Where the sun don’t shine and where it does

Perhaps I didn’t quite get sun screen on everything that was exposed to the sun…

Patience will pay off

So sorry to all of our faithful readers. I have several posts that are back dated and ready to go once I get some pictures up! Lately, posting pictures has been very difficult on this blog. I have a little paranoia about changing up anything on the settings of the blog for fear of losing it in some technological black hole. Is that even possible? I have no baby books, no picture albums, no other little notes on the kids development or the funny things they say and do other than the blog. So, until I get brave (or publish a blog book) I'll just muddle through the time consuming picture posting.

Oh, yeah, and we didn't have a camera for the last two birthdays. Nice timing. We'll do our best to fill in.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this, and check below in a few days for more posts, like Mothers day, Joe's birthday, etc.

The actual birthday party

  Lucky mom and dad!  Noah, a class friend of Joe’s had a birthday one day before Joes and his mother asked if we would like to have a joint party.  She would host at her house and take care of the games, and we would provide the cake, etc.  Heck, yeah!  Almost his whole class was able to come.

We started the festivities with Pin The Tail on the Donkey.  Here’s Patrick trying his hand at it.

The kids thought this game was fun – the object was to break the balloon tied to the other kids’ ankles before yours broke.  It was pretty funny to watch.  Joe didn’t want to participate because he doesn’t like the sound of popping balloons, and Patrick was pretty upset when a rather sturdy piece of grass broke his before the game even started!

And what would a kid party be without a good piñata beating!  Matthew was assigned the task of the final destruction (that sucker was tough for being made of paper!)  The moms were in charge of keeping the kids away from the violently swinging bat until the old bull gave up his candy.

We had a rousing game of Red Rover. 

I think Noah (in the green on the end) was cheating a little as Luke tried to make it in between him and Patrick!

And, then it was time for some cake.  Plus a few germs.

  The boys got a lot of the same gifts, so the moms had a tough time a) finding the gifts from the same person for them to open at the same time, and b)  keeping all of the kids back far enough for them to actually open the gifts.

Tyler with the super-fast potato pass, showing the skills that ultimately won him the Hot Potato championship.

Andrew made himself at home during all of the festivities.

Happy Birthday, Joe!

We just can't believe that our firstborn is SIX years old!!! The time sure has flown by. For some reason, six seems to fall into the 'kid' category, and not so much the 'little kid' category any more. We're proud of the good kid you've become, Joe. Happy Birthday!

Happy St. Mother's Day!!

Luke has been excited about what he calls “St. Mother’s Day” for a while now.  I couldn’t explain that it was just Mother’s Day, no saint.  Then I figured mothering is great training to be a saint, so I let it stand.

I just had to share with you all the very special Mothers day I had this year.  We’ll start the story in the very beginning… when I first woke up… or, when I was first woken up.  5:30am.  Joe came into our room and whispered to me, “Stay in bed, Mommy, we have a surprise for you!”  “Joe, it’s really early, please go back to bed.”  “Oh, okay.”

Only a half hour later, the house was stirring and Scott gave up sleeping.  The next half hour was an audible blur of pots and bowls clanging, boys fighting, Scott directing… “Andrew, get down!” “No, Joe!  It’s my turn” “I’m next” “Stop that, Luke”  “Someone get the butter out”

Breakfast arrived in shifts.  First Patrick with the kiddy cup of water.  He was so proud of himself.  Next, Luke with the enormous tub of butter.  Into bed with me it went, too.  Finally, the breakfast – half a dozen scrambled eggs and some biscuits that Andrew promptly stole off my plate.  While Scott was cleaning up, Andrew sat on my knees with his mouth open, baby bird style.  Of course, a mother must share!  (Good thing I had so much extra food!)

Next came the gifts.  I’ve included some pictures for you.  The top one says “I love my Mommy because she makes food for me.”  It was from Joe.  I asked him to tell me about it.  “Well, I couldn’t fit in the ground teeth, so I drew your tongue”  He also had a card that had his answers to some basic questions about his mommy.  Some were pretty close, for example:  How much does your mommy weigh?  100 pounds.  (do I hear someone snickering out there?)  and What did your mommy do as a kid?  She ate peanut butter and banana sandwiches (we had just discussed this delicacy a few days earlier)  As to my eye color, Joe responded, Green.  When I read that out loud, he looked at my eyes, and, kind of embarrassed, said, “Oops.  I guessed.”

Below is a picture of the flower pot Joe made for me.  The kids all put their different colored fingerprints on the pot and the art teacher drew in stems, legs and eyes, etc, to make the cutest bugs, mama and baby frogs, butterflies, flowers and even a little sheep – or maybe it’s a dog – not sure (not pictured)

 

The twins made these foam flower and bee wreaths.  Click on the picture to read the poem.  Precious.  They also brought home some seedlings in Styrofoam cups – Mexican sunflowers.  Sad to say, they didn’t make it.  Sorry, boys!

Scott told Andrew to tell me “Happy Mother’s Day.”  He got a little confused and began singing me “Happy Birthday”  It was cute anyway!

And, as we were getting ready for church, Pat looked at me right in the face and said, most sincerely, “You look kind of beautiful!”  I’ll teach him to drop the “kind of” before he starts dating!

It was a wonderful day of being reminded how lucky I am to be Joe, Patrick, Luke and Andrew’s mommy.  It’s a beautiful life!

Happy Birthday, Andrew

Andrew is TWO!!!

Truth be told, he's been practicing to be two for a while now!

Check down a few postings to find our Easter pictures finally up. More on this post in a bit. My eyes are going to fall out of my head after all of this computer time!