April Showers (and Flurries?)

This past weekend we were blessed with another stretch of gorgeous weather: sunny skies, 60+ degree temps, perfect gardening weather. We spent a lot of time outside, planting some of our garden, mulching our flower beds, playing in sandboxes, and visiting with friends. Usually April is such a dreary and rainy month, but we had three fantastic weather weekends this April, and we enjoyed every one of them. Unfortunately, Grandma and Grandpa got stuck with the boys on the one bad weather weekend in April, and it was a doozy. There was snow:

And lots and lots of rain. But snowflakes and raindrops can't keep these boys inside. And they were lucky enough to have an obliging grandpa to weather the storm with them.

A few excursions kept the boys happy and dry. They went to story hour at the library...

...and to Cabela's to see the (dead) animals and the (very-much-alive) fish. Apparently Ethan was not a fan of the stuffed creatures (those of you who have seen him around dogs can probably picture his reaction), so they high-tailed it to the fishtank instead.

And in typical grandparent fashion, Tom and Sue just couldn't stop themselves from helping us out with some household chores. Ethan and Grandpa cleared our front yard of sticks and a fallen tree trunk that we hadn't gotten around to moving, while Grandma was inside watching Adam and doing loads and loads of laundry.

The boys (and grandparents, I might add) seemed no worse for wear when we returned on Sunday. They found plenty to do despite the bad weather, and had a very special weekend together.

Thanks again Tom and Sue for taking such great care of our munchkins!

All Smiles at Smiling Hill

Ethan and Adam love excursions. They don't really care where we go, but they like to go somewhere pretty much every day. It could be as mundane as an oil change and a mani/pedi (which kept us busy on our mommy-Ethan day last week). Or it could be more exciting, like story hour at the library or a trip to Cabela's to see the (stuffed) animals (two field trips the boys took during their rainy weekend with Grandma and Grandpa). But these kiddos both have ants in their pants (as does their mommy) and they run to the door when there is even a mention of an outing.

One of our favorite excursion destinations, especially when the sun is shining, is Smiling Hill Farm. Smiling Hill is just a few miles down the road, and offers three favorites all in one convenient location: trucks, animals, and ice cream. Who could ask for more? In the winter, they also have cross-country skiing, which is always better with a little ice cream. We met our friends Rachel and Eli at Smiling Hill on Monday, and Rachel got some good pictures of the boys enjoying an afternoon at the farm.

It Takes a Village

We were down in Connecticut this past weekend for my grandma's memorial service. Driving five hours with two wee ones is always a fun adventure, but they were surprisingly good in the car - it's getting easier every time we do it. I had prepared myself for an especially challenging weekend, as I knew the timing of events and all that had to be done meant major schedule upheaval for our kiddos. That, coupled with a house that is very difficult to childproof and a certain 17-month old who refuses to be contained, restrained, or detained, could have spelled disaster. But it was anything but a disaster, thanks to all the extra family around. I really appreciated my extended family this weekend. When my hands were full, there was always an extra set (or two or three) to back me up. The kids were constantly occupied, disappearing to the beach with Noni and Papi, reading stories with Uncle Mark and Aunt Sandy, or being tickled or chased by Uncle Pauly. All this extra love and attention meant happy kids who felt at home, despite being completely thrown off their normal routine. It's no wonder Ethan cried and said he wanted to "stay all week" when we left Sunday morning - back to the reality of a busy mom and dad who can't always give 100% attention, as much as they might like to.

It was a harsh reality for Mommy too, going from dozens of hands on Sunday to just my own two on Monday, with Ben in DC for work all week. We will be very happy when our own little family reunites on Sunday. Between now and then, we'll rely on the other side of our wonderful extended family, Tom and Sue, to hold down the fort while Mom and Dad have a kid-free wedding weekend in NY!

Poopface

By request, here are a few shots of the little rascal with his you-know-what-eating grin. There are only about ten things I can get this boy to eat. Now we have an eleventh.

Easter Sun-Day

Ahhh...what a glorious Easter weekend we had! Nothing restores the soul like a solid dose of Vitamin D, some good old fashioned manual labor, and time with family and friends. Ethan might argue that dying eggs, going on an egg hunt, and finding a basket full of goodies delivered by the Easter Bunny himself were the highlights of the weekend, but he liked the sunshine and yardwork too. And he really liked having both sets of grandparents around.

Here's how we spent our weekend:

Dying eggs...

garden-preparing, roto-tilling, mulch-spreading, weed-pulling, leaf-raking, etc., etc., etc...

hunting for eggs...

having very important conversations on the deck...

driving Grandpa around...

learning about acorns (Note: Right after this picture was taken, Adam also learned about the taste of manure)...

and sharing a bowl of frozen peas after a wonderful day.

Happy Easter! Hope yours were also filled with sunshine, family, and a visit from the Bunny.

Happy April Fools Day!

Ethan has a "Silly Party" at school today to celebrate April Fools Day. Here he is in his very silly outfit this morning.

P.S. First night without a diaper = big success!! No fooling!