Story Hour

In case you don't remember the books (or can't understand what he is saying):

We're going on a bear hunt.
We're going to catch a big one.
What a beautiful day!
We're not scared.
Oh-oh! Grass!
Long, wavy grass.
We can't go over it.
We can't go under it.
Oh, no!
We've got to go through it!
Swishy swashy! Swishy swashy! Swishy swashy!

We're going...
...A River!
A deep, cold river.
Splash, splosh! Splash, splosh! Splash, splosh!

...Mud!
Thick oozy mud.
Squelch squerch! Squelch squerch! Squelch squerch!

((then there's more that we skipped))

A cave!
A narrow, gloomy cave!
Tiptoe! Tiptoe! Tiptoe!
What's that? One shiny wet nose! Two big furry ears! Two big goggly eyes! IT'S A BEAR!

Quick! Back through the cave...

Can you tell we've been reading this book alot lately? I think we could both quote it in our sleep.

Gotta Love the KJV

We've been reading a new devotional book during Bible time. Well, it is new to us. It was actually written in 1962. It is short enough to hold Fletcher's attention, but has some good questions and a Bible passage to look up. It teaches some important basic truths of our Christian faith. It also has a hymn at the end. Now I grew up in a Baptist church and we sang lots and lots of hymns, but most of these are so old even I don't know them. (Insert joke here)

Tuesday night we were talking about how there is one God but three persons - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Only the book called it the Holy Ghost because this was written in 1962 and it uses the King James Version of the Bible (we substitute the NIV so Fletcher can understand it). We had to explain that it wasn't a ghost like in Scooby Doo or Halloween, but that "Ghost" was referring to "Spirit". Fletcher seemed ok with that. The Trinity is a hard concept to understand even for adults so you can imagine how hard it must be for a kid.

Well, the hymn for the night was The Doxology. Since I actually knew that one I sang it for Fletcher.

Mom: (singing) Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Fletcher: Mom! Could you stop with all the Holy Ghost stuff?? You are really freaking me out.

Ahh...yet another successful evening of Bible time.

Crockpot Gardening

There's a crockpot cookbook called "Fix-It and Forget-It."

I wish gardening were that way. I wish I could just buy the plants, plant them, turn the garden on then reap the harvest in 7-8 weeks. Wouldn't that be awesome? But if gardening were easy, everyone would be doing it and we wouldn't need produce sections of grocery stores.

After our miserable attempt at a garden last year, we are trying again this year. We are gluttons for punishment I suppose. I decided to skip the spring garden altogether since we planted on Feb. 15 then it snowed on March 1. Yeah, snow isn't good for brand new plants.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to mess with it again this year. But then something happened.

We had four blueberry bushes in pots around our garden. I bought the plants at Sams so I didn't exactly have high hopes for them. They sat in those pots through freezing temperatures and three snowfalls. They were nothing but twigs sticking out of the dirt. But when spring came, Kevin walked in one afternoon and said, "Your blueberry bushes have leaves on them."

Seriously? I hadn't done anything with them all winter. I assumed they were dead.

So my interest in gardening was renewed.

This year's crop includes: tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, yellow squash, California bell peppers, yellow banana peppers, sugar baby watermelons (the little kind), cilantro, basil, and some slicing cucumbers. We decided to skip the strawberries this year.

It is raining here so I didn't get a picture yet. Stay tuned for updates.

500

Today is my 500th post.

Wow!

I had no idea when I started this little blog almost two years ago that I'd have 500 things to say. I'm thankful my kids provide plenty of subject matter! And I'm thankful they can't really read or navigate the internet just yet. Not sure what the blog will look like when Fletcher hits those awkward preteen years when everything his mother does totally embarrasses him. I somehow think writing about him on the internet for all the world to see might not be on the "approved" list.

To celebrate #500 and since I'm a sucker for a good cheesy dance video, here's Hanson's latest. (Remember them? The MmmmBob kids. They are all grown up now.)

Thinking 'Bout Somethin'

HANSON MySpace Music Videos

All Stuffed With Fluff

Fletcher's school had a fundraiser and used book sale this past weekend. The students also performed "The Great Book Revue" which included excerpts from favorite children's books (Pooh, Mary Poppins, Cinderella, etc). Fletcher helped open the show with a rousing rendition of the Pooh theme song (I guess that's what it is called). He's come a long way since his performances from his preschool days. He is on the back row in an orange shirt.

I know you get tired of hearing this, but please excuse the poor quality of the video. It was taken in the evening when the lights in the sanctuary were already low. And I couldn't quite seem to remain steady and focused during the 30 seconds he was up there.

Welcome To This World

Happy Birthday!
Evie Mae
April 22, 2010
7 lbs, 1 ounce
Welcomed by Mom and Dad (Traci and Cade), big brother (Bear),
grandparents (Denise and David) and great grandparents (my mom and dad) and a host of other "friends and relations" (as Winnie-the-Pooh would say) including a very proud great Aunt Rachel and great Uncle Kevin and cousins Fletcher and Luke.

She sure is cute!
And I think she might have a pretty good set of lungs.

I love her already!

That Can't Be Comfortable

This is how I found Luke the other day during his nap. Face down with his legs hanging off the side of the bed sound asleep. When I opened the door to take a better picture, he stirred a little bit but his little legs were still hanging off the side of the bed (picture #2). He is not a conventional sleeper. I find him turned around the other direction in his bed with his head way down by the foot of the bed all the time. I've given up trying to keep covers on him because no matter how tightly I tuck in the sheets and blankets, they end up balled up at the foot of the bed or on the floor.

(As you can see, I am still searching for the right paint color and the right twin bed for his room. )

It Was Only A Matter Of Time

Luke's preschool has a carpool line for drop off and pick up. Normally, the director of the preschool, the administrative assistant and the chapel teacher are the three ladies who load and unload the kids each morning and afternoon. We've been at this preschool for four years now (3 years for Fletcher and 1 for Luke). By now I know that if the child's teacher brings the child to the car, it is typically NOT good news.

Luke's teacher brought him to the car on Tuesday.

She opened the car door and said, "Well...we did scissor practice today and I was telling them to only cut the paper and I heard Luke say 'Wook, I can cut my hair!' "

All I could do was laugh (but tried to hide the fact that I was laughing since I DON'T want him to do it again). She said, "I am so glad you are laughing because I was almost in tears."

He did it front and center. Good thing he needed a haircut anyway. Since he has rock star hair we can just sort of mess up the front and cover it up.

Can you stand the cuteness? And the leftover chocolate from dinner?

Go Braves!

T-Ball season has started again. This year Kevin is one of the coaches. It is a learning experience for everyone. I am amazed at the difference a year makes. Fletcher gets the concept of baseball much better this year. He is hitting well and his catching has improved tremendously especially considering that last year he would just watch a ball roll right by him without attempting to go get it. He does need to work on his throwing. He throws the ball as hard as he can whether the other person is standing 3 feet away or 15 feet away which can be a little scary for his teammates.

They are playing some of their games on a real field this year as opposed to a grassy field which they played on last year. Needless to say, all of the kids took great delight in kicking up the dirt while they were waiting in the outfield. Fletcher's shoes were once black and now they are a lovely shade of orangish brown.

Here's the team. Fletcher is # 7. Yes, he is the tallest one. We have 6 boys and 2 girls ranging in age from 4 years old to 6 years old.

Getting a pep talk from the coach in the dugout.

Luke has zero interest in watching the game. He would rather play in the dirt too right next to the parking lot.

It will be a fun season. They still don't keep score at this level, but I guarantee you Fletcher could tell you how many runs he scored (2) and how many times he was tagged out(1) in this game.

Finally!

We went to the dentist on Friday with the teeth dangling in the wind. The dental hygienist used some bubble gum flavored numbing gel and she pulled them right out. Why didn't I think of that? Let's hope that's not considered an "extraction" by the insurance company.

Last time the tooth fairy visited us, Fletcher ended up having a nightmare that same night. He wondered how she made it into the house and into his room without setting off our security alarm. He decided this time we could just leave his teeth on our front porch and save the Tooth Fairy some time. I told him that was a really good idea. Looks like the Tooth Fairy's job just got a whole lot easier....well, as long as the Tooth Fairy remembers to check the front porch regularly.

He looks like such a big kid now. And it is fun to hear him talk and try to figure out how to say things (and eat) without having his two front teeth.

Thanks, Curious George!

I'm pretty good at editing on the fly when I am reading with Fletcher. We've read a few books that have had odd subject matter so I usually just substitute words or leave out parts altogether (like a book about getting a cat from the animal shelter and having it spayed or neutered first - not going there).

Anyway, I was reading Curious George to both boys. Luke was listening but being very wiggly so I wasn't "on my game."

Here is what I read from "Curious George Learns The Alphabet"

The small g is a goldfish. He is in a glass bowl and looks gay.

Oops.

Fletcher: Mom, what does "gay" mean?
Mom: It means "happy."
Fletcher: Oh, then I'm gay.
Mom: No, no you are not. That's not really a word we use much anymore. People just use the word "happy". You can say, "I'm happy."
Fletcher: Oh, okay.
Mom: There are some words in our language that people used to use alot like when Curious George was written, but they don't use those words anymore.
Fletcher: Like what?
Mom: um....well....I'll have to think of some.

For the life of me I couldn't think of any other words like "gay" that people no longer use in it's original context. Help me out. Can you think of any?

Well, Alrighty Then

I debated about whether to write this post or not.

However, since this is supposed to be a blog about life with my husband and my boys, I decided I probably should include the good, the bad, and in this case, the ugly.

Fletcher and I are in the computer room talking. I am sitting in the chair and he is standing so we are really at eye level.

Fletcher is standing about three inches from my nose (why is it that kids don't understand "personal space"??).

Fletcher: Mom? Can I tell you something?
Mom: Yes. What is it?
Fletcher: (getting even closer) You kinda have this beard above your lip.
Mom: (speechless)

Speechless for several reasons which I will now outline for you.

1. Technically, I think he was looking for the word "moustache" instead of "beard", but he was still able to get his point across.
2. I didn't know he was that observant.
3. In his own delicate 6 year old way, he reminded me that it was time to do some personal grooming. Yikes! Such is the curse of having an olive complexion and cajun French heritage.
4. I better keep him away from my legs because Lord only knows what he would say about them!

Sometimes it is hard being the only female in an all male household. *sigh*

Greenville, SC

We drove through Greenville on our way to the lake last Friday. We met our friends in downtown Greenville for lunch. Greenville has the coolest downtown! They've done some revitalizing and built this neat cantilevered walking bridge over these amazing waterfalls. It's called Falls Park. The flowers surrounding it are beautiful. We had fun walking around and watching various artists sketching the waterfalls. I'd love to go back and visit (without kids) because it looked like there were some great restaurants and seriously cute shopping opportunities as well. It is only two hours from our house so it would be an easy day trip. Our friends also told us that there are nine hidden mice (bronze ones, not real ones) called "Mice On Main" in the downtown area, but we didn't have time this visit to find them. Maybe next time.

Heavenly Day

*The song is "Heavenly Day" by Patti Griffin

We went to Devil's Fork State Park on Lake Jocassee in South Carolina for our getaway weekend. The park is close to where NC, SC and GA meet. I had no idea how beautiful it was there. I have to say I was impressed with the SC state park and their cabins. They actually call them "villas" instead of cabins. Ours had a lake view. It was super clean with plenty of room, a nice kitchen and a screened porch that I wanted to pack up and take home with me. It didn't have a dishwasher so I had to wash dishes by hand. However, there was a window above the kitchen sink with a gorgeous view so I really didn't mind. The boys loved it. Lake Jocassee is a man made lake. Something like 90% of it is untouched and undeveloped.

Our friends who we knew from Houston and who now live in Greenville came up and joined us for the day on Saturday. They brought their boat. They have been on this lake before so they knew where all the really cool waterfalls were located. We had so much fun visiting and catching up with them. Our boys loved playing with their two precious girls (ages 5 and 4). We finished out the day with hotdogs and s'mores.

This lake is known for great fishing opportunities. Fletcher and Kevin tried to fish, but they didn't catch anything. We told Fletcher that the water in the lake is so clear (it really was) that the fish could see them and swam away. I am sure it had nothing to do with his loud talking during the fishing adventure.

I realize this wasn't camping since we were in a very nice cabin, but it was really fun and may convince me that camping could be fun. Notice I said "may". I'm not committing to anything just yet.

Sneak Peak

This was our view from Friday through Sunday at our little Spring Break long weekend getaway. I have more pictures and stories, but I am entirely too tired tonight to upload them all. Stay tuned this week for the full story.

Anyone want to guess where we were? (Yes, that is a lake and a mountain in the background).

Watch Out Oprah, Dr. Phil, Regis & Kelly

On a tooth note, I only remember my dad pulling a few of my teeth. For some reason the roots of my baby teeth just wouldn't dissolve so the dentist ended up pulling most of them so that my permanent teeth could come in. I still remember the xrays of my teeth with these freakishly long roots. The dentist said at the rate I was going, if we waited for nature to take it's course I wouldn't lose all of my baby teeth until college. Um, that could have been awkward. I do remember the drama (mine) that went along with my dad pulling my teeth. I am not a big fan of pain. Once I was so upset that my dad pulled my tooth then we couldn't find it anywhere. As best we could tell, I had sucked it down my throat in my crying, snivelling fit. Needless to say, Kevin is the official teeth puller in this family. I think I might pass out if I had to do it. Unfortunately, Fletcher has a flair for the dramatic too so those two top teeth are really just dangling there like underwear on a clothesline in the summer breeze. We're just going to let them dangle until they fall out.

Just Wait

It has been so stinkin' hot here lately. We've gone straight from a freezing cold winter to highs in the high 80's with pollen so thick that our patio table on the deck looks like it has a yellow tablecloth on it! So much for spring time I guess.

I wonder what this will look like in a few years. Fletcher seemed to enjoy getting wet and Luke seemed to enjoy wielding all the power!

Animal House or Farm or Ranch

Warning: This post has lots of pictures, you may want to let them all load before scrolling through.

This is Spring Break week for Fletcher. We went with some friends to one of those drive through animal places where they could feed the animals. We heard the wagon ride was more fun than driving your own car.

This is hands down the best video I've seen in a very long time. I need to find out what kind of perfume Teresa wears because clearly this bull seemed very interested in her!


Tucker, Luke and Fletcher getting ready for the wagon ride.
Teresa and Tucker.

Rachel and Luke. The pollen around here is terrible and this place was pretty dusty. Poor Luke has had a runny nose for a few days now. He wanted NOTHING to do with feeding the animals. He enjoyed watching, but didn't want to try to feed any of them. We sat in the middle of the wagon so the animals couldn't get to us.

Fletcher's hands were a big slobbery mess, but he had fun feeding the animals. We went in the morning and they were hungry so they all came up to the wagon for food.

We weren't allowed to feed the zebra because they bite!

Luke enjoying the scenery. He would call out, "You like dat food, animals?"

Hanging out.

Giraffe!

White rhino - didn't feed him either. I'm not so sure about the "white" part.

Mama yak with her baby yak. Our wagon driver told us late May is another good time to visit because alot of animals have their babies at that time.

This cow had no top teeth. Actually, cows don't have top teeth. I did not know that. The way each animal was fed depended on what kind of animal it was. Birds like the emus had to eat directly out of the bucket so they didn't peck anyone. Animals like the llamas and deer could be fed with feed in a flat hand. But the cows and bulls had to be fed by holding the feed up and dropping it in their mouths.

Pretty peacock. Loud, screechy peacock.

Lemurs with their babies.

Hard to tell, but these are camels - technically dromedaries. We didn't get to feed them, but we did see them a little closer as we drove out of the ranch.

Fathers, Lock Up Your Daughters

This weekend I was changing Luke's diaper. I had my hair pulled back in a pony tail. He looked up at me from the changing table and this is the conversation we had.

Luke: Mama (On any given day he calls me Mommy, Mama, or Mom)
Mom: Yes, Luke?
Luke: I need to tell you (which means I need to tell you something)
Mom: Yes, Luke?
Luke: You a pretty girl.

Oh my. We are going to be in so much trouble. So. Much. Trouble.

Easter 2010

Unfortunately, Luke started running a fever Friday night that continued off and on through Sunday so we had a very low key Easter. Luke and I stayed home from church since he couldn't be in the nursery. Not sure what he has. His rash from a few months ago looks like it might be back along with a runny nose. It could just be the change in the weather, but that doesn't explain the fever. I guess I should quit trying to diagnosis him with my Dr. Google degree.



We did make a few Easter crafts and have an egg hunt on Saturday.
These are Easter lilies made out of their handprints (the white part). Aren't they so cute? They were super easy too. I need to remember these for Luke's preschool class next year.
Instead of going all Martha Stewart and dyeing eggs this year, we painted them. I bought a little kit with paint and mini sponge rollers. It was super messy, but they had fun. Mine is the pink one since so very few things in this house are pink!



On Sunday morning the Easter Bunny was up to his old tricks again. He had a string maze like last year that each of the boys had to follow to find their baskets. Luke had no desire to follow a string so his awesome big brother was glad to help.


I took some video footage over the weekend but it didn't turn out that great. The lighting wasn't right. When my boys watch these videos years from now I think they will roll their eyes and say "what was she thinking?" Well, they are probably going to say that about alot of things, but at least they will have each other to commiserate with.

Here are a few clips anyway.

It's Friday...

Fletcher loves this video and has been quoting it often in our prayer time this week!

We've also been using these Resurrection Eggs during our Bible time at night. Both Fletcher and Luke have loved opening them to see what is inside as we read the corresponding verses. Of course, Luke is still a little young to understand it all, but I hope these will be a new and well remembered tradition with our kids. You can read more about them here.

Happy Easter to all!

Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise

Fletcher has a friend from school who lives near our house. Tucker's house is on several acres with a creek. Because the weather has been so pretty here lately, Fletcher has gone over to his house after school several times for playdates with some of the other kids from their school.

Tucker's mom Teresa grabbed her camera and got some action shots. Fletcher came home filthy, but he had such a good time.

Limbs, sticks and javelins.


At first they were just at the edge of the creek, then wading through it. Then Teresa called me right after she took this picture to tell me to bring dry clothes. By the time I got there, he was soaking wet from head to toe. His face is this picture is priceless.

I think he was laughing so hard he was having trouble getting up.

Making mud pies maybe?

They have to enjoy the creek while it lasts, when summer comes it dries up completely.

Fletcher was one tired little boy when he got home. He ate a huge dinner and was ready for bed (after a serious bath!).