What a Beautiful Day!

The weather was nice, and the girls were off for a Teacher's Workday, so we hung outside for a little while. The boys were riding their bikes and kicking the ball back and forth. The girls played house with the lawn chairs and a pillow that is actually trash. Trash goes out on Wednesday. I laid down on the driveway and was looking the sky, and decided to go in and get my camera. Here are the pictures that I was able to take.
No, I did not look at the sun while taking the picture, I turned the camera that way and snapped a few of them. This is just one of the better pictures. Our pecan tree is the best picture tree in our yard. I got several good pictures of it when it snowed here too.

Now everyone knows I love DUKE blue, but believe it or not, the sky was not this dark when I was outside. It's cool how in the picture it changed. But I like it, cause it shows the clouds better. Same cloud in both pictures here, just two different shots and views.

A Beautiful Day for Playing at the Park!!

It was beautiful outside today. Granted it's 51 degrees now, it was sunny, a little chilly, but a wonderful day for the kids to get outside and get some fresh air. Christopher wanted to play on the little "stepping stone" things, they have the pole on top and a chain at the bottom.
Alannah was trying to help me get a good picture of Christopher, but he was not cooperating. But I think you get the idea of what the "stepping stone" things are above.
When she was little, she loved getting her picture taken. I don't know why she hates the camera so much now. But I tried to take almost 10 pictures of this kid, and she knows how to duck and hide. So I got her "better" side! The little rat!
Now, this kid is different, he will let me take a picture of him. In fact, he loves it! I sittin on a fawog!
Playing peek a boo with Christopher, I got this great picture of him looking through one of the holes!
There is this spot where all four of them pretend that it's a bus. Here's Alyssa, which I had to call her BUG, cause there was another Alyssa playing at the park today also. Damien was telling everyone to sit still!
And I like this cool effect.... you get the HOLE picture here! OMG... Alannah was actually letting me take the picture, she said just to get the HOLE effect, she'd let me take it. Go figure, there were two Christopher's at the park, so Alannah got to hold Fer-da-Fer!
Either way we did it, I was either looking into the sun, and would not have been able to get a good picture of them.... OR they looked into the sun. Ok, maybe not all of them...
This is how I can get away with taking pictures of Alannah... she never saw me taking these ones of her and Damien playing by the swings.

They got to play for a little over an hour. I can't stay too long there, I get frustrated at other parents for not watching there kids. Two boys probably around 6 - 9, brothers, thought they owned the place. Pushing in front of the boys, cutting line to go down the slide, then fighting at who got to go down first, holding up the same line they cut... and what did the parents do.... NOT A THING!
Then.... there is always the little miss know it all! "I think he's too young to climb on the dinosaur with me. .... My daddy built this playground, and I helped him, and I know how to play on it. ... I think he can't climb it... I think you need to help him put his foot right there, but he's too little for up front." Ugh... shush kid, did she not realize I am the parent, and parents know things!
Then.... as we were leaving, Christopher climbed on the picnic table and walked on the bench cause he saw other kids doing it. I told him NO, cause people eat at those tables, and it's nasty to walk on the benches and tables.... parents sitting there watching their kids jump on the tables. One...Ewww! Two, fall off break head open... when was the parent gonna tell them no.

Alannah told me the parents just sat there and watched their kids play like that, and I told her that I am glad that I raised my kids right. Especially around other kids.... UP ladders, DOWN slides... little kid got kicked cause Damien slid down the slide... not his fault, other kids fault, or better yet... the parents fault!

After all said and done... on our way home.... Christopher was asleep within 4 minutes after leaving the park! I'm glad it wore him out, cause he woke up early this morning.

My Three MoHawks!!!

I still can NOT believe that Damien asked Ken to give him a mohawk. But he loves it, and likes to talk about it. I think it makes him look more grown up.
Christopher's is a little bit longer, but recently trimmed. Ken wants to be able to stand his hair up!! We'll see!
Ken was told to cut his hair for work. He is supposed to be neat and trim, so he had to cut his hair. Well, to play a joke on his boss, he decided to give himself a mohawk! So for one night, actually, the last day of winter, I had my three boys with mohawks. I wish I had gotten a picture of the three of them together, but beggers can't be choosers. I've always learned that I can't get everything I want, too!!
He really looks like a PUNK in this picture.

Getting a hair cut....

This is Damien - BEFORE.... and several days later when Ken was shaving his beard, he asked for a mohawk like Christopher's. Christopher got a trim on his, then it was the D-man's turn.
Daddy had put the trimmer on side of head, took off some... and let me get the camera.
He looks excited, doesn't he. He was the one that didn't want a mohawk months ago when we did Christopher's hair, but now, I think he sees how many people like C-man's, he wanted one. He actually asked for one. And really, it's just hair, it grows back!
Sitting still for Daddy.
Does that not look weird?
Got one side done, now for the other and then the trimming and straightening needs to be done.
The finishing touches!
Look at all that hair on the floor. And yes, that is all Damien's. Ken shaved his beard in the bathroom. And C-man's hair is still so light, you can't see his hair on the floor.
He got the broom. No one asked him to sweep. This is my little helper.
He only asked Alyssa to hold the dustpan for him, other than that... he did it by himself!

Helping Out!

Damien and Christopher were helping me by picking up their toys. Damien loves to vacuum, so he knew he had to pick up the things on the floor. Now if I could just get them to pick up their toys when they are done playing, that would be great!
I make a deal with Damien - he can use the hose after I finish vacuuming the floor. He does a great job for someone who is only 3 & 1/2. He gets in the corner, and if something does not get vacuumed, he picks it up with his fingers and sucks it up.
But as with anything, you gotta have fun doing so. Making faces, vacuuming your shirt.... Gotta have fun, otherwise, it'll seem like a chore. But I don't have to ask him to help, everytime we pick up his room, he asks "are we gonna vacuum?" I love my little helper!
Christopher doesn't get to vacuum, he just plays around when he has the hose. So I let him unplug the cord when we were done, and he was happy with that. It may not seem like he is happy in the picture, but he just got done throwing a huge fit about nothing.

Eating yogurt!

There are good things and bad things about eating yogurt. It's very healthy for you, plenty of varieties to choose from. Something to please everyone.


















Kids love to eat it. Damien did well with it. As you can see, he>
still has some eating issues to work out!































But, Christopher was thinking.... why stay clean, why not make a mess.... my brother will clean it up. Damien asked me for a paper towel, and I asked why, (as you can tell, I was smart enough to cover the table). He said he wanted one to clean Christopher up, and I said, don't worry, I'll get it.... not good enough. He demanded that he be able to do it. So I got him a wet rag, and he went to cleaning.





After cleaning up his brother, which he did an excellent job at... and I'm not kidding....he went to clean up the yogurt that Christopher was nice enough to put on the wall. If you look closely, you can see the peach yogurt on the wall. Damien is my little helper. I sure hope he stays that way!!!!

Look what I did ALL by myself!

He wants to do this himself! Sometimes he throws a fit about wanting to do it all by himself. He has to take the straps out, not all the way, but almost, and the tongue has to be sticking up.
He usually gets them on the correct feet with his Lightning McQueen shoes, cause Lightning goes on the outside, but these black and white ones, he sometimes messes up. He had a little guidance this time.
The straps have to be perfect, and no these pictures were not posed, he was actually getting mad that I was taking them. But I wanted to be able to share that my 3 yr old can put his own shoes on.
The best part about this outfit, is that he picked everything out. He picked the shirt, and the black pants with the red stripes on the side, AND the red socks. Not bad on the matching part. And he did it all by himself, from putting on the underwear to putting his shoes on. Had some help on the socks, he hasn't really done those much yet.
I'm so proud of my big boy! "I'm a big kid now!"