Bikes and Blooms

One day there is a single bud on a tree or in the ground and then it seems as if the next day, the whole yard is in bloom.  I love Spring here.  

Same thing with these guys.  One day I am listening for their cries on a baby monitor, the next I am watching them ride their bike to a friend's house.  Without me.

The weather here has been so weird-almost 80 and shorts and no less than 3 days later, this is what we had to do to play outside in the morning.  It did not deter us from finding the beach/pool gear in the garage and recreating Ocean Isle in my driveway.

Big 'Bro helping Walks with Purpose.  He's working on his Pinewood Derby car for Scouts.

My kids played together for about 5 hours outside yesterday - making forts, playing Post Office, pretending they were at the beach and under shark attack and who knows what else.  Somehow in the midst of all that fun, GoGo was able to create a little card for Mom and Dad.

Notice the lovely conversation between she and D.  Much like in real life.

I asked her why Daddy had his arms crossed, as though he were mad or upset.

She looked at me.  "He's not mad.  He's saying Wwoorrdd."

OMG.

Where does she come up with this stuff?  Anyone who knows me and Hubs recognizes that our musical tastes do not include artists who regularly say "Wwoorrdd."  Not that there is anything wrong with that.

D decided to build a ramp to launch his bike off in the backyard.  I pretended not to be worried, as I didn't want to spend my Sunday at Urgent Care.  But he is just cautious enough to prevent that from happening.

This one discovered ice cream sandwiches in the freezer.  And remained in her jammies until bath time.  So basically, for about 24 hours.  Nice.

Remnants

GoGo lost her other front tooth, finally.  A matching set.  She looks so cute and her new favorite thing is to make hissing sounds through the gaping hole.  It's like we have a Parsel Tongue in the house. 
The Tooth Fairy left her tooth behind, as a souvenir...along with a couple of bucks.
Over the weekend we had company and GoGo was telling someone about a girl in her class who "is disgusting...she picks her butt AND nose!"  "True story", she says.

Only this sweet girl can smile this big at 6:30 am.

Walks With Purpose has been wearing me out lately with her no-nap business.  She is a blur in the afternoons without one...she can go from running, laughing through the yard like a maniac to a puddle of tears at my feet in less than 30 seconds.  Usually over something simple like changing a diaper or putting on shoes.  Today, this was left behind.  

Guess she was letting me know what she really thought about that diaper change...

but she also has told everyone in the house at least 5 times a day "You Da Best!" 

 I especially love when she says "I Da Best, Dommie da best, GoGo da best, Daddy da best and YOU da best, Mom!"

I've been in spring cleaning mode and stumbled upon several school papers/projects from the kids...this is what D made at the beginning of this school year.  It was sort of an All About Me deal and I absolutely love his thoughts on his future.  

I'm going to give him a trophy when he grows up for being so content with the fundamentals in life-the things that really count.  

People who love you, a warm bed at night and doing something you love, that also pays you.  

Lent

Today is the big day.  Ash Wednesday, first day of Lent.

I am giving up beer for Lent.  I feel if I put this in writing in front of other human beings, I may actually be able to keep up my end of this deal.
Although, it is sort of like giving up air or using conjunctions in sentences.
God helped me with this decision a bit-I developed a horrible ear infection/eye infection/chest infection just one day before Lent begins.  Convenient.  Not to be able to drink beer while on antibiotics.
So Fat Tuesday, I sucked down my last Blue Moon for 6 weeks, and hoped my medicine still started to work a wee bit.
The last time I gave up something so ingrained in my being was coffee several Lents ago.
My co-workers begged me to cave and have a cup of java.  I was almost put on short-term disability, I was so hateful without my coffee.
I will be praying for nice words and hands this Lent.

GoGo suggested I give up my Ipod.  Never.Gonna.Happen.
It will be painful to go without my Blue Moon, especially now that the weather will be warming up all Spring-like.  But I would simply die without my music on that Ipod.

I'm not asking Walks With Purpose to go without anything or take on anything new.  Except maybe "nice hands".
GoGo suggested she give up soda.  Only problem with that is, she doesn't really drink soda.
So then she offered up not playing with her Barbies.  Hmm...not really sure what she's giving up yet but we'll have a firm decision by bedtime tonight.
D offered to give up soda.  He only drinks Sprite if we go out to eat so not really sure that counts either...his DS would be a good one.  He too, will have something worked out by bedtime tonight.

I told the kids this morning that we're giving up something to remind us of what Christ gave up for us.
GoGo says, "What happens if we forget what we gave up?"  Meaning, she gives up Barbies and then a week later is cruising Barbie and Ken around in the pink corvette...I tell her we're going to work hard so that doesn't happen.  She says, "Ok, just remind me."  Yeah.

Running in the Sand

Hubs ran a half marathon this weekend at the beach.  

We are very proud of him - he's already signed up for next year.

We had never stayed at this particular beach before but any beach is a good beach in February.

 And we got to visit with very old friends.   And we lucked out with good weather one day.    

 Good enough for my little people to play a bit in the sand and run through the water.

My little people convinced me to buy them each a hermit crab.  I realized when I saw the red claw come out, I am not a fan of that kind of creature.  I like the soft and furry ones you can love on.

But nonetheless, they came home with us and even survived the drive - at one point Gogo had fallen asleep and jerked, completely flipping her crab cage upside down.  He didn't move much after that for awhile and Gogo informed him that "if you don't move by tomorrow, I'm bustin' you up".  

We got to eat yummy seafood, party in an awesome indoor water park and visit the aquarium.  

Good times and tired kids.  Amen.

I don't know these people.  

But I just wanted to remember that people were in swimsuits in February on the beach.

This one gave the waves her "STOP" sign - hands out, yelling "Stop, Water!"

I had to PRY these feet from the beach.  He could have stayed there all the live long day.

Usually when we are at the beach, it's hot and there are about 500 strangers throwing Goldfish and chips around, attracting the birdies.  This trip, they just floated on the water the entire time.

Getting their piggies used to the sand again.

I have never seen as many of these as we did this trip.  If we saw one, we saw 12.

Try.Not.To.Judge

It's February.  So at school, my 2 older ones are learning about Black History.

Most grades are doing some sort of project where they pick a famous person from history and write/report/draw about him/her.

D chose Martin Luther King, Jr.  He did a great report complete with pictures, multiple facts and a couple of drawings.  Most other kids in his class chose a similar person - someone who has impacted history, civil rights, etc.

Today GoGo brings home her choice - Will.I.Am.  I don't know if I put the periods in the appropriate places or not, but it's one of the dudes from the Black Eyed Peas.  Her teacher made a note, asking if I was ok with her choice.
Honestly, not so much.
I have nothing against this guy or the band.  I confess to not fully understanding the periods in the name, but whatever.  What do I know.
Would I feel differently had she chosen a musician that I like?  Such as Robert Cray or Chuck Berry?
Maybe, but probably not in the end.
So, we are going to learn about Harriet Tubman and report about her.  Gogo was happy because she "is a girl and I like her picture."  And there you go.

Speaking of There You Go, that is Walks With Purpose's favorite saying.  She adds it to just about anything she says.  Playing with Barbies..."Yo leg broken?  There you go!"  Asking for more at dinner..."More rice please-there you go!"

At any rate, both D and GoGo received great mid-term reports, something I'm glad our school does.  I especially love the extra notes the teacher writes about them.  It makes the kids and me feel good.
And today, WWP came home with a smiley face stamp, something I'm certain she would not have received had her hands been "not nice".  So, there you go.

Snagglepuss

GoGo finally lost one of her top front teeth.
For a few days, it dangled precariously from her gums.  That kind of stuff, I simply cannot take.  Heebie-Jeebies.
So to purposely gross me out, she would say "Hey Mom, look!"  And then she would grin at me, that tooth hanging like a leaf on a tree.
I think between the hair and the face she's making, she could of had a part in Braveheart.  Sheesh.

This one, trying to act as though she too has lost her top front tooth.  And is also in Braveheart.

Today I was informed that the Director of her Preschool had to have a chat with her about the nice hands.  Or in her case, lack thereof.  

My other two are far from perfect but I do not recall the Preschool Principal ever having to have a word with them.  

When I asked her why she hit her friends, she let me know it was because "she had to".  

Well, then.

So tonight we run to pick up pizza at the last minute after a playdate ran long.  Traffic is heavy and we're cruising home with the pie safely tucked on the front seat.  A man driving a moving truck decides to pull out in front of me, at which point I hit the brakes and said pizza pie flies onto the floor.  

I tell the kids about how you always have to watch out for the other driver and thankfully their mother is an AWESOME driver.  Through my rear view mirror, I see D glance up at me.  I see him pause.   Then he tells me, "Well, you are better than that driver." 

And there you go.

A Love Letter from GoGo

GoGo was doing arts and crafts cards with a friend and chose to make one for her family.

I love that about her.

I love her embellishments as well - lots of hearts.

Love that Daddy is the only one sans color...he is a pretty black and white kind of dude.

Love also the enormous hair bows she put on the girls.  Yes, we live in the South.

Love also that the sun is out, everyone is smiling and arms are up (girls only).

Notice D's beard...she gave him one because "he is not nice to me sometimes."

And there you have it.

I really love this because it is so like GoGo.  

To think of her family first and spend her creative energy on something that reflects that.  

I recognize that all 3 of my little people are sensitive souls to one degree or another.  While this may suck sometimes when dealing with folks who aren't quite as empathetic, in the big picture of Life, I am thankful this is who they are at their core.  I love them all to pieces.