Turning 5 last month

I can't believe he's 5. No way. 

Garrett had a bug party with his cousin and his aunt made a cute cake but I forgot my camera the night of the party. Woops. Bad mom award. 

I took pictures of him the next day with his bug catchin' gear. Here's the sad thing. Once the bugs get caught...they don't escape alive because the kids want to keep them as pets. Bugs just don't survive kid love. 

This is his bug sucker.Its like a vacuum for bugs.

The container for the bugs after they've been sucked. 

Just checkin' for more bugs.

This Old House

I've already posted that we moved out of our rental house. I haven't gone into much detail about it because...it makes me sad. Its hard to think of moving out of a home that makes you happy.

I wanted to write a post that showed all the things I loved about the house. None of my pictures actually showed the house because it wasn't much of a looker. When I kept thinking about it I realized that all the things I REALLY loved came with me when we moved. Its our family of course. (cheesy but true)

We'll be happy where ever we land. And when we get our house finished I'm planting apple trees and grapevines because I do really miss those. :)

Garrett when he was two. 

Rusty old swing set.

Planting our first garden.

I think this is Grant. I didn't realize how much my boys looked alike!

Goodbye old house.

Once Upon a Time...

Once upon a time I kept up my blog. But life happens, right? Quick update.

- finished first year of homeschooling Madilyn
- moved out of rental house
- started house building process
- living with family until the house is built
- Sound of Music opens this weekend

There. That's what's been happening and why I've fallen apart at the seams.

Side note: Our production of the Sound of Music opens this weekend. Madilyn plays Brigitta, Emma plays Marta, and I play Maria....That fact that I get to play Maria makes me giggle like a little girl because S of M has been my favorite movie since I was 9. Its a little surreal. Although I have to admit that last night at our dress rehearsal, when I was running through the halls in a wedding dress looking for a veil, bouquet, and head piece thinger only to be followed by tripping and sliding over the dress while trying to walk across the stage (and the veil fell off while walking), the dreamy quality of the whole thing was kind of over. :) Or it could have been the fact that I almost fell off a ladder, put the wrong costume on 3 times, and had one of them come undone on stage...but that's what makes theater fun, right?

Spring Fair - A Self Portrait

 We went to the Washington Spring Fair a few weeks ago. Emma had drawn a picture that was chosen from  her class to be hung with other artwork from the school district. It was a lovely self-portrait. Proud of this little girl.

 Loved the lego wall. I want one in our house.

 I like the spring fair because have so many activities for younger kids to enjoy.

Like making potato people. I think it was their favorite activity.

All the girlies with their potato people.

Tired Flowers

Garrett's Flower Bed

Garrett picked me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. After 1/2 an hour they began to wilt at which point I told Garrett I thought my flowers might be getting a bit tired.

He then told me he would put them in a flower bed. I thought he was going to try to plant them. 

But no 4 year-old mind knew just the thing for tired flowers. He made a lovely flower 'bed' so my flowers could take a little rest.

I didn't have the heart to tell him rest wasn't going to fix it. 

Children's Museum

 Over some break, mid-winter? spring?, I'm not really sure when it was to tell you the truth, I took the kids to the children's museum. I look back at the pictures and think, 'oh how fun'. But then I think a little harder and remember that we left with 2 out of 4 crying.

 Garrett would have been happy to play with the water the whole time.

 How much did I want to watercolor on canvas? 

Ooooo, and the drawing table too. 

Turning Two and Chick Fluff

Grant turned two last month. Please note in the picture above Grant's hair. That is how his hair almost always looks. Its like chick fluff, soft and fine and allll over. Consequently we call him Fuzzy.  

Little Grant is so much fun. He loves his dad, airplanes, cars, boats, and motorcycles. He also really likes...old guys. Not sure how else to put it but he likes men. He makes himself right at home with any grandpa types. He likes to cuddle, although its kind of like cuddling with a meat tenderizer. He adores his brother and sisters.

 Jeremy made the above airplane for him. The propeller has already gotten broken, fixed, and replaced.

Grant and Grandpa Richard, whose birthday is two days after Grant, sharing their airplane birthday cake.