Love The Sun, Love The Heat

Yes, I'm one of those crazy people that loves this heat. Today was spectacular. We got up, got ready, and went out to Badger Lake (where my family has a place). We immediately went down to the boat, where Joshua jumped in (wearing his life jacket) and swam with Uncle Adam. He is a little fish! He attempted to swim on his own, but his life jacket kept tossing him on his back. Thomas, a little more cautious, sat on the back of the boat and put his feet in. I dunked both boys multiple times to keep them cooled off and they didn't seem to mind at all, so it must've felt good. Joshua and I then went tubing. Joshua and I were on one tube, Aunt Nikki and Cousin Taylor on the other. No photos of the actual tubing event, as Uncle Adam was in the boat with all kids! We then had a little indoor time before heading down the beach. Joshua swam out (again in his life jacket) to the swimming dock and jumped off to Adam multiple times. Thomas saw it and even decided to give it a whirl! Of course, Thomas had a death grip on Adam the entire swim out to the dock, but he did say he liked it in the end!

After a short and late nap, we had dinner, took some great pictures, and headed for home. All kids were exhausted and worn out. The boys magically made it home awake and went down just a little bit ago. And you might ask, where was Dan this whole day? He was golfing! Now that is one place I'd rather NOT be when it's this hot!



Cousins from Top to Bottom: Sawyer (7 months-Eric&Nikki), Jameson (20 months- Eric&Nikki), Macey (2 1/2- Adam&Mere), Josh & Thomas (2 1/2- OURS), Abby (4- Adam&Mere), Taylor (4-Eric&Nikki), Natalie (3 months- Adam&Mere)














Cousins Funny Face

Our Camping Experience

Ever get back from a vacation, and feel like you need a vacation? That's me right now. Our trip=awesome. Our return home= migraine-causing.

First-our trip. We left on Tuesday. We were out of the house by 9:30, which if you see how full the van is, that's why. We made our first stop just over 2 hours later for lunch at Columbia Park in Kennewick. The boys loved the play area and splash pad. We had a picnic lunch and headed on our way. The boys fought sleep and finally crashed an hour later. After getting lost in Portland, we made the long lllllooooonnnnngggg leg of the journey to our campsite. Luckily, we had a yurt, so it was a matter of unloading the car. Joshua kept asking, "When go camping? Me want go camping!" After a brief trip to the beach, he was pretty happy, although it was a really cold evening (and nearly 8:30 PM) so it was a brief trip.



The next morning, we got up bright and early and after breakfast were ready to go by 8:30 AM. A trip to the beach reminded us that the beach is FREEZING in the morning! We changed clothes and went up to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. This is an awesome center where you can follow Lewis and Clark's trip from beginning to end. Ask the boys what their favorite part was...was it the replica of a real canoe? No. Was it the building blocks section? No. It was seeing a ladybug in the window! They were fascinated by the ladybug! We then saw the sign noting that the Columbia Lighthouse would be open for 2 hours, and this two-hour window comes once a year. We decided it must be fate and took it upon ourselves to hike the 3/4 of a mile to the lighthouse. We agreed it's the only time you can say you walked uphill both ways. That 3/4 of a mile, is the most treacherous hike ever with tree stumps, uneven ground and more hills than you've ever wanted to see before. The lighthouse was gorgeous even if the climb up those windy stairs/ladders was more than a little scary at some points. When you have to say to your 2-year old, "Hang on to my neck so tight that if I have to let go of you to grab the rail, you'll still be hanging on..." that's a bad sign. The highlight of our hike for the boys? Seeing a banana slug. Once back at the Interpretive Center, we ended up purchasing a book labeling many of the bugs and slugs of the great Northwest. The remainder of the trip was spent finding bugs in real-life to match to the book. Joy.














Day 3 we got up early and drove up to Long Beach. It was a gorgeous day and the boys really enjoyed the water and waves for the first time. They flew their first kite, Thomas chased Pelicans, and we all had a blast. After naptime, we spent the remainder of the day at our beach. Thomas realized he could find clam shells and we spent hours looking on the beach for more and more.






















Finally time to come home. The 12-hour venture home? Not bad. We stopped at Hood River (a favorite stop of mine). The boys played in the sand and the sun and I even got to sunbath a little bit (gone are the days of sunbathing in a bikini, but instead a t-shirt and shorts). We made it to Tri-Cities with a quick stop and then plugged on home. It was rough, and Joshua is wondering where our "camping house" is, but we're home.

























We get home and start unloading and our day gets just a little (aka lot) less enjoyable. Our bathroom (which was suppose to be fixed and retiled by now) looked like this:
















However, we are happy to be home. This will be a busy weekend, and then we hope to return to normalcy and a little more potty training. Joshua has pooped on the potty multiple times! HOORAY! More updates soon to come.

Camping Camping Here We Come!

Tomorrow we leave for camping! So what did I do this morning, the morning before we leave? I had a 2 1/2 hour dentist appointment. It was to get a permanent crown.

I began my appointment by telling my new dentist (first time seeing him ever) that I do not do well at the dentist, that I am not a needle girl, and that I do not numb easily, so do it well the first time please. He starts wrapping the wonderful cord around my gums (this is painful even when numbed) and it's hurting like crazy. As my eyes water he says, "Does this hurt?" I nod yes. He says, "Well I didn't numb that part, so I guess I'll need to if it hurts." I was so ready to pack up and see my old dentist. If only he wouldn't have had all those tools in my mouth. Darn! Luckily, after only 2 more crying/eye watering episodes, I was good as new. Now I can camp and eat on both sides of my mouth! Assuming of course, that the swelling on my gums goes down and it doesn't hurt like crazy.

Dan and I decided to treat the boys to a movie after I got home. We took them to see Galapagos at the IMAX. The boys did great! They made it through the entire 45 minute movie. It helped that I brought "delay tactics" with me, consisting of suckers and fruit snacks (both which take the boys 10 minutes to eat). After a hair-pulling nap time, the boys were ready to go. They had a walk with daddy to the park while I finished up last minute camping details.

The boys are currently in bed, but torturing me. We are suppose to leave bright and early in the morning. They are still awake (it's almost 10:00 PM) and have the light on. I am about to take out the light bulb. Joshua is ready for sleep, Thomas is ready to read. I swear they do this to us every once in a while to remind us how good they usually are. We are both at wits-end a lot of the time right now.

However, the van is packed. Everything is ready. We need to wake up, eat breakfast and go. Hooray! I'll be back to blogging on Friday night when we return!





The boys one year ago, June 2007.










The boys 2 years ago, June 2006.

"Josh fall in the toilet!"

Yes, it finally happened. The worst nightmare for bathroom trauma. It starts with the fact that Josh now pees standing up. This alone is a nightmare for the person who cleans the bathroom. He stands on a little stool and does alright, but it's usually still a mess. Tonight before bed, he went just one last time (Dan was supervising). I heard the thud and the wail, but continued reading Thomas his 2 books before bed. I said to Dan, "Did he fall and hit his head?" Dan responded, "Oh he fell right into the toilet, worse than you think." Always a great statement. Apparently the stool slid and he fell in face first. Nothing like vaulting head-first into your own stool sample. Dan did a quick HOT rinse and brought him out to be checked. A nice split chin and a wet head, and he's no worse for the wear. Unfortunately, all he'll hear the rest of the night is Thomas saying, "Josh fall in the toilet!" Yup, those are the words you want to hear as you fall asleep.

A Day All By Myself

Wow! I can't believe I had this much time on my hands before I had kids. And I thought I was so busy! Dan left this morning and took the kids to the river to hang out with his family. I had nearly the whole day to myself! What did I do? I shampooed carpets (in less than 2 hours), dusted, vacuumed, and basically cleaned the main areas from top to bottom. It may not sound like fun, but I got SO much done! AND, I got to blast the music as loudly as I wanted to. It was the longest time I've been away from the boys since I was working. Apparently the boys had a great time and were zonked when they got home. Doubled with the late night last night, they slept for a while and then woke up cranky. It was a short evening and they are currently in bed passed out again. Poor kids. However, I'm feeling pretty good. I think it's time to get some cookies made as a "job well done."

By the way, Dan is also passed out at this point. I think he sometimes forgets how exhausting the boys can be. He is soooooo tired! :)

Indians Baseball

The boys started off with a rough morning. I won't go into details, but I will tell you that an orphanage at one point was mentioned to the boys. :) It seems that every moment I put something away, they were right behind me tearing it (or something else) apart. I just can't seem to catch up! To get out of our trashed house, we went to Millwood Park with grandma Nancy, Auntie Angie, and Kierra. The boys had a blast and really did well with the extra attention. We played for nearly 2 1/2 hours in the sun and water and had a great afternoon. Naptime was traumatizing for all of us. The boys finally crashed around 2:30 (great since I was hoping they'd get a long nap so we could stay late at the baseball game). Prior to falling asleep there was another poop incident (again, I'll spare you the details) and some major arguing (them with each other). Painful! I got nothing done, except I opened a bag of Oreos that was saved for camping next week and downed my frustration in Oreos and Diet Coke. The boys woke up after an hour and were ready to go (and crabby). As soon as daddy got home, we loaded up and headed down to Avista Stadium for some Indians Baseball!

The boys were super excited. Unfortunately, they were excited because they were under the impression that THEY were playing tonight. This was misfortunate as we tried repeatedly to convince them that it was the big kids turn to play. We managed to leave the bats in the car, but trekked in with mitts and baseballs. The boys had a blast. We had a Sky Box so we had an area to ourselves (thanks Williams and Webster---Dan's work). The boys had hot dogs, ice cream, soda, and were able to run around and watch the game at their leisure. We did the Kids Zone, which I have to tell you is named in the literal sense. There are kids there, but no adults. We stood in line for about an hour for the boys to get a chance to use a bat to hit a ball, and the kids were just nuts.

We just got home, the boys have had milk and are currently brushing their teeth. It's amazing that it's nearly 10:00 PM and they are still in good spirits. WOW! I'm off to help with bedtime routine. G'night!

Summer Has Arrived!

Have I mentioned I love summer? The weather is glorious, I don't have to drum up great learning activities for the boys. Everything is so EASY! Yesterday we went for a 3 mile walk with some friends and the boys had a blast! They did such a great job. We walked from Mission Park all the way downtown to the Big Red Wagon. The boys managed with snacks and the promise of some time at the park after the walk. We will be doing a lot more walking throughout the summer.

Today we went to the Fish Hatchery. The boys got to feed the fish and enjoyed watching them squirm and swim in the water. It was a great opportunity to talk about fish life cycles since they've been so excited about insect life cycles. Tonight Thomas brought us a Spider non-fiction book, so we added spiders to the life cycle discussion and it got really fun!

It's amazing how much they retain and how much they love to learn. Thomas is obsessed with his truck book right now and it really shows when we are out and about. We passed a construction site yesterday and Thomas says, "Herk (look) mom excavator!" He was so excited to see an excavator in real life and even called it by the right name. AWESOME!

After daddy got home, we separated and he took the boys back to Mission Park. They LOVE that park and are obsessed with watching people play tennis! I got to go out by myself and run some errands. Is it sad that I was excited to pick up some Tupperware from grandma? Is it sad that I was really excited to find out it was name brand Tupperware? That stuff is awesome! Dan puts in his two-cents and says, "Apparently we need to get out more."

Thomas and Joshua on the dinosaur at Mission Park.














Is it bad that when I want to make dinner without interruption I just pour colored rice into a bowl and have Thomas measure it for me repeatedly?











Thomas, Joshua, and Jameson at the fish hatchery.












This is how Thomas fell asleep. He ALWAYS hated being swaddled, and this is as close to swaddling as you can do to a toddler. He totally crashed. Poor little bugger.

Mc..Mc..Donalds

The last couple days were just plain busy, in a great way! For Father's Day we met my family for breakfast (in case you are wondering, Zip's in Cheney serves breakfast and it's FANTASTIC!). We then went out to my in-laws place on the Spokane River in Post Falls. They live in a little bay where because the dams are still open, the water hasn't come all the way in yet. The boys had a blast playing in what little water there was, and enjoyed being outdoors the majority of the day.

Yesterday was breakfast with grandpa Bob (who was sick and proceeded to pass out at Bridge...update is that he's ok, but recovering from this sickness). With the weather so nice and crabby boys, we went down to Millwood Park. This is the BEST PARK EVER! They have a splash pad AND a wading pool. I set out a blanket and watched the boys run. Last night we went to Kim & Greg's for a BBQ. The boys had their first SMORES. Quite the experience for them. :)

Today was preschool and the theme was zoo. My kids are still eating in an attempt to hibernate, so Thomas spent most of the playdate pulling food (namely Apple Jacks cereal) down and eating the remains of the boxes. We're currently going through a gallon of milk a day, so I know they MUST be growing! Instead of napping the boys decided to seek and destroy in their room. It was amazing. First, they took off their diapers and proceeded to pee on their beds. Why? Marking their territories I guess. They then took out all clothes from the dresser, all items in the closet (and there are A LOT), and all toys out of the organizer. I peeked in once and decided that as long as they were safe and happy I'd have my time of quiet. They are STILL sleeping so they must've just passed out at some point.

A fun moment yesterday: I was in the computer room and heard Thomas teaching Joshua how to say McDonalds. "Mc...Mc...Donalds Josh." Josh attempts. Thomas says, "YES Josh, good! Mc...Mc...Donalds!" This continued for a couple minutes before I went in to see exactly what they were doing. They had found a coupon for McDonald's and were reading the environmental print! It was darling.

Walk A Little Slower Daddy

"Walk a little slower Daddy" said a child so small, "I'm following in your footsteps and I don't want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast,
Sometimes they're hard to see;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up,
You're what I want to be;
Then I will have a little child
Who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right,
And know that I was true,
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For I must follow you."

(Author Unknown)

**This was given to daddy this morning with the boys footprint beside the words. The boys asked daddy to read and reread the poem, bringing tears to daddy's eyes each time.

He Ate Enough To Hibernate

Another busy day for the Domrese Family. It started off with swim lessons. Today was our last day. The boys are getting to be quite the swimmers. They wear the little float belts and we can totally let go and let them swim around. It's fun to watch and they are doing a great job! They also got to go down this big twirly water slide. Thomas got flipped mid-way down the slide and came down face first on his tummy! I was so proud. Our kiddos were the only ones going down the slide by themselves and they did it 3 times! HOORAY! Josh also attempted his first dive today. He is SUCH a water baby!

We got home in time for lunch and Thomas proceeded to eat enough to hibernate. You think I'm kidding, but the look on Dan's face was priceless. Thomas ate a hot dog, 4 chicken nuggets, and some pears. It was amazing. Took him all of 3 minutes and he was ready for bed. He then proceeded to nap for 4 hours. I finally woke him up at 5:00 (after having missed church) for a birthday party.

The boys did great at Uncle J's birthday party and enjoyed seeing all the other kids. It's now nearly 9:00 PM and we have just put them down. Joshua is doing his normal "cry to sleep" method just as Thomas is doing his "antagonize Joshua just long enough to get him really wound up before passing out" routine. At least they are consistent so I don't have to worry!

Sadly, no pictures from today. If I was smarter, I would have taken a family member to swim lessons to take pictures. Happy Father's Day tomorrow to all daddy's!

It's Beginning To Feel A Little Like Summer!!!

Today was absolutely gorgeous! The boys woke up, looked outside and exclaimed, "It nice out today!" They proceeded to put on their shoes (with just a diaper on) and tell me they were ready to go outside to play. After downing a huge breakfast, we went out back to play in the sun. I hosted a recipe exchange for the Mommy 'N Me group, so the backyard was soon full of kiddos and moms. It seemed like everyone had a great time and I got some really good recipes for my crockpot! I just scheduled another recipe exchange for July and it's already full, so that's a good sign! The boys took an awesome nap (they were exhausted) and then woke up for some more play time outside. We got a few more hours of bubbles and jumpy house in before it was time for dinner. After eating a massive amount of food (they sure are hungry boys!) we played hard before bedtime. They are still awake but quieting quickly. I'm off to enjoy a good book and some quiet time. I'm really hoping this weather continues, it's so much fun!


Some of the kids from the recipe exchange today (left to right- Joshua, Jameson, Vanessa, and Harry)

Sun? Really? We Can Play Outside?

A beautiful day...at last! Our morning got a slow start as we cleaned up and Kierra arrived. With the sun shining, we immediately got dressed and went outside. It was still wet from the massive storm last night, but with the sun shining, everything is better. After about an hour, we got our library books, bike helmets on, and took our first trek on bikes to the library. This is quite the experience let me tell you. Pushing a double stroller (with Kierra and library books, an extra seat in case one kid can't listen...if two kids can't listen, it's just not pretty), trying to direct two kids and push them when it's just a little uphill, and make it look like you're not breathing hard and about to collapse is quite the challenge! We did finally make it to the library, find some new books and movies, and check out successfully. The boys did a great job downhill on the way home and were rewarded with chicken nuggets for lunch. They are eating machines right now! They each ate 5 chicken nuggets, 2 handfuls of blackberries, and split a can of pears. They asked for a snack afterwards and finished off some fruit snacks, Ritz, and M&M's. WOW! All kids were exhausted and went down fairly easily for a nap. HOORAY! The boys each slept for 3 hours and Kierra slept for 4 hours, so I got to make a double batch of Chex Mix and even eat some all by myself! After everyone woke up, we hit a "school park." The boys are amazed that we are starting to go to school parks. They are under the impression that you only go to "school parks" if you are 5 years old (because every time we pass them school is in session and to keep them from freaking out and forcing a stop, I've convinced them they have to be 5 to use the park). Today Josh kept saying, "Me 5 now? Wow!" He was sooooo happy! We had dinner, came home, mowed lawn, took showers, and off to bed. They were tired! Tomorrow is suppose to be beautiful again and it just makes me realize how slow summer is coming this year! Hurry up summer!!!

The boys found a ladybug and were so excited. They ended up killing it by picking it up (they haven't figured out a good technique to pick up ladybugs without squishing them). But they were nice enough to realize the ladybug was "asleep" and put it back to "bed."













My niece, Kierra. She is such a doll! She poses so well and let's me take her picture all the time!

Progress Is Progress, I'll Take What I Can Get

The morning might not have been pretty, but it IS getting better. As soon as Kierra got here, we went to a park playdate at one of our favorite parks. There is a huge volleyball sand pit that the boys absolutely love. All 3 kids were busy for almost an hour and a half, so our morning just flew by. We got home and had lunch, played, and now all kids are in bed. Not asleep, but in bed. Actually, Kierra is asleep, the boys are crying. This is the new way they go to bed, cry cry cry, and then just crash. It use to be so easy! I'm blogging now because tonight Ba (Aunt Kim) is coming over to hang with the boys and Dan and I are heading out to an end of the year dinner with my old staff from school! I'm so excited to see my old friends and colleagues. Dan has some good friends in the group too from all the years I worked there, so it'll be a fun night of child-free dinner and conversation. HOORAY!

Just Another Day In Paradise

Seriously. It's like we've regressed. We are back into the terrible two's. I really think the boys are just growing, and that once this growth spurt is over, we'll be better. They are always hungry, sleepy, crying, whining, or just acting inappropriately. Our morning started off rough. I felt like I had been sent back to the time when they were newborns and I would call Dan home from work because I was overloaded. Luckily we had preschool today so the boys were distracted (maybe not well-behaved, but distracted) for some time. After a quick lunch and play session, all three kids (the boys and Kierra) went down. It was not an easy lengthy nap (all kids woke up at one point or another crying), but the quiet time was well needed. After naptime, it was decided we needed to get out of the house. We called Ba (Aunt Kim) and headed down to the carousel. I have to say, I'm getting that front pack down and can get Kierra in much quicker than before. It's encouraging. The boys had a blast at Riverfront Park, and since Tuesday is crockpot dinner night, we walked in the door and sat down to dinner. Yum! The boys are asleep, I'm off to enjoy some quiet and actually read my book. Tomorrow will be a better day. As long as it doesn't snow...like it did today.

Hooray For The "Poop Store"

Yes, we went to the "poop store," more about that later. Our morning was great, as Monday mornings usually are. We went to breakfast at IHOP with Grandpa Bob. The food was great and the boys consumed everything placed in front of them. After breakfast, Joshua decided he was going with Grandpa Bob to play Bridge. He never recovered from waving good-bye. After a trip to Wal-Mart with an unhappy kiddo, we decided to crash dad's Bridge game. Thomas, ever so exhausted, fell asleep on the 10 minute drive and for a couple minutes after I pulled him out of the car (nothing like carrying around 30 extra pounds of dead weight). We interrupted at a good time and had a short visit before heading to grandma's office. There the boys drew on a huge pad of paper, and had an enormous snack of cookies, an apple, water, and string cheese. The drive home was fine, but as soon as we walked through the front door the exhausted kiddos lost it. My idea was to let them run outside for a couple minutes to get out any last bits of energy. WRONG! At one point Thomas was hysterical inside and Joshua was hysterical outside. After pulling everyone inside and getting prepared for nap time I figured I was in the clear. Man, I've never been so wrong. The boys argued, finally I separated them, Joshua decided that his diaper was not needed during naptime and peed on the floor. I argued with him about keeping on a diaper, he went to bed naked. Luckily, he'd peed it all out prior, so he woke up dry. The boys woke up happy and we headed to Costco for some errands. Now, Costco is the one shopping trip we all enjoy. They love the snacks, the books, and all the great things to look at. I love that they are happy, contained in a cart, and well-fed. It's a win-win. After Costco, the boys were rewarded with a trip to the ever exciting "poop store." This is actually Petco. Every time we go there we see the ferrets and every time, one of those ferrets will poop right in front of the boys. It's never been called anything but the "poop store." A bit embarrassing in public, but pretty funny really. The boys were exhausted and crashed quickly tonight. Hopefully they will be rested for our busy week.

No one ever told me NOT to let my kids watch gymnastics!

This morning started off pretty laid-back. Dan is at Guard all weekend, so we've been rather lazy. We went out and worked in the garden, digging for worms and planting a few more vegetables. I pulled out a Sunflower that was really sprouting to show the boys the roots and explore all the parts. They thought this was really neat. We took a nice bike ride down the block. Both boys are now riding bikes and pedaling on their own 90% of the time! HOORAY! We loaded into the van and went to a park and played a little more to get out some of the energy. Then it happened. I let the boys watch gymnastics on tv. Apparently this is a big no-no, I was just never told. The boys proceeded to attempt gymnastic stunts on our bed. Not bad, right? It's a soft surface and it's king-size so lots of room. WRONG! Josh took a huge tumble off the end and sliced his head open on the dresser handle. I picked him up and blood was everywhere. I immediately put a towel on his head and called my sis-in-law (a nurse) to see if I had to take him in for stitches. She tells me I have to look at it. It's a flap of skin covered with blood caked into his hair. Of course, I'm trying not to gag, so I start with, "It's really gross." After some conversation and more gagging, we concur that stitches are not necessary unless the bleeding doesn't stop. His head is now coated heavily with Neosporin (I should've taken a picture first, but didn't think of it). Now good ole' Joshua stopped crying after about 2 minutes, but then started again when I wouldn't let him off my lap to play with bugs. Now they are down for a nap, and I can reevaluate the head situation when he wakes up. I could see blood on his pillow when I checked on him, but I'm hoping it's clotting enough to not do stitches. I would need back-up for that. The end lesson? Don't let your kids watch gymnastics. No one told me. I'm telling you.

Mom's Night Out- GAME NIGHT!

So I won't be blogging tonight since it's Mom's Night Out--GAME NIGHT! The past few days have been super busy. Watching Kierra is really easy. She's such a great little kid and seems to love playing with the boys. The boys are really interested in insects right now. It's quite fun. We have several books the they bring to us and want to know more. We've talked about life cycles, body parts (thorax, 6 legs, etc), where they live, and more. It's so much fun to see them eating up all this knowledge and to be excited about reading and learning. The weather has been crummy and the boys have been begging to work in the garden.

Should I Be In Bed?

So what if I'm just blogging now. It's only 12:11 AM! That's what happens on "grocery shopping nights." I wait until the boys go to bed and then head out to do my twice monthly grocery shopping. It's great alone time, but really drags makes it a late night. This morning we met some friends from the Mommy & Me Group at the mall and the kids had a blast. It's the first time the boys have really played independently and I didn't have to worry about behavior or running away. What a great feeling! I moved Joshua's car seat in the back with Kierra so that he could keep her awake. He is such a baby kid and absolutely loves his cousin. He did a great job! This afternoon we did some pudding fingerpainting and took a nice walk. After daddy got home we went down to Riverfront Park to ride on the carousel and (the boys new favorite) go down the slide on the Big Red Wagon. The boys absolutely love it! When we got home they were exhausted, and now I'm exhausted. Adios for tonight!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

The boys had a great time at preschool today learning about bugs. They now love to talk about the life cycle of a butterfly and will share with you the information they now know. Cousin Kierra was here and the boys are just absolutely loving her. Joshua and Kierra are really starting to bond and it's really neat to watch. After tag-team napping (where only one child naps at a time..awesome), we took a walk to the library. This experience tells me that I am not ready for more children. Kierra is super easy (squirmy, but easy). The boys, however, see that I don't have all hands accessible and take every distraction as an excuse to misbehave. It's not that it was horrible, I just had a fair amount of sweat running down my forehead at the end of the visit. Daddy came home at a reasonable time and we had a great dinner and play time. You'd think the boys would be exhausted, but apparently Joshua has enough energy left for one more screaming session at the door. He's currently screaming, "Mama? Rock me? MOOOOMMMMYYYY ROOOOCCCCKKK MMMEEE!!!!! WWWWWAAAAAHHHH!" Good times. Good times.

"Me Like That Place"

Today was Artfest. No excuses. So when we woke up to rain, we layered everyone up and headed to the park to see all the great art displayed. At least we can say that we weren't crowded. The boys left with a wooden tractor and train hand-carved. They love them, and they look really neat. We also got chocolate-covered strawberries, so the day wasn't a total loss. Plus, the boys sat really well in the jogger as the rain dripped down on to them, so I can't really complain. After a crazy nap (Joshua had a "night terror" or something and woke up screaming for 30 minutes just to fall right back asleep), we went to look at a house. It's the best house we've seen yet. We've decided to keep looking as Dan is within months of a raise (keep your fingers crossed) so it might bump us up in what we can afford. The boys did so well (we drove around for about 45 minutes after looking at the house, exploring neighborhoods) that daddy decided Chuck E. Cheese was in order. The boys, and I mean all the boys, had a great time. So did I. We played games, ate pizza, and just had a great time. When we left, Joshua exclaimed, "Me like that place!" I'll attach a picture after I scan it. The boys are in bed, not quite asleep, but well on the way. Dan sprayed the wasp nest that attacked me yesterday, so we're all feeling better about that. Now he's setting up a movie for us! Last night we watched "The Kite Runner" and tonight it's "Charlie Wilson's War." We haven't watched movies two nights in a row since the boys were little...this is progress! Little does Dan know that for tomorrow I've saved "27 Dresses"...he'll be thrilled. :)