The Lions go to the zoo

Still catching up, but Memorial Day weekend, we took Friday off and headed to Northern Virginia to see Great-Grandpa and check out the National zoo!  It was a lot of fun, but it sure was HOT!

 It was a really fun day and it was so nice of Grandpa to come with us!  There weren't as many animals as I'd expected though a few of the habitats were being renovated so that was part of the problem.  And we were there with a million kids on school field trips.  Perhaps this is always the case...or perhaps we picked a bad day?  A few words of advice if you haven't been an plan to go.  It's free...but parking is not.  In fact it was $22 per car, so cram into as few cars as possible.  It's hilly - wear good walking shoes.  There's not much shade, so don't forget the sunscreen.  Pack a lunch.  As with any amusement park type thing, the food is ridiculously expensive and not that great.  I think the kids loved it despite all of those things, and definitely loved cooling off with italian ice at the end.  I loved being with them and having Grandpa with us!  What a treat!

Jack the Yellow Bird

Jack spent the last 2 weeks learning his way around the Yellow Bird classroom and Monday, he left the Green Bird nest for good!  It's a big step...and the very last stop on the road to Kindergarten!  I have a hard time even typing that word.  I can't even believe it's time to think about it, but really...it's another year off...so let's just not!

Yellow Birds...Yellow birds are kinda big kids.  They are big enough to ride the Big Kid Van.  That's huge.  They are big enough to take swimming lessons and have to brush their teeth before nap.  The don't wear pull-ups and they don't have accidents at naptime. They also get to serve themselves at lunch! It's a big deal, being a Yellow Bird.  And Jack Lion has made us very proud making this transition.  He's handled it with more confidence and bravery than any other transition he's made.  I only saw a couple of tears and they were on the very first day and once we figured out how to address his fears (would there be enough time to play with Emerson and would the naptime room be too dark and would naptime take too many minutes), he was completely over them and looking at all the positives that came with being a Yellow Bird.   Nice work Jack Lion, NICE WORK!  


What else is he up to?  


He loves to play "the alligator game" on my Kindle.  It's really called "Where's my water" and it's a problem solving game that he's really good at.  There's an alligator in a bathtub and it needs water.  On the screen there's water and lot of obstacles to overcome to get the water in the tub.  It kind of fascinates me how quickly he figures it out and how he knows what button to push when he can't read the words.  I'm no fan of video games at all and probably dread that part about boys more than anything else.  But he loves it and it makes him think and let's face it, it keeps him quiet sometimes when I need him to be...like in a restaurant.  


He and Max both love to watch Curious George on tv.  


He still loves pesto pasta a whole lot.  And grapes.  And peanut butter apple butter sandwiches. 


He loves to play soccer in the back yard and play in the sandbox.  


He loves his brother.  SO MUCH.  In fact, on his first full day of Yellow Birds he came in the kitchen and asked me if Max could be in his class too!  I explained that I didn't think Max was quite ready to be a Yellow Bird (he can't get up the steps alone or brush his teeth alone, etc). Jack responded with "but I just want to play with him ALL the time!"  So sweet!

He's very cautious but getting braver.  


He still loves to draw and is really good at it.  One night he was drawing a T-Rex and had to leave it before he was done because it was bath time. The next morning he got up and found it, right where he'd left it, in the playroom.  He studied it a bit, wrinkled up his face a bit and said "I need more paper Daddy, this T-Rex's arms are TERRIBLE!"   


He's pretty hard on himself.  If it's not perfect, he's not happy. I have no idea where he could have gotten this...


He loves to talk.  Sometimes we are fascinated that the two of us, who aren't big talkers, made a child who never seems to want to stop talking!


He isn't excited about kindergarten but does love the playground at the school where he will go to kindergarten. Hopefully that won't wear off.


He hates riding in the car and would much prefer to walk or ride his bike anywhere.


He's always watching out for Max.


He has a fascination with bugs.  Of all kinds.  He loves catching lightning bugs, which is a lot of fun, admittedly, but he loves to inspect all other bugs too.  Such a boy.


He wears 4T shirts but his 3T shorts fall off of him.  


He likes to sleep in socks, even when it's hot out.


He loves to spot a bird or chipmunk (he calls them chickmunks) in the yard and chase it, as though he might actually catch it. 

He says some really funny things...like he thinks the doctor who works on animals is a PETrenarian.  Makes sense actually...

A few weeks ago he asked me when I started to love him.  I said from the moment he was born and he said no, not then!  I said, well, actually, from the moment I knew you were in my belly, or maybe even before.  I guess I've just always loved you.  Then he said, but you love me more now than you did then, right?  Well, that's probably true baby.  I love you a little bit more every day and I just couldn't be more proud of who you are!

Muggles

Muggles = Momma snuggles.  

We have what some people would consider a long drawn out bedtime routine.  We have from the very beginning I guess. It takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on what time we get started but I think it makes putting the kids to bed easy because they know exactly what's coming and once we've done all the things we always do, then it's time for bed and they both go right to sleep without a peep.  It's my favorite part of the day and I think Kenny would definitely agree.  The kids have baths, and then we all play for a bit upstairs, and then we say our goodnights and Max and I read 3 books and snuggle in his room while Daddy and Jack read 3 books and snuggle in Jack's room.  Then come the muggles...

I get the very last snuggles of the day.  The snuggles after Daddy has read books with Jack and gotten his snuggles.  They are the very best snuggles of all, at least in my opinion.  It's when Jack and I talk.  It's when he tells me what he's excited about.  It's when he asks me questions and tells me what he's scared of.  It's when he tells me who said what at school and how it made him feel.  It's when I tell him what he did that day that made me proud.  It's when we talk about what we'd like to do on the next stay at home days.  They don't last too long - maybe 10 minutes at best.  And after we talk, we just lay there for a while and snuggle.  And depending on the day, one or maybe even both of us will fall asleep.  I'm trying to soak up all the wonderfulness of muggles before he decides he's too cool for them.   I know that day will come sooner than I want it too...but for now...I'm just enjoying every last second of them.  

Strawberry fields

OK, so picking up where we left off...the weekend after Mother's Day we took it a little easier on the plans and tried to get some stuff done around the house.  But we did make time to go to the strawberry patch and get some yummy berries!

Max was in heaven!  BERRIES EVERYWHERE!  This child could eat his weight in berries...and he just about did!

This picture makes me laugh.  He looks about 35.  And it might be becoming obvious that he was born from 2 people who met in a tobacco field.

Jack did a great job picking...

And then we played on the playground they had, which was a lot of fun!

The strawberries were yummy though the season was a little early this year due to the especially warm Winter and early Spring we had, so they didn't last too long.  We had such a good time though!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day weekend was so much fun!  It was nice being with so many great mothers and getting to celebrate what I love the most - being a mom!  I never want anything except to be with my boys on Mother's Day but they made me some really great stuff, as usual!


At school, they had their pictures taken on the deck and Jack colored this card:

And Max painted this flower pot and planted a seed for me:

Then Kenny asked them a bunch of questions and recorded their answers...which I still find hysterical!  May he always think I am 21 years old...

Kenny also made a few little art projects with them...which he's gotten remarkably good at!  He especially loves googly eyes on his art projects and every time he has to go to the craft store and buy a new package because he can't find the last one.  That's love!  Here's Max's little bird handprint:

 And the words are cute anyway but Max is in the Chickadee class at school so it's extra cute!

And Jack's portrait of me...complete with decorated frame:

I love my Mother's Day treasures and have them all displayed in the playroom where I can see them every day.  I love nothing more than being a mother to these two boys - there is just no greater gift.  Thanks Jack and Max for letting me be your mom and getting to experience the joy of watching you grow and learn and to Kenny for giving me these 2 sweet babies.  I love you all!

What we've been up to...

Besides unpacking and buying furniture and appliances and getting quotes on repairs and renovations, oh and both working full time, we've managed to squeeze a lot of fun into the last month or so!  It's sure been busy and we're all tired of shopping and spending money and looking forward to just getting to settle in and enjoy it.  It's coming along.  I'll get around to a post about the house soon.
Just before we moved, we had a great time celebrating Gramps' birthday!  There were dinosaur water gun fights...(best $2 ever spent at the dollar spot at Target perhaps)

Bugs to watch

Cards to receive

And presents to open. 

And then someone got the bright idea to try scooting down the hill and they did this for a very long time.  Over and over until we took them in kicking and screaming for bed.  What a great night!!

These two shots don't really have captions, but I love them.  The people and the pictures.  Mostly the people but I love the expressions the pictures captured.

We also spent a morning at the Carillon tot lot before we moved.  Not that we won't be back there a lot since the Higginbothams live so close, but it was a fun morning.  Max and I drove and Kenny and Jack walked across the Nickel Bridge.  While we don't miss paying a toll to get the kids to school and back every day, we do miss traveling across the Nickel Bridge in our new house.  I loved seeing the River every day.  Anyway, some cute pics from the playground...

We had one last dinner on 42nd Street with the Pearsons.  We get together maybe once a month for dinner, usually on Sunday nights and have the best time.  We alternate who cooks and we just hang out and drink wine (well, when one of isn't pregnant anyway!) and eat and talk.  It's so much fun!  The kids also love it.  Jack Lion loves Eddie and Audrey absolutely to pieces.  He gets so sad on Sunday night if they aren't coming over.  So while I know we'll have many more in the new house, we had one last dinner with them in the old house and it was just as lovely as all the others...

And then we moved.  It wasn't awful.  It could have been much worse.  Movers really made a huge difference.  We lived at Grams and Gramps' for 3 days I think.  It was all fine, though hard.  I had a hard time leaving the old house, just like I knew I would.  I had several good cries about it.  I was so ready to have more space and a better place for the kids to go to school, but I loved that house so much and worry a lot that the new owner won't take good care of it.  I hope I'm wrong.  Anyway, it's just one of those things you have to get through.  I felt like I knew that house inside and out and she took really good care of me and my boys.  I feel really fortunate to have gotten to live there.  The new house is wonderful though and our new neighborhood is really amazing.  We're loving the new place, and hoping 42nd St knows we miss her and always will.  The kids did really well with the move, all things considered.  Oddly, the new house is laid out just like the old one, though it's bigger and has some additional rooms.  The boys' rooms are in the exact same spot and painted in the exact same colors so I think it felt like home very quickly to them.  It has a sandbox...they love it so much!  Here they are on moving day...

So the first weekend we were in the house we celebrated Grams' birthday.  We had our first dinner guests and enjoyed the lovely weather on the patio.  I somehow failed to take a single picture. :(  BOO.

And the second weekend we celebrated Grandma's retirement (after 44 years from the State Dept of Accts) and Mother's Day!  It was a fun-filled weekend with a visit from the O'Donnell clan and lots of great events.  We kicked off the weekend with a trip to Maymont which was tons of fun.  The weather could not have been any nicer.  Look at all that red hair...

And look at how sweet Ellie is to play with Max.  She took such great care of him all weekend and just catered to his every need.  He's definitely in love with her and I'm sad she's not closer to babysit - she's going to be SO good at it!

It was such a beautiful day spent with 4 beautiful kids.  

We waited for EVER for lunch in Carytown and then spent the day at our house purchasing and installing a new fan in the playroom.  Thanks to Dan for all his help!  That night we ordered up some pizza (it's so nice to have so many more delivery options in the new house) and enjoyed being together.  Jack and Max cannot get enough of Emory and Ellie - it's really fun to watch and we were so glad to have an entire day with them!

Saturday we had a brunch at Strawberry Street Cafe to honor Fay which was a lot of fun too but I failed to take the camera. :(  Then it was off to tea at the Jefferson with all the ladies.  I cannot believe I didn't get a picture of this.  What fun!  I'll admit I was a little worried about how stuffy it might be, but it really wasn't and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't been.  I don't even like tea that much but it was the best I've ever had and the sandwiches and sweet treats were also very good.  It was such a fun afternoon!  The fun didn't end there though - then we had a great dinner at Grams and Gramps' house that night.  Again, no pictures.  I have no idea what I was thinking.  And then Sunday morning we had everyone to our house for a simple little Mother's Day brunch.  

It was a whirlwind, but so nice to get to see so many great people in one weekend and celebrate Grandma's retirement and Mother's Day!  Stay tuned for a separate post on my Mother's Day goodies and the rest of the fun we've been having...it's been a busy but super fun month and this post is getting way too long so we'll get it up and start a new one!