visit with Grandpa Joe and Grandma Bobbie

Saturday morning, in the pouring rain, we drove three hours SE to visit my Dad and Stepmom.  We love the quietness of where they live.  Its very off the beaten path, and on the water.  The boys get to ride their bikes on back country roads, and we get to enjoy time on the boat, having campfires and just relaxing.  We did take a day trip to Busch Gardens, since Williamsburg is only about 40 minutes from them, on Monday (I'll do a seperate post about that day next).

Saturday night, the weather cleared and the rest of our visit we enjoyed gorgeous blue skies and sunshine. The only damper on the visit was the  massive amounts of pollen flying thru the air.  We couldn't figure out if the pollen was extra thick due to all the trees surrounding where they live or due to the warmer temps they've been having lately.  It got to all of us, and we all had pollen in our eyeballs and throats everytime we went outside.  The only place it didn't bother us was being on the water in the boat!

On the drive home Wednesday, we decided to stop at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, VA.  We had heard it was very cool and we thought the boys would be interested in all the tanks, guns and military artifacts.  It is an awesome, and very humbling museum.  I highly recommend!  Its very interactive too.

green belt!

Logan tested for and recieved his green belt in taekwondo tonight!  He takes it very seriously, and its fun to see him in action with all his focus and confidence.  I'm always impressed with his physical skills, but tonight we also heard him count to ten in Korean out loud in front of the whole class.  He also did some impressive push ups, blocks, kicking and sparring.  This is his fourth belt promotion since he began in October.   He's a good 6 - 12 months younger than many of the kids in there but has no problem keeping up, that's for sure!

Way to go, Logan!  We're so proud of you!

Native American Cultures Field Trip

Logan and I accompanied Dylan's 2nd grade class (and the entire 2nd grade from his school) to their only field trip of the school year today.  It was supposed to happen Tuesday, but we were rained out.   The field trip was to a park not too far away, called Bull Run.  There was a traveling exhibit/show called Native American Cultures, with outdoor performances and animals.  Since there were two rain out dates this week, and today was the last day of the show before it moves onto the next city, there were three days worth of field trip students there from several counties.  Even without the animals there, it was a zoo!

One of the moms and I shared a group of five boys, and they were making good use of the beautiful weather by chasing each other all over the place.  We moved from performance to performance, and saw pig races, learned about bison, watched African and Native American dancers, and enjoyed a picnic in the grass.

The boys got tomahawks, too!  Lets hope they don't use them on each other.

Next stop - Spring Break!  We are officially on spring break and the kids don't have school until the day after Easter.  Tonight, Logan tests for his green belt at taekwondo, and then tomorrow morning we'll be heading to Grandpa Joe and Grandma Bobbie's for a few days.  We have a day trip to Busch Gardens planned for Monday, and lots of other fun stuff while we're there.  Good times!

the happiest boy on earth

Not that birthdays are all about presents, but it helps when you get some cool loot for your birthday.

Andrew made Dylan some birthday french toast this morning to start off his special day.  He even got to sleep in today, since I scheduled his annual physical and it wasn't until 9:40.  I should do that every year... everyone should get to sleep in late on their birthday.  I hope they remember that when my birthday rolls around in November, ha-ha!

Then it was time to open his gifts from us.  He had already opened some new Lego Ninjago stuff from Logan.  I should have had him open the clothes first, because after opening the iTouch the entire house could have been burning around him and he wouldn't have known.  It was a total surprise and Andrew had it all loaded up with 400 of his favorite songs, and lots of fun game apps.

After a good, routine doctors appointment, he got to go to school late. He didn't have to take his spelling test!  He had goodies to pass out to his class, too. And for some reason, they didn't have homework today.  Bonus!

After school, it was straight back to the iTouch, and then he surprised us by wanting Pei Wei for dinner.  Yum!  Top it all off with a special mint chocolate birthday cupcake and singing, and many birthday hugs and kisses, I'd say he's about the happiest boy on earth.

And, the birthday fun isn't over!  He'll get to celebrate again this weekend with Grandpa Joe and Grandma Bobbie (we drive down there Saturday).  And on Easter Sunday at my Moms with Uncle Chris and Aunt Jessica.   He also recieved some great gifts from his friends at his slumber party, Aunt Katie, Uncle Craig and their boys, and some nice gifts from Grandma Celia, Grandpa George and Uncle Alex.  Thanks to everyone for making him feel so special on his birthday.  He just kept saying 'thank you, thank you' all day, like he couldn't believe there was more!

Happy Birthday Dylan!

8

Dear Dylan,

I can hardly believe you’re turning 8 years old tomorrow! I’m so proud of the boy you’ve become, Dylan. Every year I sit down to write you a birthday message here (here are letters I wrote from when you turned 7 , 6 , and 5 ), and I end up looking at so many old photos and feeling so sentimental about how fast time goes by. I still want to hold you in my arms and take care of your every need. But, you’re growing up and becoming so much more independent. You have so many friends, and you’re good at doing so many things for yourself now.

Last week, your teacher called me just to talk about what a joy you are to have in his class. He said not only are you a very hard worker, but you’re always nice to all the other kids at school. You’re always respectful of your teachers, and you’re a good citizen at school. Your report card came home today and you earned so many “Outstandings” it was hard to count them all. He said your school work is nearly perfect all of the time, and your focus skills and time management have improved so much since the beginning of the year. I’m very, very proud of you.

There are so many things I love about you I couldn’t possibly list them all here. So I’ll just list a few. I love how you’re always thinking of other people and how things you do will make them feel. I love how you pick me tiny flowers every time we’re outside together. I love when you get an orange mustache from drinking Diet Orange Crush. And then you try to wash it off but it stays on anyway. I love how you never give up when you’re trying something new and it doesn’t come easily right away. I love watching you swim, and still think you’re part fish. I love watching you read a book and learning something new. I love hearing you laugh when you’re playing with your friends on the trampoline. I love that you never complain when I ask you to help me around the house. I love that you love the Beastie Boys. I love that you never make a big deal out of things and I wish I could be as laid back as you are about life. I love to help you write your essays for school and listen to your creative ideas. I love seeing you do nice things for Logan.

Most of all, I love the special bond you and I have, and always will. You’ll always be my oldest son, and that is very special to me. 

I can’t wait to share all the days ahead together, birthday boy.

To the Moon and Back,

Love,
Mom

first game!

Logan had his first ever t-ball game tonight. The Blue Claws were warmed up and ready to go.  You could feel how excited all the boys were.   And with 13 four and five year old boys on the team, that's a lot of excitement!  Its also very exciting he'll go to kindergarten with all of these kids in the fall...they'll all go to our school.

The field was plenty muddy enough to break in those fresh, new white baseball pants, and the boys loved it.  Logan did really well.  He focused while in his outfield positions, and he whacked the ball the two times he got to bat.

I think its really funny they rotate thru the whole team every inning, so every child gets a turn to bat.  Also, there are no outs.  I guess it makes easing into the world of baseball a little easier for these little guys.  Our whole team did really well... there were no tears.  Just smiles and high fives with a little help from the coaches, they even all ran to the correct bases in the right order.  A success!

I was really proud of Logan.   He sat still on the bench in the dug out waiting for his turn, and he didn't even pick a single piece of grass in the outfield.  He dove for the ball a couple of times when he played pitcher position, too.  Impressive someone so young can focus as well as he can during sports.  At home when its time to listen to me, well, that can be a whole other story.  But he really gets this whole baseball thing.  Its a lot to remember - which hat to wear, not to throw your bat, what order to run the bases, playing the outfield, catching the ball and where to throw it once you catch it...  a lot of stuff going on out there!

Way to go Logan!

spEGGtactular!

A great afternoon with great friends at the now annual family egg hunt our good friends at Tatertown organize.  Last year was the first year, and it was great.  This year was even better!

I'm much too tired to go into tons of description so I'll let the pictures tell the story.   Food, fun, friends, games, music, sunshine, mimosas and lots of laughs.  Such a great day.   We're so lucky to have such fun friends!

When Pin the Carrot on the Bunny goes bad. 

Easter bonnet contest.

egg races, Logan's egg went SPLAT!

Daddy egg races

egg hunt!

I love the cherry trees, they make me hungry for cotton candy

Peeps on a String.  They have to eat it with no hands!

What a great weekend!  Logan is currently passed out, face down on the couch.  I'm not far behind him.

slumber bliss and birthday battles

Dylan turns 8 this Thursday. 8!  And next weekend is the beginning of spring break week, and we're heading out of town as are most of Dylan's buddies.  So we had his 'pre' birthday slumber party last night.  After last year's Indiana Jones backyard craziness, we decided to tone it down this year.  Dylan wanted to invite three of his best buddies over for a slumber party.  We thought that sounded like a great idea, and that the boys would really get to spend some quality time together doing what 8 year old boys like to do best!

It was the first slumber party for our boys, and a couple of the other boys too.   We had pizza, lots of trampoline time with Nerf sword and gun battles (I doubt we'll ever find all the Nerf bullets), a campfire with s'mores and roasted Peeps, cake, glow sticks trampoline battles, Lego Ninjago (the newest toy craze... man, those people at Lego are genius!), awesome presents, Star Wars movie time with popcorn, and doughnuts this morning followed by more trampoline battles.  The boys went to sleep on the family room floor around 11 last night in a sea of sleeping bags and popcorn bowls. 

If you ever want to know what 8 year old boys talk about, I have two words - Pokemon and farts.

We'll spread the birthday celebrating out over the next two weeks, and celebrate again this Thursday, at my Dad and Bobbies over Spring Break, and at my Mom's on Easter.
Next up today... the annual family/friends egg hunt.  Followed by a giant family nap on the couch.