2015 :: week 16

April 12

What? You don't keep your tissues in your shoes? Lauren has taken to storing things in her shoes when she doesn't have a pocket, which is most of the time. It makes us laugh, because Will can hardly stand to have the seams of his socks misaligned and yet Lauren can walk or peddle a bike with tissues, coins or small pieces of paper stashed under her feet.

April 13

We are trying to reclaim this spot in backyard and debating on what to do with it. When we moved in there was a large bush surrounded by lots of small plants that died during the hot and dry summer of 2012 (before we learned how to take better care of our yard). Ever since it has been a hotspot for weeds and where we've kept the sand table. My mom gave the kids their own garden tools and they've enjoyed digging in the dirt over the past week.

April 14

Tuesday night Anthony and I accompanied Will to his elementary school's "Kindergarten Round-Up." To say he was exited would be an understatement. While the principal, PTA president, school nurse, etc., talked to parents about school policies and procedures the kindergarten teachers and PTA volunteers gave the kids a "taste" of what school will be like. According to Will, they got a tour of the school, played with a parachute, did a small art project, sang some songs and read a book called Dinner. He was ready to start the next day and was very disappointed both when I informed him he wouldn't be riding a bus (we live about a block away) and that we would be walking with him to school (at least to the end of the street to make sure he gets across okay).

April 15

We met the Sanners at a new-to-us park Wednesday afternoon after preschool. I almost cancelled the trip because it had been misty and wet earlier in the afternoon. It was a bit wet, Will went down the slide and soaked his backside before I had a chance to wipe it off and we had to quickly run home to get a new pair. After we parked we had to walk over a bridge to get to the playground which the kids thought was pretty awesome.

April 16

The kids have started "camping" in the upstairs hallway between their rooms. The first time they did it was after they had been put to bed the previous night and I turned the hallway lights out because they both kept getting out of bed. They moved their pillows to the hallway and had their heads in the hallway and bodies in their rooms (so they could honestly answer they were in their rooms when I called up and asked if they were in their rooms). Camping quickly got the kibosh that night, but they both played for hours the next morning and have continued to play in the days since.

April 17

We went to the Diggins for lunch Friday afternoon. It was the first time we had seen them in months. After eating the kids let their creative juices flow and worked to create kites and various bug-catchers. An afternoon with the Diggins is always fun.

April 18

We went on a date to Saturday night! We aren't always great about prioritizing date nights and this year set a goal to go on at least one date a month in 2015. Four months in and we haven't missed a month yet. Never mind the fact that our previous dates were on the 31st, 28th and 27th of month. We met up with some friends that are moving in just over a month and had dinner at Red Robin, then ran some super glamorous errands at Home Depot and Target.

2015 :: week 15

April 5

When we moved into our house 3.5 years ago we joked about how we still live in the same 750 square feet we used to, we just now have a lot of space to store things, because the kitchen, tv room and downstairs bathroom are by far the most utilized rooms in our home. Well sometimes it feels like the kids and I only take up same five square feet of space at any given time. Even though it is a bit suffocating at times, I appreciate that my kids like to be near me. I know that this phase won't last forever and I'll one day be wishing they would just want to be in the same room as me.

April 6

My mom gave Will a bug house and he has been actively looking for tenants ever since. I took this picture at about 8:15am on Monday. Will could hardly contain his enthusiasm to look for bugs and  wanted to skip breakfast. He hadn't even put on his glasses yet!

April 7

The kids love the play place at the mall. We went to another mini-build at the Lego Store and the kids were dead set on playing after we waited in line for about 20 minutes to get the UFO blocks. I'm still trying to figure out how the mini-builds work. They start handing them out at 5pm. We've gotten there at 5:10pm and walked right in, 5:20pm and they were totally out, and 4:45pm and the line was wrapped around the perimeter of the mall. Oh well, I shouldn't complain about free Legos. Will is going through a space loving phase right now so he was pretty excited about the UFO and Lauren likes to have whatever Will has so it was a win all around.

April 8

Lately Lauren has taken to using the lacing cards and telling me she is working on a "cross-stitch." Sometimes it scares me how much she wants to do the things that I do and thinks the things I do are worth copying.

April 9

Will has been begging to go to Black Hoof Park for over a week and Thursday morning we finally had enough time to make our first visit of 2015. Will loved leading Lauren around the wooded areas on a "nature hunt" (his current favorite thing to do outside) and pointing out the various things he saw. While we were there it got really windy for about 2 minutes, then the temperature dropped about 10 degrees. Spring weather is a little unpredictable.

April 10

It was a gorgeous evening Friday, so after dinner we loaded up and headed to Shawnee Mission Park for some fun. We walked and ran around a bit, played on the playground, and had some batting practice.

April 11

After a day of work around the house and yard, Saturday afternoon we hit up 7-11 and their "Bring Your Own Container day." Lauren and I shared (but did not finish) the wild cherry in a pitcher, but Will and TJ did finish the green apple that is hidden behind Lauren's head. It was the first time the kids had tried slurpees and they thought it was like drinking a popsicle.

2015 :: week 14

March 29

I love it when the dafodils in our yard bloom. We've done next to nothing to nurture them, but they keep coming back each year fuller and more beautiful than they were the year before.

March 30

Monday night we went for a walk and then played in the backyard for a bit. The kids enjoyed attacking Anthony and eventually knocked him to the ground. I'm glad the kids have a dad that makes them feel secure and they are comfortable "attacking" him.

March 31

Now that spring has arrived the kids are spending a lot of time outside. For the most part, this is a wonderful addition to our days. Tuesday morning it proved to make (my) life more difficult. While playing under our deck Lauren somehow ended up with a bucket full of potting soil on her head and back.

April 1

April 1st is opening day for the Deanna Rose Farmstead. I typically wait about a week or two after it opens before making our first visit each year, but this year the weather was gorgeous and Will was dying to go. Going to the farm in the afternoon has been the way I've avoided large crowds in the past, but avoiding crowds is not very realistic on opening day. We got there around 3:30pm after I picked Will up from school and stayed until closing time (5pm). The poor animals had been feed all day and were refusing the feed the kids tried to give them. The bison and longhorn are two of the kids' favorite animals to visit at the farm. I call this picture, "Home on the Range."

April 2

What do you do when the temperature drops and basball's opening day is less than a week away? Watch Royals youtube videos to pump you up for the season, of course.

April 3

The kids really like the child watch attendant that works at the gym on Fridays. He plays catch with Will helps both kids put together puzzles.

 

 

April 4

Saturday has been a quiet day. We had planned to get up early to see the lunar eclipse but none of us slept well, which was probably my fault. I turned off the heat and opened several windows throughout the house earlier this week and failed to turn the heat back on and close the windows when the temperature dropped into the 40s again last night. We were all freezing all night long and by the time we got up at 7:15am it was too bright to see anything. In the afternoon we met up with some friends at the park and the kids played softball.