Hanging out of Lockers

A few weeks ago I went to pick my kids up from school and I found these things hanging out of their lockers.

Blossom's ears

  Charlie Puppy's tail

Lockers are interesting things for 4 year olds to have. They don't really understand the hundreds of possibilities of things they could actually have inside their lockers! When I look inside the lockers of my kids at school there are pictures, shelves, mirrors, magnets, notepads, whiteboards...the list goes on and on! I didn't have a locker until I was in middle school. All I really remember about that was making sure I had the right locker and did the right combination. That was about all I could handle! In high school it became a meeting place. "I'll meet you at your locker!" It was the only way we knew where someone would be since it wasn't in the time of cell phones (I've just dated myself!). It was the place where I hoped J was waiting for me so we could walk to class together. It was also a place I didn't go to much because it was half way across the school!

Lockers are interesting things. I know this is only the beginning of what I will/could find hanging out of my kids' lockers when I pick them up at school as they get older!

Garden Fever

Yesterday we had a field trip to one of my favorite places: The Arboretum. I love it there! And, funny enough, I only end up going once a year-on this field trip! Look at some of the things we saw while we were there!

 The roof of a house made from sticks-last year's display.

 Flower from a banana tree! We've never seen this in bloom before. Pretty neat!

I think this year might be the year to try it out with the fam. There are so many different gardens to visit and explore. This time of year, with the warm cool spring we've had, there were still many tulips in bloom. They were just starting to change things over to their summer plants. The color that was there was amazing, but with so many things still coming up and not blooming, I can only imagine what it is like during the summer months!

There is also a theme or some sort of display they have going. This year it is about sculptures of tree roots called Steelroots. These sculptures are amazing and really capture what grows under ground on a much larger scale. Another reason to go back to visit!

Thanks to my teammates for making the trip fun as usual. Love you guys!

Yo Yo Donuts

Yo Yo Donuts + kids + unusual types of donuts = a great start to a (rainy) Saturday morning!

A Weekend of Firsts

At the cabin this weekend it was a weekend of firsts!

Our first pontoon ride

Our first ride on "Papa's Fast Boat"

Our son's first swim of the season

He's crazy!

It was a weekend of firsts around these parts. And we're glad they happened, because that only means that summer is just around the corner!

a bird is living here

This is what I found this morning when I went to work.

Yes, those are eggs. In a nest. In this:

one of our hanging baskets! My mom and dad got these baskets for me for Mother's Day and no more than two days later, we discovered that there was a nest in the basket! I was looking out the window last Tuesday when C was eating breakfast. He said something about there being a bird pecking the wire outside. I looked up to see that bird (the Mama) and another bird (the Daddy), who was bringing grass into the basket. Well I figured they were just starting to build their nest, but I was wrong.

When we went outside on our way to school, I checked the flowers and there was already a nest and an egg in it! Too late! So, I left it alone and we have checked it every few days to see if anything has happened. The next day there were 2 eggs and today when I checked-5!! We're going to have a very noisy flower basket on our hands very soon.

Latest Nuggets

If you're a mom or a dad or a anyone, you'll understand where I'm coming from. As a mom I try to capture all of the little moments-the sayings, the questions, the actions, the snuggles-just so I have that memory. Those little "nuggets" that you look back on days, weeks or years later and think, "Gosh, I do remember that!" or "I'm glad I wrote that down because I completely forgot about that." I have a few of those nuggets today...

A: Mommy, do you know what those yellow parts are on our world?
Me: No, honey, I'm not sure what you're talking about.
A: You know, those yellow parts on the Earth when you look at it? You know?
Me: Oh, I think I know-like when you look at a picture from space?
(She's been doing a lot of looking at a space book C got recently)
A: Yes. Do you know what those are?
Me: No, what are they?
A: They're dandelions. Because it's all yellow, you know. You know?
Me: Oh...right. Dandelions.

C: Mommy! Did you see me go across the monkey bars?
Me: I did, Buddy. Great job!
C: But look at my hands Mommy. I got blizzards.
-shows me his hands-
Me: Oh, yup. I see them on your hands (in reference to his blisters he got on his hands).

I love those little nuggets that I can remember. Truth be told, I had another one to write but I forgot it from this afternoon already! There are just too many to remember.

Flower Girl

Were you ever a flower girl? I don't think I was. At least I don't remember being one. I remember being a junior bridesmaid (which I loved) but not a flower girl. This weekend our little girl got to be a flower girl in Aunt Lisa's wedding. She ate it up!

We talked about it after getting home today-about how she's going to have to come down off that cloud she's on after having everyone tell her how cute she was. You know, even at age 4, she knew she was the center of attention and turned on the charm!

We practiced tossing the petals down as if she were walking down the aisle.

When it was time she did it, but was a little concerned about Ella (who is 2) because she didn't toss any petals down.

You could hear it plain as day, "Mommy, Ella didn't toss any petals on the ground."

She twirled and spun in her dress while keeping up with her brother and the other boys playing on the playground at Eberly Farm.

She looked out of the corner of her eyes to get herself a piece of cake, even though she only had a roll for dinner.

And she was the last one on the dance floor and was the only one to dance to (almost) every song during the dance.

I don't know where she gets her energy, but I wish I had some of it!

My little flower girl definitely did what she does best...was the prettiest girl a mama could ever ask for, all while doing her job as a flower girl and being polite to everyone she saw!

I'm a mom

It's because of these two that I'm a mom.

It's because of this silly girl.

It's because of this goofy boy.

I'm a mom. I'm lucky to be a mom. I didn't always think so. Early on I was a little worried about being a mom. I didn't know what it was like to connect. Some moms connect early on. I didn't. Maybe it was because there were two at the same time. Maybe it was something else...I remember talking to a dear friend about that and was in tears about it. She said she knew she was made to be a mom. I didn't know for sure at that point. Now I know.

I know I was made to love them. I know I was made to hug and kiss them. I know I was made to help them learn and discover. I know I was made to be their mommy. Thank you, A & C, for helping me to see what it means to be a mommy. It is because of you that motherhood is what I have now. You are the best. I love you!
(Thanks to Jordi for these great pics!)