Youth Appreciation Day

A few years ago, our community started doing an annual "Youth Appreciation Day". Among the list of activities was Free Fishing. The boys didn't have any luck at catching anything other than moss, but Kamden did make a new friend whom we now affectionatley refer to as "Wallace".

Owen had a great time crusing around in the wagon & taking in all the sights...

And I may be biased, but is this not one of the CUTEST faces you've ever seen?

The boys each got to plant a tree in a little container to take home & plant the tree in the ground. Wallace made himself comfy in Kamden's tree container.

The city & county fire departments were there & the boys thought it was pretty cool how high the firemen climbed to spray the water. Ethan & Kamden each got a few turns to honk the lound horns inside the fire engines. Owen was not impressed with the noise.

Ethan & Kamden LOVED the bouncy houses and slides.

There was also a display that included things like a crocodile skin, a lionness, and even the skin from an elephant's trunk-which didn't feel the way I had imagined.

If you can't tell by the look on the boys' faces, unfortunatley our gold panning efforts didn't pan out...

There was also face painting and the boys got their picture taken & made me a Mother's Day frame. We watched the local cloggers (good job Haylee!), had a picnic, and watched planes fly overhead. Ethan's asking if it's going to be there this weekend.

These pictures have nothing to do with each other...

...but making brownies is SO much easier when you have your own personal clean-up crew.

...and nothing beats a good book...

...no matter where you read it.

Cool Do's for Cool Dudes

Owen's 1st Mohawk:

Every time the flash went off he would get this funny look on his face & raise his eyebrows.

Ever wonder what Kamden would look like without all those curls?

Well, now you know.

He actually let me use my flat iron on his hair.

What's A Brother Good For...

A friend to play with in the snow...

Someone to tee off with...

...and splash in the waves with...

A fellow knight to help you conquer the castle...

...and eat popsicles with on a hot summer day...

A friend to help you make "Muddy Huddy" any chance you get...

Someone who will always be willing to push you on the swings...

...and throw rocks into the river...

Someone to run through the sprinklers with...

...and teaches you to share your Legos, no matter how much you'd rather have them to yourself...

And a brother is always there to help you water the trees.

Registered

Ethan is officially registered for Kindergarten this Fall...

He couldn't be more excited. I, on the other hand, am wondering how the last 5 years flew by so quickly.

Easter Weekend

Easter preparations started

Saturday with the coloring of eggs

& eating pizza at

Grandma & Grandpa Van Leuven's house...

There were only a few spills but it is still customary for the boys to dye Easter Eggs shirtless. I think more color ended up on Kamden than on the eggs...

even his feet were yellow.

Easter morning came bright & early when Ethan woke up & hurried to our room. Everyone got up & went downstairs to see if the Easter Bunny had visited...

Their baskets were filled with goodies & there was also a  note with a treasure map that led them to their very own Light Sabers. They've had them for an entire day & no injuries have been obtained...yet.

Then it was off to my parent's house for a yummy breakfast & to hunt down the Easter Eggs...

After spending some time relaxing, we enjoyed a delicious dinner with family. The day also included kite flying...

Charly's first time flying a kite:

Thanks to my parents for making the day special!

Several weeks ago we went on a Preschool Field Trip to the local Police Station. The kids learned about ways to become an officer, met the DRUG DOG, & even got to sit in a Police Car. I don't know if they enjoyed petting the dog more or pushing the siren button in the car...

Early Easter Surprises!

The boys got an early Easter surprise when Grandma Stoker came to stay the night. This morning she took them to choose an Easter treat & they came home with their treasures...Ethan has been wanting a kite & he was excited to find one with Optimus Prime. Kamden found 4 new friends that are squishy, sretchy, & keep him occupied for hours. They also came back with a set of bright balls for Owen to chase around on the floor. The only other thing they could have wanted was for Grandpa to be able to come too, but they are looking forward to being able to see him another time!

What could make a morning better than playing with your best friend in the mirror:

Or playing with your best friend, an air hockey table, & a bazillion matchbox cars:

A Rainy Day & A Trip To The Zoo...

This week my sister visted for Spring Break. All week the weather couldn't make a decision on what season it wanted to be & we ended up having rain, hail, sunshine, & wind all mixed together. We still decided to brave the wet, miserable morning & went to the zoo. The good thing about this was that we were some of the few people brave enough to attempt such a feat. The bad thing about it was that it was cold & raining. We were still able to see most of the animals & even the wart hogs that were certain it was spring because...well, one little girl put it this way: "Look! They're giving each other piggyback rides!"

As always, Kamden's favorite animal was the Zebra, though he also said he liked the monkeys. One of the monkeys was going crazy, swinging around & around that green pole that goes across the cage. He must've been thinking it's Spring, too.

This was Owen's very fist trip to the zoo, & he spent the entire time bundled up in the stroller. He even got in a nice, long nap.

Thanks for the fun, Aunt Kristen!