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!

Slow Month

I feel the need to squeeze one more post in this month, but am lacking material. When it rains every day for weeks on end, one loses their photographic and creative inspirations (or any inspirations, for that matter). But four posts for the whole month is unacceptable (although some fellow bloggers who shall remain nameless haven't had one post in four months, but who's keeping score?). :) So I dug through the archives this morning, and found a few pictures (now about a month old) to share.

This one just cracked me up:

Check out that wedgie! How can that be comfortable? Ethan LOVES his big boy underwear. Every night before he heads to bed, we lay out his full outfit for the next day, down to socks and undies. Underwear is a very important part of said outfit, and must coordinate appropriately. Ethan has been daytime potty-trained since before Christmas but he is *almost* out of diapers at night. He is completely dry six out of seven mornings and is ready to give a night without diapers a try (whether Mom and Dad are ready to deal with the consequences is another story). He has also recently learned to pee standing up, which is quite a feat when your anatomy doesn't quite clear the top of the toilet basin. So there you have it - all the hot-off-the-presses bathroom news from our house. I told you it has been a slow month...

As for Adam, he is turning into a little boy overnight. He has lots of words now, and especially enjoys using his two favorites - "Mine" and "No", both said in a lovely whine and accompanied by a pout. He is quite theatrical, this one, and has a special look that is reserved only for Mommy when he is displeased with her. He has been flexing his climbing muscles of late, and can now make it all the way up onto the kitchen table and grab hold of the chandelier (Katie, did Oliver teach him this trick?). He has always been stealthy in his mischief, and often gets quite far into trouble before anyone notices. But we have a hard time getting mad at him because he flashes this adorable, proud little smile as if to say "But look! Don't be mad - I'm cute AND I can climb up on the table!". His big brother has caught onto this trick and replicates exactly what Adam does and sees what sort of reaction he gets (to his dismay, it's usually a harsh "You know better, Ethan").

When removed from the kitchen table or other mischief, Adam always takes solace in his lovey. Ethan never got very attached to a lovey - he's got a bunny that he doesn't mind toting around, but he could really take or leave her in the end. But Adam and his "Horsey" are truly attached at the hip (or the cheek, actually). I need to start looking for some replacement Horseys because we've had a few near-disasters when Horsey has momentarily disappeared. Ben laughs at me because I sort of encourage the Horsey habit. I admit it - I do. I feel like Adam, as second child, never got quite as much affection and attention as a baby, so I am glad he found Horsey to keep him company and cozy when he's feeling sad, mad, or anxious. I think it's a healthy attachment (ask me again when he's six and wants to bring Horsey to kindergarten) and I think it's cute that he asks for Horsey (more than he asks for Mommy) so for now, I'll let him have his little pal as much as he wants/needs him.

So that's the news from the Stockwell household. We've just been hanging out in our undies, reading and snuggling with Horsey. We're due for some downright summery weather this weekend, plus a visit from that Big Bunny, so I'm sure we'll have more to report next week. Until then, stay dry!