Fun with Papa!

Yay! Papa and Grandma are here and we are just enjoying hanging out with them:



My friend Susie is doing a Picture a Day in May (B&W style as well), and I am going to join her... I have wanted to do this for awhile anyway, so I figured it will be more fun this way!! Any other friends want to join? I look forward to hopefully finding beauty in each day, in the simple things, and just being able to share with you! Here we go!!

One Man's Weed...

is many other things in the eyes of a child!

A gift for Mama:


A glorious, golden field of flowers that they can pick to their hearts content! We had bouquets filling our hands and pockets after this day was done!



A couple of days later, the same field turned into this:



Panic to new homeowners fresh sodded grass! But no worries to these kiddos! More fun to pick and pick and pick:



And then to make wishes!

Take a deep breath in...


And Blow...



Fly Wishes! Fly! Fly!


I might have mentioned it here before but there is a song that is sort of my "theme song" for Zoey. She just loved to run and explore and go, go, go and be free and this captured it. It is Tom Petty, and here are some of my favorite lines:

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free
Go away somewhere all bright and new
I have seen no other
Who compares with you

Run and chase your wishes, sweet girl!

(Van) Gogh Zoey!

Zoey's school recently had their evening Art Show. All of the art the kids have worked on throughout the year is displayed all over the school for parents to come look at and admire. I think it is a neat night! Last year, when Zoey was in first grade, I noticed the second graders did a take on Van Gogh's Starry Night. I love that painting, so when Zoey started working on it this year, I was very excited to hear the process and couldn't wait to see the final product! Each week she would tell me the steps they would do and the progress she had made. She did a great job! They all come out fantastic. And it is quite a display when you see tons and tons of them together.



Oh, and it was Earth Day, which explains her bright green shirt!

Preschool Charmer

Max plays on a soccer team that has kids from his preschool class in it as well. It is nice to see some of the same parents around and chat with them. It is also funny when they tell you what their child has said about your own. Apparently, Max's recent haircut was quite the talk of the preschool town with the girlies in the class... Two parents mentioned it on separate occasions that their daughters really liked his new haircut! And one lady came up to me and had to tell me this funny story. She was talking to her own mom on the phone and asked how her daughter was doing. She asked how the soccer game was the night before and then asked about the boy on the soccer team with the new haircut!! She had to think for a minute before she realized her daughter had been telling the grandma all about Max!! Well, I am biased, but I think he's a cutie too!


Another Max funny that shows some of his personality...

We have this piece of extra foam from an ottoman we are working on and the kids play with it in all kinds of imaginative ways. The other day we were all watching Ross play MarioKart on the Wii. Max was using the foam piece to hit Ross in the head (that is not the most imaginative use, but anyway). Ross kept messing up on the race and he was getting mad. He told Max to stop hitting him because it was distracting! Max stopped and kept watching him race. Ross made another mistake and Max quickly said, "See, you messed up and I wasn't even hitting you!" He's so matter of fact and quick like that all the time, it just makes us laugh.

Frozen Custard - Yum!

Zoey and her Girl Scout friends, and all of their siblings got to take a tour of Ritters the other day and get the inside scoop! (ha)



They made a batch of vanilla, and then had a sample!


They got to all squeeze into the freezer! BRRRR!! And the refrigerator too.





And then, they each got whatever they wanted for a treat! How fun!


Here is Zoey and the girls:

Spring Break

Our Spring Break has already come and gone and was spent in the local area just enjoying each day with each other. Nothing special, but nice just the same. We knew it was our last week before heading back to reality with Ross in a real job and kids back to school and full of activities, so we just wanted to slow it down as much as possible.

The weather towards the end of the week was super warm so we spent lots of time outside. We went miniature golfing, put together some things for the house (a new dresser for Max and then started an ottoman that we are trying to make on our own... perhaps that's another post).

We also went to a local metropark that has a children's garden. Nothing was blooming yet, but the kids still had a fun time!


There was a cute little playhouse that the kids checked out:









I'm sure we will make plans to come back in a couple of weeks when all is in bloom!


One thing that was out and about was this guy...


And his friend:



And that's one thing about Ross... Whenever we go to some place like this and reptiles, amphibians, or wild critters are involved... he quickly turns into the Biggest Kid and captures the thing to share with all of the others. I have many memories already of him with frogs, toads, snakes, shark eggs, and being surrounded by kids! Just like this:



It always makes me smile, though. And I'm thankful not to have to be involved too closely!

Max and I talking a walk along the boardwalk type bridge:



here he is taking a break to read the map!



Ahh... Another thing we did plenty of: Dine Al Fresco! (That's fancy for eat outside!) I love to say it though... even if we are just eating quesadillas on the deck! It is perfect right now... not too hot, not too cold, and not buggy!






A nice break overall!

Congratulations Ross!

Yay! So, Ross graduated, like, three weeks ago and although he doesn't care a bit that I haven't blogged about it... I actually did want to make mention of the evening! Plus, pictures!

Seriously though.

We are so proud of you, Mister.

And we love you.

And we sure enjoyed the time you got to spend at home during the day. (We will miss that.)

I decided to take both of the kids to the ceremony with me! Eeek!

No, they both did a great job and were on their best behavior. I knew they would both remember it at this point in their lives, so I thought it was something they should witness.

Here are the kids and Ross before he left (he went early)



That was the only picture I took with my new camera. I was going to bring it, but there was this crazy, torrential downpour and I had a bag filled with necessities for the kiddos in case they needed to be occupied... anyway, I just didn't bring it.

So, we went to the AF Museum and like I said, it was pouring sideways crazy rain and wind. And we had to park a mile away! What was I thinking??? The three of us were a comedy show in itself with walking and holding one big umbrella sideways in front of us, (thus blocking our view) and also trying not step on each other and not lose the umbrella in the wind! yikes. We finally put the umbrella down (after it almost turned inside out and took us with it) and sprinted the last 100 yards. So much for doing your hair, right?

Anyway, we made it, and even found Daddy before the ceremony! We found our seats and Max just didn't understand why he wasn't sitting by us. The ceremony actually went by pretty quickly and Zoey was occupied checking things off in the program. She also liked hearing the Pomp and Circumstance and learning about how it plays at all graduations.

When Ross lined up to go on stage, I sent Zoey forward to take a picture. It was very cute. She was a little afraid or embarassed, and didn't want to get to close. It's dark and you can't see him very well, but she just looked so cute taking the picture, I had to add it.
And our family after the fact! Congratulations Mr. Graduate:)



And how cool that all of our family living throughout the US got to watch on-line! Thanks family.

Flower Headband

This post is mostly for my mom... I bought this headband for Zoey and was trying my hardest to describe it over the phone and it just didn't cut it. So, I just took some pictures. I'm not going to use it for what I originally bought it for, but she likes it anyway, and it makes for a pretty photo prop! Hello, my pretty girl, Zo...

Five on Friday - The Easter Edition

1. First there was the egg-dying/coloring. We were in the middle of the Final Four and the four teams included mine, Ross and Zoey's. Needless to say, we had some smack-talking egg decorating! And Team Inspired Eggs! Zoey's knowledge of college (ha! rhymes!) has increased a thousand fold through this all, who knew? We did regular decorating too! Here is Zoey painting on one of her eggs:


2. So, my memory fails me. Apparently, living in different houses doesn't even help distinguish events, because I thought I saved all of the plastic eggs from last year and the Easter baskets, so I wouldn't have to buy them again! Nope, I did that a couple of years ago...in California! Oh well. So we had the Saturday before Easter scramble to find Easter baskets. We have been racing Mario Kart on the Wii and the kids love the characters and so they wanted Mario Easter baskets! Let's just say, not to be found at this late date... We improvised, they still love it:



3. I grew up decorating an Easter Tree. Zoey enjoys it as well. I was talking to my mom on the phone and she thinks the ornaments are over 30 years old! Nice!


4.

Do you see the egg?

We did an egg hunt just in the back yard with the kids. Always enjoyable for them. I am glad they still get a kick out of it. And even if Zoey was skeptical about the Easter Bunny helping Daddy hide the eggs (he knew to come via text message) she didn't dwell on it.









5. And what is a post from me without mention of the weather? Our Easter Sunday could not have been more beautiful! It was so nice. So finally, for number five... a couple of family pics!
I think this may be the face I capture a lot:


And this guy smiles, but tries not to look at the camera... hey, fifty percent!






Happy Friday... may Easter continue to be on the forefront of your mind. God Bless You.

Hello...

Mr GQ!


I seriously couldn't get enough of this kid on Easter.

And a girl cannot help but twirl, given the opportunity...


I hope you had a wonderful and blessed Easter! Alleluia!