of E reading books.  He loves to sit with his legs straight with a book on his lap and read through real books. He does this for long periods  Board books are for babies.

He likes songs too.  He sang the abc song perfectly on May 17.   Every night before bed he asks for "follow the prophet" and "child of God".  He can sing the whole first verse to I am a child of God. After that, he says " I want to be a ghost".  This means he puts the blanket over his head and wants to sleep.  He does it in the morning or after a nap when he still wants to rest in his crib.

He counted perfectly 1 to 15 April 22.  I was so astonished that I wrote down the date.

E loves balls, especially soccer balls.  He runs around singing " soccer ball, soccer ball".

And of course, E is acting his age.  His most used phrase is "Ethan do it!"  He also sings the Dora song I did it, I did it, I did it, yeah! when he completes a task

Here are some things about T.  He really makes me laugh.  He randomly comes up with some really funny lines but it shows he is putting stuff together.  J bought himself a lego train set.  Apparently it is his, but he is letting T build the cars for him.  The box says ages 6-12.  We were trying to figure out how to talk him into letting that box go and that it was Papa's.  I pointed out the age.  He knows he is not 6.  After we showed him the age range, he paused and said "But Papa, you are much bigger than 12".    Yep.

For some reason my mom was talking to T about how he isn't big enough to carry her anywhere.  But he told her "I can put you on a pulley, Grandma".  That's right.  We had been reading in his how things work book about how great pulleys are for lifting heavy things.

T is really taking off on his bike riding skills.  One of the most enjoyable moments I have had this spring is taking T on his first bike ride, just me and him.  He talked pretty much nonstop.  The sun was shining.  We just went around some walking trails around here.  But we had so much fun.  It reminded me of when I used to go "exploring" with my Dad.  It was great to be with him.  He has been working on his mountain biker skills.  He rides all around the yard, especially the down hills.  He has also been making ramps and practicing those.  W even said "Maybe T won't be a chef , but a mountain biker, since he likes it so much".  We went to a park one evening.  A park that I can see him all the way around a half mile loop from the playground.  He found a friend he knows there who was riding his bike.  The friend's bike has smaller wheels so he was always last in the races.  T noticed and was kind in letting him start first and T would try to catch up. 

T is also working on some skills that "he needs to practice so he can be a Papa"  Some of these are asked of him by me, like taking in the trashcans.  But one he invented all on his own and E helps him with it.  T is E's official diaper changer.  E really doesn't like me involved at all unless it is a poopy diaper.  And T can change and dress him with very little resistence by E.  T loves to do

Since T loves to build, he has taken to legos very naturally.  he can build a small car or truck in 1/2 hour currently.  Because he likes to build, I took him on a bike ride to a construction site after hours.  Wow!  I let him climb up the tractors on the laddres only to look in.  We had lots of fun looking at all the work the construction workers did.  He awnted to go back the next day.  Fine by W.  I told her there were flowers there.  She wanted to go.  We spent a lovely morning running through grass as tall as T's bike. 

Wpicked to sit in the tree for family home evening as the activity.  it was actually very fun.  I recommend it.  They figured out how to climb another tree.  They can go up pretty high.  I have lots of good memories of climbing trees, so I think it is very therapeutic for them.  It was for me that one night!

W loves flowers.  She told me if I keep planting flowers in our yard, the yard will look more and more beautiful.  She went on a shopping trip with just her and Papa and they came back with some beautiful yellow daisies to add to my yard.  She is hopeful.  I am hopeful this year too. 

I noticed I don't have the same problems with deer and bunnies I normally have.  I think it is because we have a resident bobcat!!  I've seen him twice.  in our yard.  One time I was really surprised he was there, because we were outside.  He didn't seem to be interested or bothered by us.  My hubby pointed out he is probably used to our normal noises.  Still.  But I'm glad to have a good rat, bunny, mouse, and squirrel catcher.  It must bother the deer some too because the apple trees that are normally stripped of leaves have all of them this year.  A miracle.

J noticed W's love of flowers.  He tried to get her interested in making a field book for flowers where she can take a pic with her own camera and draw what she found.  She told me she likes picking flowers better.  It is true.  She does love to pick flowers.  Her and Ethan picked almost all of my English daises the other day.  But she made it better because she makes me flower arrangements for the vase in the kitchen on a regular basis.  She rearranges them for me when they start to die.  She notices flower sizes and colors that look good together.  She reminds me of her great great grandma Leland.

J got himself landed in a Thai hospital on his last trip there.  Silly head.  Got traveler's diarrhea and didn't drink enough water for driving around in a pick up truck for 8 hours plus going to a beach all in 90 degree humid weather coming from mid 60's weather.  Good thing he had his uncle.  His uncle was supposed to take him to the airport, but took him to the hospital instead because he said he didn't look too good.  J said his uncle said he was hallucinating.  Maybe.  Anyway, J was in the hospital instead of the plane, so I didn't even miss him until it was all over.  W overheard the story and said "Heavenly Father saved him because he knows I like him".  Pretty much. 

I'm super excited about the temple in Thailand being announced.  Very exciting!

One night Tasked to watch scripture movies.  usually he asks for Thomas.  But we started watching some movies.  I watched one about a mom that realized she was pushing her kids away to get stuff done, but decided instead to invite them to be with her while she did what she was doing anyway and how it paid off.  Boy.  Did I need that movie.  I do that tons!  It changed my perspective about having them around and how to be with them, but still be productive.  It has lead to me enjoying them more.  T especially loves my invitations to him to help me cook.

Here are a few things I just love about summer.  I love summer night time.  I have been planning our day so I end it with them at the park, then home for bath.  So much fun!  I didn't realize how calming it is.  And the park is often quiet because it ends up that we are there from 5-7, which are usually commute and dinner times.  I just feed them a little early and we go!  One advantage of hubby gone for a week and a half at a time.

J "got himself" a battery powered remote control Lego train.  T wanted to build it all in one day.  I decided to ration him to one train car a day but even that has got me ripping my hair out a bit.  It is just above T's skill level with some parts and so T wants me to stop everything and help him when he gets stuck.  But he did build it all one by one.  The funniest part to me is that there is a cattle car, complete with a steer eating hay.  T calls it "Papa's goat".

W in purple with purple flower background

E reading I am a bunny

T and I worked on this during a mommy time one day.  T continued to work on this until the whole truck was colored in.  He worked so hard on it I had to take a pic

Hovering over my 5 slices of bday cake.  This was truly sweet.  My hubby picked bday cakes from things he remembered about where we have been.  One was a napoleon cake for napoleon dynamite.  he remembers watching thtat with me.  Another was mango from when we went to Thailand.  Another was a trip we took to levenworth and black forest cake went with that.  Another was a fruit cake and another was a strawberry cream cake.

My birthday lunch!!!  What part of me doesn't want to be here?  None!  A perfect day in my mind.  With my kids and eating frozen yogurt! I didn't go easy on the amount either:)

Then I conned a friend into driving my kayak down to the beach for birthday dinner and activity.  So much fun

T spends many hours practicing his mountain biking skills.  He goes up and down the hills in our yard, over ramps, off the deck, etc.  He really likes bike riding.  W commented that "maybe T won't be a chef any more because he likes mountain biking so much".

E's puddle splashing friend of his

Errands with dad.  I have lots and lots of good memories of jumping in the car to go on an errand with dad.  They all wanted to go with him for 15 minutes.  Fine by me!!

W helping E navigate the tall grass.  When we left E said "good bye tall grass"

E hiding in the grass like the big kids

I found you T!

I found you again!

T practicing his bike riding skills

T working on Papa's train.  J bought himself a lego train set before he left for 11 days.  He told T he could build the train parts.  T had a hard time waiting for the next day

E building a mountain

Enjoying sitting in the cool ivy and collecting soup materials

T gathering cinnamon for his soup

Spring break

we didn't get far before we found tulips we liked

W by some of her favorites

E about to smell (not pick) a tulip.  I never did quite get a pic of him smelling one

Grandma with the boys

Some of my favorites

T liked how big and pretty these were

Grandma and the boys

Some of my favorites from the side

The tulip field we visited

E in Grandma's arms

3 generations

The tulip field we should have visited.  We found these after the other

Proof we were all together, although no one really wanted to be taking pics

One of my favorite pics

T liked the red, white and orange ones

T asked for a brothers pic, but baby brother didn't want one of those

Grandma and the boys

The specks in the field are my kids running free.  These was their favorite part of the visit

As soon as we got to the beach, T laid down to bask in the sun and feel the sand

W and E were trying to bounce on this huge stick stuck in the ground

E copying T's idea of basking in the sund

E stacking rocks on a log

W made two of these.  She re-created the beach scene right around our towel

W looking at her creation, making sure it was complete

On our hike.  W loved these flowers

"Kitty" taking a break from pulling the dolley

T maneuvering the dolly through the gate.  W giving some direction

He had to back up a bit

And then he was through

T on the trail.  His I didn't mean to be funny face, but I am.

Hiking together

Playing at the sand box on chicken day

Playing on the tractor at the park. They all thought it looked more like a train

E during our car picnic at the rulip fields

fondue night with papa

E using his watering can the first time

Playing with Grandma.  E could see her eyeball

Playing with grandma at the beach

We took my mom to the tulip fields and the beach.  It was fabulous.  60 degrees and sunny with very little wind. 

We had some one liners from the trip.  We were passing a lumber mill when T said, in all seriousness: "Mom!  They did the same thing that we did at our house.  They bashed down their shed and made log piles".  We did.  We knocked down the shed (serious mold and spider trap) and moved the wood that was piled along side it away from the shed.

E was getting in the car just before we made our trip home.  We ate a few meals in the car previous to that.  E found a cranberry and a peanut in his seat.  He looked at it and said "Hmm.  A snack".  And promptly put it in his mouth.

E cracks us up.  He kept saying over and over, "Grandma.  Basking in the sun".  Seriously.  His ability to mimic so perfectly what we do is hysterical.  He was putting sand on my mom and kept saying "bad baby" just like T and W do when he is doing something he isn't supposed to.

I decided that we were going on a hike.  This was a dictator type decision.  I was the only one that wanted to go.  The natives were protesting.  My mom (the dictator that I learned from) wanted to go, but everyone had a comment.  The only way T was going on a hike was with the furniture dolly.  Seriously??!!

I did say yes to the dolly because I knew it would wear him out, had good wheels, the trails we were going on were wide and graveled.  Except that one part of the trail.  It was a real trail.  I had forgotten about that.  Lots of large river rocks and tree roots he had to pull it over.  He got really tired on that part.  He commented that he didn't like it bouncing around so much.

Every single hiker we came across had a big smile on their face after passing T.  I think he cheered up the whole forest of people, including us.  He did pull it fairly continuously for 1.5 hours, however many miles that is.  I tried pulling him on it during a hard part, but he didn't like it.  I'm guessing it was not comfortable to ride on.  Another time I said I would pull it but wouldn't let him do it again so he took it right back.  He needed to be the one to take rest breaks but he did it.

A few other hikers comments, with huge smiles along with the comments were "Couldn't afford  a real wagon?"  "Is he with you? (big laugh)", "Doing some trail work today, huh?" and "Oh look!  It is the family with the dolly."  My mom commented to T that "I bet this is the first time this dolly has been on a hike.  I bet he has never been on a hike.  This is a first time adventure".  She didn't think I was serious about putting it in the car and then getting it out when we got there.

T got us started laughing before we even left.  He ran ahead to the trailhead signs and started reading off all the no signs.  "This one says no shooting your arrows.  This one says no putting sticks around.  This one says no driving cars in here.  No riding your bike."  At the other end of the trail, there was a gate that prevents horses and bikes.  T read those one too.  "No horses.   No hiking sticks.  No bikes.  Mom!  Is there one that says no dollies?"  That one came right around the time he was trying to maneuver the dolly through the fence.  No, T.  I think they left that off the list.  As we walked away he said "That sign said no hiking sticks.  Good thing I didn't bring my hiking sticks".  ??!!  All of T's comments were said in complete earnestness and total straight face.  He meant it.  My mom and I, however, were busting up most of the time.

What were E and W doing this whole time?  The first mile E wanted to walk all by himself.  Of course.  While he was walking he told us "Don't pick the flowers".  When T went out of sight he would yell "Too far T.  Come back!"  He also learned the word exercise and practiced saying it in three syllables.  And while he rode on my back, he sang to us Hickory Dickory Doc.

W was talking fairly non stop about the flora, how beautiful it all was, how she liked the trees swaying (we got caught in some moderate rain the last half of the hike) in the wind, the beautiful stream, etc.

My mom walked really fast back to the car.  It might have been raining fairly hard.  I had told her not to bring her umbrella because if it rained her hood and jacket would be enough.  Mostly right.  Plus.  Umbrella=not from pacific northwest.  And her umbrella is bright pink. 

I think they did enjoy it once they got out and hiking.  That's what all dictators say.