Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of our Friends and Family!!!  We hope everyone was able to spend time with family and friends this week and weekend!  A^4 had a good week and we are thankful for the time we get to spend together.

The Piggy Basket that Ayson won (for Addie) last Friday at the Parade of Baskets!


Addie had her Kindergarten screening and now has her own card with the alphabet! (just like her big brother).  She immediately started practicing her full first name and writing her numbers :)


Thursday night was the first night of T-ball.  This year the kids are on the Taste of Heaven Pizzeria team...yay!


Great hit, Ayson!!!


Then it was ice cream time!!!


Wow, that sure is a big ice cream cone!!


Ayson found a tiny slug Friday night...just wait until later this summer when the slugs are HUGE!


Friday night chiminea time


Smores!


On Saturday, Addie wanted Mommy to open her Mother's Day gift BUT Addie wanted to be the one to take off the wrapping paper....lol!  Thanks for the lovely card, Baby Doll!


Working on a new robot!  LOOK, Mommy finally took down the Christmas cards along the archway:)  But take a closer look at the edge of the desk at the bottom of the picture :)  The reason the cards were still up is that Mommy intends to write each person a card/letter and she has not made the time yet to do it.


The kiddos giving themselves foot baths...and leaving water puddles all over the floor.  At least it is only water and Mommy and Daddy can always change our socks when we step in the wet spots :)
Check out all of the bruises on Addie's legs.  Crazy girl! Addie loved to drop to her knees and then pretend to be a cat/dog.  Just about all of her leggings have holes in the knees!


Goofy kids!


Ayson had a friend over Saturday afternoon.  Luckily the rain held off so that the kiddos could play outside!
Rolling down the hill in the tubes.



Look at those balancing skills!


Ayson showed his friend how to roll down the hill...apologies for the grass stains, Jen :)


We also had a visit from Ms Linda!!!  Addie sat by the door waiting for Ms Linda to arrive!  Ms Linda brought the kids belated birthday gifts AND McDonald's.  Thanks, Linda!  It was great to see you!!


The spiral art set that the kids received!


Saturday night, Mommy and Grandma Collene went to their first concert of the season together: Dwight Yoakum!  It was fantastic!  We will see Santana in August and hopefully someone else between now and then :)


When Mommy got home Saturday night, she found everyone asleep in her bed:)


Mommy opening her Mother's Day Gifts:
A painting from Ayson with a bird and a flowering apple tree :)


Addie gave Mommy another card and a bookmark!


Ayson's "All About Mom" book :)


The school Pre-K daycare program now allows the children to check out books with activities.  Of course Addie's involved a cat!


Addie selecting the pictures that go with the story. The story was about a kitty that takes FOREVER to get ready in the morning...VERY much like Addie :)  Starting in March, Mommy had to start waking Addie up earlier just so that she would be ready in time to not miss the bus!


Between rain showers, we went for a walk in the apple orchard!  So many of the apple trees were in bloom and it smelled fantastic outside!  Hello Spring!!!!
Ayson chopping down the dandelion heads.


So pretty!


Daddy letting the kiddos smell some blooming honeysuckle.


Grandpa Roger-this picture of new poison ivy is JUST for you :) hahaha


The kids crushing the horse tail plant in order to feel the silica inside.


Looking for minnows, bugs, frogs, and crayfish!  The orange fencing is protecting newly planted trees that Mommy suspects were planted to help with soil erosion adjacent to the stream.


Success on everything but the crayfish!


A pretty afternoon for a walk!


School work:
Nice Job, Addie!






Ayson's drawing of Galaxy Zack.  Every week during library, he selects another volume of Galaxy Zack to read :)

Yay it's May!!!

It sure did rain a ton this past week and weekend!  We still managed to get outside.  Ayson had a mild cold on Wednesday but was back to normal by Thursday.  Ayson and Addie attended a birthday party on Saturday and it was Ayson's first birthday party sleep over at a friends house!  He had SO much fun and told Daddy (when Daddy picked him up) that he did not miss us :( :(  Our Big guy is growing up! We went to Pratts Falls on Sunday and just played inside while it would NOT stop raining.

The swings are back at the "Little Park"!


We played outside before the storm rolled in on Tuesday evening.  It takes 3 of us to just about balance Daddy...if we 3 lean back and Daddy leans forward :)


Our apple trees are blooming :)



Watching the sky/storm from the swing


The below picture just does not capture the dark sky...luckily the storm was not severe in our area! Two big trees were hit by lightening about 2 miles away on 11A south (on Mommy's way to work).


Ayson's teacher sent a video of the new seating options in Ayson's classroom.  Ayson is in the first portion of the video

Ayson was picked to be an "apprentice" during a "Merry-Go-Round" play at school. Ayson is standing in the line wearing an orange long-sleeve shirt with blue shorts.


Ayson was not feeling well on Wednesday with a low grade fever so he stayed home :(


Addie lining up the Mommas and Babies on Thursday afternoon.


Friday was the annual Parade of Baskets at school and these two girls helped Addie and Ayson fill out their tickets!  Addie had her heart set on a basket that had pig figurines...she wanted to put all of her tickets towards that one basket :)  Daddy had Ayson put one of his tickets into the Piggie Basket AND Ayson ended up winning the Piggie Basket!!!!  Thanks, Ayson! We will show pictures of the winning basket next week :)


The kiddos working on their birthday cards for Caleb. Ayson was SO excited as this would be his first sleep over at a friends house!!!! Mommy and Daddy were not ready to cut the apron strings and let both kiddos spend the night :)


Saturday afternoon smiles.


Addie woke up before 6 am on Saturday because she wanted to go with Daddy while Daddy ran errands: the dump, Barber Sam's, and the grocery store!  SO, by Saturday afternoon, somebody needed a nap :)


Springtime always makes Mommy and Daddy reminisce about our TWO weeks in France...so Daddy made asparagus risotto.  The recipe calls for white wine for the risotto and a glass of wine to drink while stirring. stirring, and more stirring :)


Cheers!  Addie even had her own (plastic) wine glass with a very nice "Very Berry" blend :)


She tried the Triple Creme Brie and Chevre and said they tasted like Parmesan!


A picture of Ayson all ready for bed watching "Wall-e"
Ms Darlene stated that Ayson did very well on his first friend sleep over.  Mommy and Daddy missed Asyon!!  Daddy even picked Ayson up early on Sunday....Ayson had a blast and did NOT want to come home :)


Daddy and Addie playing Frozen. Addie was not impressed with Daddy's pretend skills...


In between rain showers, we ventured out to Pratts Falls to check out the waterfall.  Of course the kiddos wanted to swing on the swings first.  Ayson got SOAKED from dragging his feet through the huge puddle.  The look of shock on Ayson's face was priceless when the cold water splashed him in the face!


Wow!


Hi to our Family and Friends!!!


While on our walk, Daddy discovered Orange Jelly Fungus (Witch’s Butter) growing on a stick!  It totally looked like orange jelly!


A closeup of the orange jelly fungus


A bit of Addie's school work:
In the bottom picture, Addie drew an orange cat watching a brown mouse (just like in the book, "Cat, What is that!")


Love the colorful elephant!


Ayson's school work:
It sure did rain cats and dogs this past week and weekend!!!


Ayson worked on understanding his "place" in the world :)












Too bad the picture is on its side...the window on the right is Ayson's bedroom window and the big darker brown square with the window is the garage.  Ayson could not remember what the other dark brown portion was supposed to be :)