Wheeled Pack-Mule

My husband has decided to take up bicycling not just for some fun but to get to work. A 24 mile round trip! The first time he set off for the other side of town was last year. I was to meet him at a gas station after taking the boys to school but by the time I finished the drop off he was all ready waiting on me. I thought for sure I would have met him on the route to work but I underestimated his ambition. Since last year he's tried out 4 bikes with the lasted "Wheeled Pack-Mule" as the keeper. One side of it holds the computer the other side his clothes but for now he had to rig it since the store didn't have the right computer bag. With all the crazy weather we've had so far the practical side of me is still debating this question: will we have saved any money riding to work by the time the snow shows up again? Or should I just buy him a raincoat and a plow attachment for the front?

I Caught Up

Finally, my blog is just about current! I guess if the scrapbooks don't get worked on the least I can do is the computer generated one for everyone. The May posts span about 3 months!

Bring On The Joys Of Summer

The ice cream truck made it's first stop of the season and I couldn't say no.

Isn't there a contest for this?

When little ones are silent you better check to see what they are doing. How fast can you unroll a roll of toilet paper while it's still in the package? Brenden will challenge you if your up for it!

Wacky Hair Day

Jackson has been growing his hair out for a few months now. Every time I asked him why he would reply "for wacky hair day, Mom". So the day finally arrives and he wants his hair standing up in spikes all over his head! Ok, it's finally my chance to play with my son's hair without being thought of as weird. Root boost, upside down blow drying, more gel, some twisting of hair sections, the final coat of hairspray and 20 minutes later we have Jackson's Wacky Hair Day! Gavin had to get in on the action too. Look close you might see some red marker in that blond hair!

There's Quick Sand Here!

What do you get when you cross two boys with a construction site and 3 days of heavy rain? One Huge Mess! The last lot behind us is being built on and the boys have been itching to play in the construction site. We've tried to keep them away but it just keeps whispering to them to come play. Much to my surprise (he must have missed the three previous day of rain) Ken agreed to let them play in the site. So off they go with there "playing in the rain" boots on and smiles from ear to ear. Not too much later I here, "Mom I am stuck! There's quicksand over here and I am sinking!" Now I know there is no quicksand in my Iowa back yard but it was fun to see their faces none the less. After a few attempts Jackson was able to pull his feet out of the muck and start the process of clean up but Gavin wasn't strong enough to break the seal his rubber boot and the muck made without his boot falling off. Like any good mother of boys I rescued him and added 3 inches on muck to my shoes, too!

Jackson is 8!

It's just so unbelievable that Jackson in 8 years old. Just like everyone said it goes by fast! Soon he'll be in third grade which for me sounds like a big deal. In his school he will be on the other side of the building with third thru sixth grader and have his own locker! No more cubbies, no more afternoon snack bring on the standardized tests! I am so proud of all the things he has learned so far and can't wait to see what the next 12 months will bring. Happy Birthday, Jackson!

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ONLY WITH PARENT SUPERVISION

Laundry! It is a four letter word in our house most of the time. I try to stay on top of it while the 2 oldest kids are at school but most of the time in lingers around in piles on the back of the couch for days. Help in this department would always be a welcome addition. Well, Brenden was trying just that. He loves to close the door when all the clothes are in the dryer but this day he decided to see what it's like in the dryer for all those clothes!

The Fast and Furious

If you have ever been around Gavin you know there isn't much fear in that boy. Over Spring Break we all went to Fun City. It's an indoor water park with slides, water guns, arcade, laser tag and Gavin's favorite RACE CARS! After waiting in line for what seemed like a life time Gavin and Ken took to the track!

Hoop, There It Is!

Jackson played basketball this winter for the first time. He had a great time and learned a lot. Here are just a few lessons learned on the court: running back and forth is exhausting, watch out for your own shoes when you dribble the ball, putting your arms up really does block a shot and most importantly watch out for an ALL GIRL TEAM they are good!

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Sleep where you can

It had been a long day and for some reason taking a nap was not on Brenden's list of things to do this day. So finally when it was close to bed time I changed his clothes and put him on his monkey bean bag because that is where little "monkey Brenden" goes before his bedtime milk is ready. As I left him sitting there crying because he was so tired I went to make his "bahbah" aka. cup. When I came back he was asleep with all the lights on in his room, blankie in hand, sucking away on his pacifier. What is more precious than that?

Parent Teacher Conferences

Well with 2nd grade near the end it was time to have our second Parent Teacher Conference on the year. I love going to them! Jackson's teacher, Mrs. Wilson, lets the kids pretty much run the end of the year conference. It always amazes me to listen to Jackson take over the explanation of projects they've done and to demonstrate what he's learned about math, reading and writing. He continues to thrive working with numbers. I have never seen a child who can figure out answers as fast as he can and with such accuracy! He must have gotten some of that from his Great-Grandmas! The big challenge every conference is to see how neat Jackson's desk is and this year he surprised me with great organizational skill! He's come a long way since first grade. Now, does anyone know how to keep his room that clean?

Dr. Brewer DDS?

Brenden is fascinated with tooth paste, tooth brushes, really anything that has to do with the mouth! A few months back the older two boys had dentist appointments and he fixed his eyes on the hygienist cleaning teeth and didn't move his eyes until she was finished! Now how much toothpaste is recommended in a healthy diet? Look close he has toothpaste on his face!