Sometimes there just aren't words for a picture

He doesn't have to do what he does. He didn't have to open his heart up and let two children in, but he did, and he loves them. I couldn't ask for a better man.

Parade

We had a parade this weekend. This is a big deal in our town. I guess it's been a big deal for many years. Cody remembers participating in the football parade and going outside and catching candy when the parade came through his neighborhood. This is the 3rd year we've gotten to be a part of it, and it still amazes me how many people come out for it. The vehicles go all over town with a police and fire escort.

We got to watch the vehicles this year instead of being in the vehicle. I like watching and I like riding with the kids. They get so excited and love throwing candy at all the people.

Notice how none of the boys are actually throwing candy? We were at a spot about halfway through the route. This is very important to remember for next year. We must set aside some candy to give them when we see them, so they can throw more candy. The coaches said all the candy was gone about 10 minutes after they started :)

That's just how our luck goes

A certain puppy at our house was supposed to be fixed tomorrow...

As you can see, that's not going to happen. A certain puppy's body decided that it would appropriate to go into heat at 10 months old. Yep, that's how our luck goes. Now we get to wait until the end of May. And we have to keep the poor baby in the house and fence for who knows how long. She looks so sad.

The Confession Stand

We were eating dinner on Sunday night, talking about what the kids did over the weekend (they were at their dad's).

Hannah: Mommy, I raised money for Riley this weekend.
Me: Really? How did you do that?
Hannah: I had a confession stand during daddy's poker party...and I sold Popsicles, candy, coke, and suckers.
Cody and I: bahhhahahahahahaha! You had a confession stand?
Hannah: Yes, I did.
Me: That's very cool Hannah. How much money did you raise?
Hannah: Ummm...nothing, everything was free.
Me: You are too cute.

I love being a mom. I love that the kids make me laugh on a daily basis.

Hunting for baskets and eggs

At our house, the Easter Bunny hides the baskets and he hides eggs too. When the kids get up Easter morning they have the daunting task of finding eggs AND baskets. Madness is pretty much a guarantee. This year we almost had tears too. The tears would have been from the 6 year old, the only girl, who is outnumbered by boys. I would have thought she would have been happy. First, she found his basket in the cabinet and showed him.

Next, she found his basket in the linen closet and showed him.
Then she couldn't find hers. She looked everywhere. In the dryer, oven, hall closet, under the bathroom sink, in the shower. She had given up hope and was near tears when she came and said I just can't find it. (Insert very sad face and eyes that had started to well up.) Cody and I asked her if she had looked everywhere in the living room. Under things, in things, and behind things? She looked again and then with a little direction from Cody, she found her basket (really it's a bucket, buckets can be used outside more then a basket).

After they had all looked through their baskets Hannah remembered that there were eggs all over the living room and kitchen that needed found. She had been scoping it out since she got up and she won, if it were a contest and we counted how many eggs each got. But that's not how we roll. Really, at that point we were in a hurry and needed to get ready to go to Mass. So neither grown-up counted the eggs, but Hannah declared herself the winner. I'll take her word for it.



Shake, shake, shake...

Shake your eggs! Oh, and the Easter Bunny puts money in most of the eggs. That Easter Bunny sure is all about having healthy teeth!

Cupcakes

Look what we made! Aren't they cute? I love doing just about anything in the kitchen, and the kids love to get in on the action too. When I found these on this site we had to make our own. I think they turned out pretty well. The kids were excited to make cupcake Easter baskets and loved helping. I forgot to take pictures of that :(

Coloring Eggs

We colored eggs yesterday after church. We ran out of time on Saturday to do this before Easter. Sometimes that happens. They had fun anyway. This is typical of Hannah. She concentrates so hard on just about everything she does. Coloring eggs is no different. I love the smiley face. She does too. She puts a smiley face on almost everything that could have a face.

We colored eggs differently this year. We used a tie dye kit. The kids would add a few drops of color to the egg and then rub it around in the bag. Eli enlisted Aunt Ashley's help. He was a little unsure in the beginning. He got better the more eggs he did. I'm not sure if they are supposed to look like this or if it's the fact that I forgot to buy white eggs. We don't use white eggs and I didn't think to deviate from the norm. Overall they turned out well (except yellow, you couldn't see that) and they had fun doing it.

But Mom!?!?!?!

After the proposal we decided we want to get married in the little chapel at the church Cody grew up in. This chapel is amazing. It's small, and old, and perfect for us. We've been ok'd to have our ceremony here. We've also been attending Sunday morning masses. I like what I've been exposed to so far, as far as learning about a new religion and the church, and I like being back in church on a regular basis. Let me say that Hannah has mixed emotions about it. Some of the things kids say are just too priceless not to share. And they haven't lost the inhibition to really share exactly what they are thinking and feeling. I hope I can continue this ability for them to honestly share. I think it is soooo important for later in life.

Hannah: "Do we have to go to church?"

Me: "Wha? I thought you like going to church?"

Hannah: "I do, but all we do is stand-up, sit down, stand-up, sit down, kneel, pray, and sing...ugh!"

Me: "Hehehehehe...really? I'm sorry, but we are still going."

SNOW?????

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day. When the sun is out and the wind is still, you're one month on in the middle of May. But if you so much as dare to speak, a cloud come over the sunlit arch, and wind comes off a frozen peak, and you're two months back in the middle of March."
- Robert Frost, Two Tramps in Mud Time, 1926

This very much describes today. This morning it snowed. This is not supposed to happen on April 6, although I guess in Indiana it does. I hope my tulips survive. They are almost all in bloom and I will be mad if the snow and cold snap causes them to die :(

Spring

Baseball and spring have begun. We have practice two nights a week. Some nights practice will be field work and other nights will be hitting. He is having a blast. He pays attention for most the 45 minutes of practice and for the most part listens. Please, what 4 or 5 year old would listen and pay attention for 45 minutes straight? I'm good with most of the practice right now. They have 3 rules 1) no crying!!! I love this! I can guarantee he'll have to be reminded of this at some point in the season. 2) listen to the coach and 3) I haven't been listening, because I don't remember the third. So he comes by the not always listening honestly. He got his helmet and pants last weekend and this weekend we are getting his bat and bag. He doesn't know about that yet and will be super excited when he finds them. I need to take a picture of him, he's pretty cute in the helmet :)

She's pretty cute too. The colors in this picture make her eyes look grey. The smile is very fake. I can't ask her to smile for the camera or I get that smile. I have to catch her off guard, but I always like those pictures best anyway.

I love spring. So much new and pretty.