Morton Arboretum

We spent this weekend with the Sias clan and had a great time. It is always nice to spend time with people that you have known forever. Alan and John have been friends since kindergarten . Suzie and I have gotten to know each other really well over the last 11 years (wow!), and I really value the time I spend with her. She is a great mom, a great friend, and someone I can talk to knowing that no judgement will ever be passed. They are members at the Morton Arboretum. We packed up the kids and headed there this morning for a while. It was a BLAST! This place is great. The kids ran and played for a really long time. They really got tuckered out. Alan and Thomas struck out when trying to catch some tadpoles. I was 3 for 3 catching tadpoles today. I know. You're jealous.

Climbing back down from the treehouse.

Thomas loves to explore, be active and needs hands on activities. This totally fit the bill. The 3 musketeers sitting on a hedge. The little boys tried their hand at pumping the well. They were not very successful. John lent a helping hand, much to their delight.

Us :)

We had a nice, low key picnic after a fun romp through the arboretum. The kids had a great time running around (some more) and playing a couple of new games. Alan made up a game called whacking stick. The kids took a stick and whacked dandelions. John made up a game (that didn't actually get played) called "lets see who can find the longest blade of grass." These guys crack me up!

Maiden Voyage

Gettin' ready to head out. We took Alan's new fishing boat out on it's maiden voyage tonight. Not nearly as spectacular as christening a yacht - we didn't crack a bottle of champagne on the side or anything. Although, I am on my second glass of wine if that helps. Thomas (and Alan, too) was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He talked about fishing and fishing hats and fishing poles and bait and all sorts of guy stuff the whole way to the lake.

Once we got to the lake, the story changed. Thomas really liked the idea of the boat but was kind of afraid of it. When we were done with our trip he said "the next time when I'm bigger I won't be scared." Pumpkin. He thought it was fun when daddy turned the boat and the water splashed up. Other than that, he had a death grip on my legs.

Thomas was really afraid that his fishing hat was going to blow away in the wind. I couldn't convince him otherwise. It's not a speed boat after all...

This just makes me smile. That's my boy. Love him to pieces.

Guilty Pleasure

So....I have a new favorite song. It just cracks me up and I feel a little guilty for liking it so much. When it comes on the radio I crank it up and belt it out. My favorite verse goes like this:

"I pray your brakes go out running down a hill; I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I’d like to; I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls; I pray you're flying high when your engine stalls; I pray all your dreams never come true; Just know wherever you areHoney, I pray for you."

It's called Pray for You, by: Jaron. Click HERE to hear it. Maybe it will be your new guilty pleasure.

$6 Sandbox

Yup, that's right. We just built a sandbox for $6. Alan got the wood from his dad when he was in Midland this weekend. It is salvaged redwood from a friends pool fence. Yay for recycling. We had to put in 2 1/2 hours labor and $6 worth of sand (1/2 yard). Pretty sure it will be worth the price. Previously, he had the little green plastic turtle sandbox. It served it's purpose when T was little, but now he needs room for Tonka trucks and friends. We sold the turtle sandbox in the garage sale last weekend anticipating this project. In all, it is about 4' x 8'. We'll be constructing a sturdy lid in the days to come... we'll keep you posted.

On a separate note, I purchased the green turtle sandbox for $2 at a garage sale a couple of years ago. I sold it last weekend for $5. So, I guess that technically makes this a $3 sandbox project :)

Forgive me?!

Okay, I know. Two tool posts in one day is a bit much. So, please forgive me.

Thomas may not be the most coordinated when it comes to sports (although this is improving), but he has amazing hand-eye coordination when it comes to his tools. Alan and Thomas were working on my garden and Thomas spent lots of time and effort hammering in this nail. When he was done he said, "I hammered that nail in like a worker guy. Daddy are you a worker guy?" Lol.

Imagine that

I know, I have a million pictures of Thomas with his tools. But, I just can't resist. He LOVES his tools. Today, he was a worker guy. Now he has his own circular saw. When we got home today, Thomas pulled out all his stuff. As you can see, he pulled out his tool bench, the compressor, and a pile of wood. He is even wearing Alan's ear muffs. Safety first!

Thomas has been really imaginative lately. He calls himself a worker guy or a delivery guy or a fireman - it just depends on the day. Today I picked him up in my "delivery" truck. Yesterday it was a "mail" truck. When he comes inside he'll tell me that "the worker guy needs to use the bathroom" or "I need to use the worker potty." It just cracks me up that gets into character. I had to convince him today that there really weren't any packages to be delivered. I wonder who he'll be tomorrow?!

Book Club

Last night was "book club" night with the ladies. We don't really read books, so book club is just our cover for getting out of the house. Once a month we meet up at a local restaurant, have a couple of drinks, and spend the evening laughing and talking.

My first Oberon of the year. A tall, cold Oberon with a slice of orange signals the beginning of summer for me.

Jennifer and I

Kristine, Beth, and Laura