Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a great holiday, for a lot of reasons. Of course, the most important thing about it is the remembrance of those who have served and are still serving so that we may live as free individuals. I always think about my great-grandfather (WWII), who is no longer with us. I appreciate the willingness of those who go and do things that most of us would not want to do.

I love this holiday, because it's almost always beautiful outside at this time of year. That means we can enjoy a couple of really awesome things: outdoor activities, such as swimming, and my dad's brisket!

Ahh...doesn't it look inviting?

Beef. You know you want it.

I decided it would be a nice day to wash my Suburban, and I thought the boys might like to help me out. I knew they really wouldn't be much help, but they would have fun playing in the water. This turned out to be a massive project. The fun thing about all this road contruction/repaving around town is you get tar, rocks and dirt stuck all over your car. Yeah, that stuff is like concrete; almost impossible to remove without dynamite and a jackhammer. My dad had the spray tar remover stuff, and it helped some, but I still bent back two fingernails and worked my right arm into a horrific state of soreness trying to restore my paint job. Ouch. My dad did take some cute pictures of my assistants!

Check out the matching Spiderman swim trunks.

Thanks, Grammy!

And it begins...

Look at that grin. He's having a blast.

Look at cute little Nick-Nick!

Oh, and there's Mommy, doing all the work.

No one cares about her, though. :)

After all the car-washing "fun" (ha!), we went and jumped in the pool. Much better. The boys love to swim, and it turns out that Zoe is quite the little waterbug herself!

 Splash, splash, splash!

I thought I was going to drown.

After lunch and nap time, we went over to the neighbor's house. They have peach trees, and they're so full of fruit that the branches are on the ground and breaking. The boys had been over there before to pick some, and they had a great time. My parents' neighbors let them know that they were more than welcome to come and get some more whenever they liked.

I think Nicholas was still a little sleepy.

He looks confused.

Ethan knew what to do.

Bringing home the haul with Granddad.

Our peck of picked peaches!

I don't know what we're going to do with all these. 

Peach pie, anyone?

It was fun, and now we have lots of fruit! We had a really good day, overall. The best part of it was getting to eat brisket for dinner. Yum!

Hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend with family, friends and fun!

Adventures at the car wash

My mother and I took the boys to get haircuts today (I know, I know...finally!), and decided afterward to head to the car wash. My poor Suburban gets so neglected. We prefer to hand wash our vehicles because they get cleaner that way, but that requires time, which is not something I have to spare. Also, last time I hand-washed a vehicle at my house, I ended up covered in 300 fire ant bites. Fun. I thought it would be fun to wash the car on Monday when we were over at my parents' for Memorial Day, because I figured the kids would enjoy "helping" me. So, this washing was just in preparation for the real washing later.

Anyway, we got to the car wash. At this particular place, there is a person sitting at the entrance to help you. They'll get the scrubby things and try to help get off all the encrusted bugs or whatever happens to be cemented onto your vehicle, and they'll help you with the machine that you use to buy the car wash, if you're too dumb to figure it out. Isn't that nice? So, as I'm driving up and I see this leathery-skinned-way-too-may-hours-in-the-sun individual, I'm asking my mother, "Oh, Lord. Am I going to have to tip her?" My mother's response: "Sometimes I don't." Important information coming from a car wash veteran.

So, this nice person (although a little scary-looking) starts scrubbing up my vehicle. Meanwhile, I'm arguing with the credit card machine. When everything is finally done and we are able to go into the car wash, I politely smile at the attendant and wait for her to move out of my way so she doesn't end up under my tires, then pull in. Guilt, guilt, guilt.

I figured it was over at that point. Wash my car, go home, and try not to think about my lack of tip. I was very wrong. Once the undercarriage wash stopped spraying, the woman actually followed us into the car wash and kept scrubbing! I looked over at my mom with my mouth hanging open, and said something like, "This only happens in bad horror movies." I can see it now..."Two stupid women were brutally hacked to pieces while visiting a local car wash today..."

So, what was I supposed to do? I was sitting there, having extreme amounts of guilt, and my mother is laughing hysterically. We're keeping our eyes on the woman as she circles the vehicle, and I'm checking to make sure the doors are locked. The boys are fascinated by the sprayers that keep passing by their windows, and Zoe is snoring. Good to know I was the only one freaking out. I was trying to remember how much cash I had in my wallet, because I was tempted to throw it out the window just to make her go away. My mother keeps laughing. Why, oh why did the other car wash have to be closed?

Once the high-pressure water started to rinse the car, she finally left. At that point, I was trying to decide if I wanted to go give her a tip or not. I had to give her some credit. After all, she was working really hard on an insanely hot day on a total stranger's car to try to make some cash. Also, she didn't kill us. That alone made me feel like giving her a couple of bucks.

Okay, so the end result of this adventure: once the car wash was done, I pulled around to the front and gave her a tip. She seemed surprised, and thanked me with a huge smile. It made me feel better. I hope everyone else that visited that day appreciated her hard work and friendliness as much as I did. 

It doesn't matter what we're doing, my mother and I manage to turn the most insignificant activities into adventures or hilarious stories. We're like magnets for odd happenings. It's fun though, because you never know what's coming. :)

Overprotective

My oldest son never ceases to amaze me. He can be such a little brat at times that it makes me wonder if he has a heart at all, and then he'll turn around and do something completely selfless and wonderful.

Example: This morning, I was trying to put breakfast together for all the kids. I am always careful about what Zoe eats, because of her allergy issues. Nicholas requested cereal, and after I filled his bowl, I gave a handful to Zoe to munch on while I made her something more substantial. Ethan was watching me the whole time, and he suddenly screamed out, "No! Zoe can't have chocolate! It has milk in it!!"

Sharp kid. The cereal was Cocoa Puffs (the off-brand...whatever it's called). I did check the ingredients, and there isn't any dairy at all, but Ethan saw that it was chocolate and called me out. We've had detailed discussions about Zoe's allergy with the boys, in the hopes that they will help keep other people in check if we're not nearby (church, family gatherings, etc.). Ethan has obviously been paying attention.

Good job, buddy! Your Mommy loves you and is so proud of you!

Walking Lessons

Zoe will be 15 months old next Tuesday, and she's still not walking. Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of the motherly comparison comments. You know, they sound like this:

"Oh, my son/daughter walked at nine months!"

"My little boy/girl didn't walk until he was 18 months old."

"Don't worry. She'll walk when she's ready."

Yeah, yeah. I spent the whole morning walking around Wal-Mart to find you so I could hear your story, Random Stranger. Really.

Zoe will walk when she needs to, and I'm not at all concerned about it. Frankly, I think she's eating up this "helpless little sister/daughter" act that she's got going on. She is extremely spoiled by her brothers (and us, I admit it). Although she isn't quite ready to march off on her own yet, she is thoroughly enjoying the learning process. Her favorite thing is to walk around holding onto Mommy or Daddy's fingers. Where does she always want to go? Straight into Ethan's arms! She LOVES walking to him, and it is so adorable.

Check out that giant grin!

Nicholas tries to get in on the action, but I think Zoe's scared of him. He's a little...um...clumsy, and I'm sure she's just fearing for her fingers and toes. And all the other body parts. He does love her dearly, and he gives her giant hugs and kisses whenever she'll let him.

A Zoe sandwich.

On this particular day, Granddad was helping Zoe walk, and there were times when she took a tumble. He would pick her up to comfort her and try to stop her tears, but she just wanted Ethan! She kept reaching out for him and would only sit with him when she was upset. It was so sweet.

Look at the proud big brother smile.

Anyway, Zoe will eventually get it, and then she'll be unstoppable. For the time being, we're just letting her learn at her own pace. She's cruising around really well as long as she's got something to hold on to, and she's starting to stand on her own (without holding on) for longer periods of time. Developmentally, she is doing well. She knows so many words...way more than the boys knew when they were her age. She can communicate her needs effectively, and she can understand commands from others. I'll ask her to go get things and bring them to me, and she crawls right over to the object, picks it up and delivers it. I know her brain works, and her legs will follow (one day)!

I'll get Ethan to practice with her some more. Maybe it will be the motivations she needs.

Zoo Day!

Mondays are typically not my favorite day around here. The kids seem to know this, and they do their best to make it as horrible as possible (most of the time). Today was an exception. My mom decided to take a day off (which she really needed), and we packed up the car to go to the San Antonio Zoo!

We were a little freaked out on the drive to SA, because the kids were in terrible moods and it started to rain. There were a couple of moments where I was tempted to turn around and go home to avoid any potential disasters. I'm so glad I didn't! The rain went away, and the kids perked up once we arrived.

I usually take my camera, but had second thoughts this time. I have SO many pictures from the zoo, and they're all pretty much the same. I decided to grab it at the last minute, along with my monster zoom lens (the broken one), just in case I saw something worth shooting. Boy, am I happy I did that! A day for good choices, apparently! I got some great pictures, and my lens cooperated just enough to get some great up-close shots of the animals. So, now you're going to be subjected to a ton of photos. Sorry! (Not really.)

An 873 year-old grizzly bear.

Mom thought he/she looked depressed.

Zoe absolutely LOVED the grizzly bear. She was completely focused on watching it pacing back and forth, and didn't want to walk away from it! She spotted it as soon as we walked over to the exhibit, and immediately wanted us to pick her up so she could get a better look.

"Pick me up! I wanna see!!"

Randomness: My mother and I developed a theory about the absent polar bear. So many years, while I was growing up (still working on that...ha!), there was always a polar bear at the SA Zoo. Just a few years ago, it disappeared. We think it was the same bear, in that same exhibit for over 25 years (or more!). I think the poor thing croaked, and that's why there is no longer a polar bear exhibit. I'm afraid poor Grizzly up there is headed for the same fate.

A lazy jaguar...the boys' favorite.

It was relatively cool when we first arrived, so most of the animals were out and about. We got to the Africa Live! section and we were so excited to see that one of the hippos was actually looking our way! If you've been to the zoo in SA recently, you'll know that the new hippo exhibit is really cool, but that the hippos are usually displaying their most unattractive side to the visitors. We saw a hippo face this time!

Grammy was trying to get the boys to be brave and go up to the glass.

It didn't work.

After we convinced the boys that the hippo was not going to come through the glass and devour them both, we moved on to find the crocodiles, which Nicholas had been asking about since we walked through the entrance.

Creepy.

He's a happy guy; he got to see his crocodiles!

We didn't get to see the elephant because of some more Africa Live! construction, and it disappointed the boys quite a bit, but they quickly got over it when we reached the rhino enclosure. A juvenile rhino was right next to the fenced walkway, and the keepers were trying to lure him into another section with bamboo bribes. We watched for a while. The rhino reminded me of my kids...stubborn as can be! He didn't budge, and at one point decided to lay down and relax.

See? He has that defiant look in his eye.

Anyway, considering how much those little legs walked, how hot it was as the day went on, and how many people were at the zoo, I thought my boys did a great job, behavior-wise. They lasted more than four hours, and we had no problems. Look how cute they are with their Grammy and Granddad...

I'm totally slacking off; I only had to carry the camera.

(I promise I did more work later. Honest.)

And Zoe, too. I'm not forgetting her. She did a great job, and seemed to have a lot of fun. About 30 or 40 minutes before we left, she completely crashed in her Granddad's arms.

Totally zonked.

I do have to include the requisite San Antonio Zoo lion statue photos. If I didn't take pictures of my children climbing on the giant lion sculpture, I would not be a good parent. I'm already in trouble for not taking any bluebonnet pictures, so I don't want to push it.

One child...and...two children. Done.

Now I won't be burned at the stake.

Oh, wait. I forgot Zoe. Darn!

To be fair, there were other people waiting to take pictures, and I would've done it on the way out, but she was sleeping. I told you, I like justification!

On the way home, the car was very quiet. Three sleeping kiddos, all completely worn out from a really full, really fun day. I was so proud of how well they did! I can't wait to go again. The family membership has definitely been worthwhile. I'm totally buying another one next year.

Before I let you leave, I'm posting a few more pictures, because they turned out so well!

Pretty neat, huh?

Sunday Ham

Tonight was the First Baptist Church Children's Choir annual musical, and it was so much fun to watch. For the first time, we had a child performing. Ethan's been working hard, learning the songs and the hand motions, but we hadn't actually heard or seen anything before tonight. It was adorable!

I was impressed with all the hard work the kids put in. We have some seriously talented children in our church, and they should be so proud of themselves. Some of those guys can really sing! I hope they continue to use their talent as they get older. Also, I want to thank all the adults that continually give so much of themselves in order for the kids to be able to do things like this. It's a lot of hard work on their part, and makes for some long hours! You guys are awesome, and you did a great job!

So, we found that our eldest child has several talents. We already knew that he could sing and that he had rhythm, but we also discovered that he is a ham! He was cracking everyone up at rehearsals, and he was cracking everyone up during the performance. I had so many adults come to me with stories about something Ethan said or did. Also, in the middle of one of the songs, we learned that Ethan is super bossy. He was up on stage, telling the other kids what to do and looking around to make sure that everyone was where they were supposed to be. Needless to say, we were all giggling. I hate to admit it, but that's all ME! He totally picked that up from his mother. Big mouth, big attitude...likes to tell people what to do. Just like I told one of the ladies at church: "Having kids makes you face your own issues." Nathan took a couple of short videos, so I'll post one here in case you'd like to watch our little star-in-the-making. He really was cute!

Our little convict... :)

Movie Reviews?

Since I am a movie-obsessed person, I thought it might be fun to randomly post reviews. Good and bad. Keep your eyes peeled, and your mind open. I like all different kinds! :)

Let the addiction begin...

I finally broke down and bought a coffeemaker today. I know, I know...don't tell me. Hey! Starbucks is wonderful, but I do not currently possess millions of dollars that I can freely waste on caffeinated products, okay? Also, I'm really tired of drinking that instant crap.

 It's the planet.

Would you like to hear my justification? You don't? Too bad, you're getting it anyway. Makes me feel better inside. Ahem. I like caffeine. Considering that I don't drink alcohol, don't do illegal drugs, and take no medications, I feel that I am allowed to have one vice. I allow myself ONE caffeinated beverage a day, and it's typically in carbonated form. *Side note: this limit is subject to change depending on the kind of day we're having over here; it could increase to 10 or 12.* I am a soda junkie (I was going to say "Coke addict," but that might start a rumor). I do like tea a lot, and drink it pretty much every day, but we use decaffeinated tea because of our late dinnertime. Nathan's really affected by caffeine, and we didn't want him to be up all night. Coffee has lots of health benefits; sodas do not. Therefore, in an effort to ditch the Cokes and Dr. Peppers, I made the small appliance purchase. Boom. Justification.

So, I've joined the java club. As my coffee education begins, feel free to make suggestions about your favorites so I can try new things. :)

We'll discuss my chocolate addiction another time. Maybe.

Mmmm...

ANTI-CRAFT

Well, it's that time again...Vacation Bible School is coming! I think all the adults at First Baptist Church that participate in VBS have a love/hate relationship with this yearly event. We love watching the excitement on the kids faces as they learn and play, we love the questions they ask when hearing God's Word, and we LOVE when a child accepts Christ and begins to walk with God! Every year, we look forward to the first day of VBS. We plan, shop, cook, decorate, pre-register, attend meetings, and so much more to prepare for the moment the kids walk through the door for the first time. At that moment, we really start to wonder, "Why did I volunteer again this year? Who talked me into this, anyway...and where are they so I can strangle them?"

Okay, it's not really that bad. It just gets a little chaotic when you try to cram 200 people (mostly kids) into a building and try to have any sense of organization at all. It's always an adventure, I'll tell you that much. I really do look forward to VBS, though. The kids are so much fun to watch, and it's nice to do something different for a week.

Last year, I worked in the craft area with the younger kids, Pre-K through first grade. We had four groups of kids that came through for about thirty minutes each. It was really fun, although we were extremely outnumbered. This year, I'm doing the crafts again, and I'm excited about it! We have some fun things picked out for the kids to make. I was able to participate in the craft selection process this time, and it was a little confusing/stressful, but I think (hope) the kids will enjoy all the things I picked.

Last week, I was sitting at church after a VBS meeting with the other craft ladies, discussing different activities for the kids that went along with the western theme for this year, and one of the ladies went into great detail, explaining a craft to the rest of us. Basically, it involved glass bottles, masking tape and black paint. There might have been a couple of other things, but I was kind of zoning out a little (Sorry, Kim!). The kids were supposed to spend one day covering the glass bottle with masking tape, then spend the next day painting it. I think there was something for the third day, but my mind was wandering a little by this point in the conversation. The end result of the craft: a glass bottle covered in something that was supposed to resemble metal, I think. Don't worry...we're not doing this craft. Too many dangers involved and too much time.

I learned something important about myself during my mind-wandering. I am a bad mother, and an unappreciative person. (Please, hold all negative comments until the end. Thank you.) As I was listening to these women discuss all the meticulous details of every little sparkly thing that goes into each tiny little project, I really started to hate myself. The boys come home every Sunday with something they made during their Sunday school class. What do I do with it? Unless it's something really special, like a Mother's Day or Father's Day momento, I usually compliment them on their great work, and then throw it away once they're napping or something. I know, I know...don't say anything. Hey, I can't keep every little scrap of paper they bring home! What am I going to do with all that stuff? I hate clutter, and I'll eventually have to throw it away anyway, when they're going off to college and they don't want to take their 18 year-old, brittle paper, falling apart art projects along with them! What do you want from me?!

Seriously, though. I'm thinking about all the money, time and planning that went into each of those little things that I've trashed over the last couple of years. I kind of feel like a jerk. I'm sorry! Someone spent a lot of time coming up with that stuff, and the kids spent time working on it. Sigh...I should be shot. Or at least tarred and feathered. Do they still do that? I didn't think so.

Am I going to start keeping everything? Ummm...no. I can't! I don't have any place to put it! I do, however, solemnly swear to carefully evaluate each art project they bring home and determine if it's something that took hours of careful planning and creation, and will then decide whether each specific item is trash or treasure. Good enough? Well, it's gonna have to be!

*As a random side note and a shameless advertisement: if you live in the Bastrop area, have children, and want to get rid of them for a few hours (for one week) during the summer, bring them to VBS at First Baptist Church. Children from the age of 4 (by Sept. 2010) through those that just finished 6th grade are welcome! Monday, June 21 - Friday, June 25, 9:00 am-12:15 pm. It's going to be so much fun!

May Day Picnic

This past Saturday, my mom and I carted the kids out to Cedar Valley Baptist Church, where my parents and grandparents are members. My good friends Andee and Josh invited us to come out for a youth fundraiser they were holding (Josh is the youth minister there). They were planning lots of games, fun, and FOOD, so how could we say no? We were all a little concerned about the weather situation, since we had quite a bit of rain in the forecast, but they said the event would be held, rain or shine! As it turned out, we had nothing to be worried about. The sun came out, and it was a beautiful day! 

The boys had so much fun running around outside. They had tons of soccer balls, footballs, baseball bats, etc. laying around outside, so my little redheads used their imagination to create some new sports. Ethan's favorite: "faseball," a sport which requires the players to throw a heavy, foam football up in the air and whack it with a plastic baseball bat. "Faseball" is also appropriately named after the part of Nicholas that was injured during the creation of this sport. I was surprised at how well Ethan actually did when it came to smacking the ball a good distance. I think we may have a ball player in the making. (I can hear my father cheering somewhere in the distance.)

After the sports equipment lost its excitement value, we moved on to the playground. The church has a big playscape on the property for the kiddos with a slide, swings and all that good stuff. The boys climbed up and were going to go down the slide, when Nicky decided to freak out. He has been down slides before, and I have no clue why this particular one scared him so badly. Maybe he has an aversion to yellow, because the slide looked like a giant banana. Anyway, as I was going over to talk to him, I noticed something underneath the platform of the playscape. A huge yellowjacket nest. Oh, yippee...

I got my mother's attention, and we got the kids away from the area. Then, she decided to be brave and go back to kill some scary, winged insects. I think she's allergic to them, now that I'm looking back. Anyway, she takes her shoe off and starts whacking stuff. It was a little comical, and the kids were standing there asking me funny things like, "Why is Grammy walking like that?" Once the bugs were all smashed, we went back in because the boys wanted to swing. Nicholas was getting into the tire swing when he suddenly whimpered and said, "A bug bit my leg!" Sure enough...

A nice yellowjacket sting. His first. 

The kid didn't even cry! I totally would have been a wimp about it, but he didn't seem to care. This is the same child that trips over his own feet, lands gently on a carpeted floor, and bawls for two hours. I don't know. I put some ice on it, and distracted him by letting the boys have some sweet tea.

I know...caffeine and sugar. Brave Mommy.

They definitely enjoyed it. 

There was also a sweet little girl that had her puppy out walking around. Ethan followed the dog for at least twenty minutes, trying to get up enough nerve to touch it. My boys are chickens when it comes to dogs, no matter how large or small!

 

Before you ask, Zoe was there, too! It's hard to take pictures of her while I'm holding her, but once Granddad showed up, she didn't want anything to do with me.

They're just a little bit attached to one another.

Tired of pictures? Too bad! This is the best part, though...the FOOD! I'm a Texas girl, so it comes as no surprise that I am a total sucker for some decent BBQ with all the trimmings. How do you think I keep my figure, anyway? My dad is a Brisket King! Anyway, the food was fantastic!

Mmmm...

Brisket attack!

Hannibal Lecter? Nope, just Nicky.

Even Zoe pigged out!

Okay, enough pictures. If you're not craving some BBQ and potato salad by now, you're seriously insane. We had a great time! Thanks to CVBC, Josh and Andee, the youth guys and gals, and the guy whose name I can't remember that cooked the yummy meat all by himself! It was great!

Questions, questions...

You know how, when you're pregnant, you have to answer the same questions a million times?

"When are you due?"

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Is this your first?"

Etc, etc, etc...

Then, you pop the kid out and are attacked by a whole new series of repeated questions...

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"What's his/her name?"

"How old is he/she?"

"Is he/she smiling/rolling/crawling/walking yet?"

And so on and so forth.

You mothers know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you? Well, when we had Ethan, we had to deal with yet another bunch of questions.

"Where did the red hair come from?"

"Do you have red hair in your family?"

Sigh...

Then, of course, Nicholas comes along a little less than a year later. At first, it wasn't so bad, question-wise (other than the redheaded stuff), because people could tell by their sizes that the boys were obviously not the same age. Then, our little Nick-Nick hit a major growth spurt, and caught up to his older brother. The boys are now almost the same height and weight. I think Nicky is two inches shorter and two or three pounds lighter.

Now, everywhere we go, we get stopped by people asking, "Are they twins?" This happens at least twice a day. Minimum. Yes, I know it's my fault for getting knocked up twice in two years, so don't even say anything. It's not my fault that both boys have flaming red hair and are both into the 80th and 90th percentiles for height and weight, which causes them to look the same. They wear the same size in clothing, and Nicholas is only one shoe size behind his brother.

Are they twins? Noooo, but they sure look like they are! Someone once told me (in an extremely rude way), "Well, maybe if you didn't dress them just alike..." Well, that would probably help, but I can't help it if every relative we have decides to buy them matching outfits when they go shopping! I'm not going to turn down free clothing, because I have to dress three kids over here, and it gets expensive! Yes, they do occasionally wear the same shirt. Get over it. It's cute, okay? Plus, they like to fight if they don't have things that are the same. This means we have to buy two of everything, including toys. All those annoying, noise-making toys that parents hate? Yeah...we have doubles. Think about that. Enough to make you pull out your own teeth, isn't it?

Sometimes, being the wonderful parent I am, deeply concerned about nutrition and health in my children, I will take the kids to McDonald's. Shut up. Anyway, if the boys don't get the exact same toy in their Happy Meals, we have World War III over here. I have seriously considered murdering some employees over this.

I honestly think that having twins would have been easier, now that I can look back. No, I'm not crazy...hear me out. The boys act like twins and look like twins, but they're developmentally a year apart. This makes things a little complicated. One example: Ethan's potty-trained, Nicky isn't yet. When they were younger, Ethan would want Nicky to do things he couldn't yet do, and Nicky would get frustrated (or injured). Then Ethan would be angry with him. Now that they're older, it's not as much of an issue. I really think that it would have been a lot less stressful to have had twins, because they would've been on the same page, developmentally. 

Are they twins? Nope! But they should be, I guess. Quit asking!!

There's always the chance that we will have twins. My grandfather was a twin, so we have them in the family. Also, the more children you have, the more likely you are to have twins. Age is also a factor, as older women tend to have more multiples. We shall see, I suppose. Don't think it's possible? Well, we do have two redheads, you know... :)

Mother's Day

My Mother's Day started on Saturday, when I was over at my parents' house with the kiddos. My dad had managed to sneak off and buy roses for my mother and for me (they were supposed to be "from the kids"). He's so adorable sometimes. He wrangled Ethan and Nick-Nick down the hallway and gave them the flowers with strict instructions on how to present them to us. Ethan marches into the living room, flowers in hand, he hands them to me and announces, "Happy Monkey Day!" Of course, my mom and I start giggling. Then, Nicholas hands my mom her flowers and stands silent. My dad starts prodding him. "Nicky, what are you supposed to tell Grammy?" After a few seconds of confusion, Nicky exclaims, "Happy Birthday!!"

I love my kids. There is always something to laugh about. Anyway, here are my Mother's Day flowers. Aren't they pretty?

I thought so.

So, Sunday morning, after the usual craziness had subsided a bit, Ethan brings me a piece of paper and yells "Happy's Money Day!" in my face. Of course, that made me laugh again. Maybe he'll get it right next year. Anyway, Nathan got me a gift certificate to go get a pedicure. Yay! The best thing about it: my parents got one for me at Christmas that I haven't used yet, so now I have two pedicures waiting for me. Ahhhhhh...I feel so pampered already. I just have to figure out when I might actually have time to go!

We went to the Alexanders' for lunch, and Beth had a really elaborate meal planned. I wanted to help her, but she wouldn't let me do much, so I just washed a lot of dishes and kept her company. Everything was REALLY good! We missed the cake, because it wasn't finished when we left, but I'm hoping we'll still get to try some.

The boys got to go out on the lake in the rowboat, which they really liked. Timothy was fishing a little, and they really enjoyed watching him. Apparently, he managed to catch the same fish several times! Once we left, the kids were asleep before we even made it to the highway. They were totally worn out.

It was a good weekend. I am so blessed as a mother! I have the three most amazing, beautiful children in the world, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I really hope all the mommies out there had a spectacular Monkey/Money's Day!