In and out of trouble. =)

Yesterday, I borrowed a shovel from my neighbor, and tackled the flowerbed next to my porch. The previous occupant had planted quite an array of flowers, but after a few years of vacancy, the plot was quite overgrown. With the "help" of my sons, I managed to thin it out to a nice balanced look. Seeing as how I haven't really done anything close to gardening since I was in Jr Hi, I was quite proud of my accomplishment.

Apparently so were my boys. Andrew had happily sampled the dirt I was digging up (despite my efforts at containment, and Timothy loved helping me replant the items I was shifting around. By the end, T and I were dusty, but Andrew was downright filthy. He was covered in dirt from his mouth to his toes. So upstairs we went for a bath. I put him down in the bathroom, then turned to grab the camera from the next room. I thought I'd get a picture before I bathed him so that I could show John.

I was gone for less than 30 seconds, maybe 15. I came back to this:

He was obviously very proud of himself. His brother meanwhile, instead of helping me keep his brother out of trouble, was just stopped from joining him by my return to the bathroom. Nope, never a dull moment here!

It's Summer!

Nothing says summer like Watermelon,

Fountains,

and of course, Bubbles.... =)

Thank you Santa and Lady for the pile of bubble toys!

Fountain Fun

So, I keep meaning to blog about so much, and time keeps getting away from me. So, rather than try to play catch-up every time I get on here, I'm just going to pick one or two things to blog about. That being said...

It's been in the upper 80s around here, and nice and humid, so Friday I took the boys downtown to play in the fountain. It's more of a water scu

lpture, but well used by all the local children (of all ages) to cool off.

They had a blast, especially Timothy. Andrew wasn't so sure about crawling through the water.... =)

John got off early on Friday, so he met us for lunch, and then we walked back to the theatre building where I'd left the car. We had to walk across the river on the way, and Timothy was thrilled to be crossing the river on his own feet instead of the car. I overheard the following conversation between my men:

Timothy: "Daddy, you should buy a boat."

John: "If I buy a boat would you ride in it with me?"

T: "Sure I would Daddy"

J: "I need to buy a truck before I buy a boat. Then I can move the boat"

T: "Okay, first you need to buy a house. Then a truck. Then you buy a boat."

I swear I didn't coach him on this. =)

And... We're back

Okay, so we realize we haven't blogged in a ridiculously long time, but it wasn't because we were crazy busy, just normal busy. It was the computer's fault. Really.

The first weekend in April, our computer, which served us well for the last 5 years, suddenly went caput. Thankfully, we found a nice professional who was able to retrieve at least out pictures and a few other essential files. We're still missing a lot of files, but we have a friend who has kindly offered to try to retrieve them in his spare time.

You know, you never fully realize how much you depend on your computer until it's gone. Five years of files, pictures (well, most of those were on a separate drive, so it was only about 6 months), software you've downloaded and take for granted, internet bookmarks, and about 2000 book titles in my delicious library. All gone. It's been weird to have to re

build. But on the bright side, the new computer comes with happy new software, inc

luding a program called Time Machine, which backs up the computer every night, to prevent losing all that information again. =)

In the meantime, I've still been taking pictures, and keeping busy noting my boy's growth and enjoyment of life.

The first news is John's though. The same day the computer died, he got a new toy that he's been wanting for a while. We shopped around, and found a good deal, and he's thoroughly enjoying it.

I think we've cooked almost half our meals out there in the last month. =)

Timothy has become quite the photographer... whenever he can steal the camera. I keep having to hide it, which results in my not always being able to find it when I want it. I think I may spring for a really cheap digital for his birthday. He's not too bad. (Although I will admit to cropping on occasion.)

Our Easter was pretty fun this year. Timothy participated in his very first egg hunt. He didn't get it at first, but then we had to pull him off the hunt when he hit his limit, and he wasn't too happy... At least until we showed him the contents of the eggs... (Oh, and he's still too small to notice when I snuck most of his haul...) We also went to a "spring days" petting zoo in the area, and both boys loved all the animals, especially the baby chicks. (We're working on Andrew not pulling fur and feathers)

Andrew's getting bigger every day, and his appetite is keeping pace. We are constantly amazed at how much he eats. A few weeks ago, it was a whole grilled fish filet! He's close to walking (has the concept, just not the balance yet) and wants to do everything his big brother does. They're starting to play together, at least some of the time, and my favorite moments are when I hear them giggle together. I personally think it's one of the best sounds in the world.

Other than that, we keep busy going to the park, and playing in the yard, and just generally having a great time. I feel truly blessed. =)

Wouldn't you?

Warm Weather Adventures

We've been outside a lot lately here, and the boys are thoroughly enjoying it.

Timothy finally got to fly his kites. When we finally got them up in the air, his face was priceless. Of course, when they crashed, he was pretty amused too.He's also dragged out his wagon every chance he gets. We've taken several wagon rides, to the delight of both boys.Andrew's crawling all over the place now, and I'm busy keeping him out of where he shouldn't be. I'm not too worried about the grass he's been eating, but I draw the line at the dirt from the flower beds. =) Of course, most of the time, he's only interested in crawling over to whatever he can pull up on. He's got the strength to stand, he just needs to work on the balance, but even that seems to be improving. Between being able to move, and being outside a lot more, our fussy little man has become so much happier. (Which is nice all around)

Isn't that the cutest smile?