Picnic and a playdate

 The moms group had a picnic playdate at the Grove this week.  We started early, and stayed in the shade, but it was still hot!  We arrived about 10, but for whatever reason, both boys seemed like they hadn't eaten all day!  C checked out what was in our bag, and then started going to other people to see what they had!  H kept looking in Henry's picnic bag too!  Hungry boys!  

H and Henry, and Diana too!

Daddy came to visit us!  He took a break from dissertation research to see us.  The boys were happy to see him, and me too!

The boys started getting antsy, so Daddy took them on a search for the perfect climbing tree!  C thought it was fun!  (He has a little strawberry juice on his cheek/chin)

Two monkeys in a tree!  

H kept telling all of the college kids passing by "Look!  I'm in the tree!"

I took C to do a little climbing of his own, he giggled when I put him in the bench.  

Cute boys, hot day! 

Summer Sunset Series

 In the summer at Ole Miss, they have a Summer Sunset Series in the evenings, once a week.  Bring a chair, blanket, snacks, and enjoy the music!  While my parents were here last week, N and I went on a date, and then went by and had a great time ourselves, but we saw so many little guys, and though H and C would have a great time too!  H stayed with us for a little while, and enjoyed having his own seat with his own cupholder!!

C hung out in his stroller for a little while.  Apparently a car makes a good pacifier???  He had his paci with him.  Who knows!  

H eventually felt brave enough to go "run with kids."  He went to the area in front of the stage where all of the kids were running wild, and slowly made his way to the group.  We knew he felt comfortable when he took his shoes off!!  He loved the lady with the bubbles!

His buddy Payton was there too, and he came to play cars with us for a little while.  Those boys were sweaty!  They had also found a cute little girl that they had their eyes on...boys will be boys, I guess!

H made his way on stage.  I had a feeling it would happen at some point.  At least it was during the intermission!  Daddy ran to escort him from the stage.

Me and my snuggle bug!  At least we only have to worry about one boy getting on the stage at this point, but I'm sure little brother won't be too far behind!

Pop and SweetHart, part 3

 Pop and SweetHart came back to spend the day with us before they headed back to the airport.  We were very glad to see them again!  The first time they came to see us, I had told H that they would come when it was dark, so all day he kept asking me if it was dark yet.  When they went to Louisiana, I told him they would come back on Thursday, so he kept asking if it was Thursday yet!  So, finally, it was Thursday and they came back to see us!

 

 A couple of little boys (and their mama) were very happy to see them!

 H couldn't resist finding another bug and a frog or two to show SweetHart.  SweetHart was showing H how the beetle could hold on upside down. 

(For a few days after they left, any time H would catch something or discover something outside, he would start calling "Sweet..." He wanted to share each discovery with her!)

Buddies!  C looks happy, doesn't he?

 

After a good lunch and some good playing, SweetHart put C down for his nap.

Pop and H did some big boy things!  Airplanes!  They put together a little wooden airplane.

( I think it is cute how H is resting his head on Pop's knee.  Building an airplane can be so taxing...)

 

 Hold it right here

  Blast off!  I think H needs to be a little taller to be successful with the airplane.  Somehow the plane ended up in the woods, but Pop rescued it!  They had a good time doing guy stuff!

H and SweetHart did a little coloring and stamping while C was still asleep.  We had some fun creations, some stamp prints, finger prints, and I think there was even an elbow print that happened!  A lot of hand tracing too.  

Whew!  airplanes! stamps! This boy (and his SweetHart) needed a minute or two of quiet!

 After nap time, we did a little snake wrestling... I think the snake may have won the battle!  The boys sure thought it was funny!

We love you and miss you!  Come back soon!

Water fun day

Pop and SweetHart went to Louisiana to visit Nanny for a couple of days, and H's buddy, Payton, had a water fun day at his house for the Moms Group.   We started early since it has been so hot lately, and the boys had a great time! 

C didn't do any swimming, but he did enjoy the day.  He found a couple of little cars to carry around and did a little mowing too!

 H swam a little, but also enjoyed some of the other activities - the slide, the horse, finding beetles to show everyone....

So many boys!  I think there was only one girl there, but they all had a great time.

Pop and SweetHart, outdoor edition

We have frogs (and june bugs, and daddy spiders (daddy long legs) and flashlight bugs (lightning bugs) and wasps, and big ants) at the new house, and H has gotten very good at catching them!  SweetHart, being a nature advocate was just the perfect person to help encourage H with his findings.  

C isn't into catching them yet, although I did find him with some sort of bug in his mouth one time...

C jumped everytime H put the frog close to him.

 Looking for frogs and doing a little sidewalk chalk

Putting some fun capture in the bug box... We have learned to only keep them in the box for a few minutes.  One time we forgot and H said that the bug "ran out of batteries..." 

C and Pop were having a great time on the swing on the front porch.  That boy loves his Pop!  

Pop and SweetHart, Part 1

Pop and SweetHart came to help us out while we moved last week.  And what a help it was!!!  We just moved down the street, and had a little bit of overlap time, which all helped a lot, but it was a move nonetheless, and there was still a lot of work left to do!  They came and watched the boys while we packed, moved, or cleaned.  They did some packing, moving and cleaning themselves, but we also managed to get a little bit of visiting in too!  

On the day that we did the big move (getting all of the big furniture out), SweetHart and I took the boys to a local cafe for a little treat, and to get out of the way of the men!

C loves us all, but I think he loves Pop most!  Whenever Pop would come in, he would even walk right past me and want Pop to pick him up!  

H watching a show with Pop.  

 

Pop and SweetHart had their work cut out for them keeping track of the wild boys while we did a little unpacking.  

Supper time!  Our space is a little bit more limited at the new house, so we opted to eat at the bar in favor of a little more floor/play space.  It is just fine until C tries to eat from our plates!

H enjoyed watching through the windows in the morning for Pop and SweetHart to come.

Story time with SweetHart.  

We put the boys to work cleaning up!  

We had to watch to make sure they didn't hurt each other or break anything, but they had a good time "cleaning."

Pop fixed/repaired/etc so many things around the house.  So thankful for his hard work!  Both boys were very interested in what he was doing at all times.  I'm thankful he was patient, too!

Because of their help, we were pretty much totally settled in by the time they left!  Thanks Pop and SweetHart!  Plan on coming next summer when we move again!!!!!

I think we're back

Well, we moved last week.  My parents came into town to help us move things, wrangle boys, and get set up in our new house (that is just down the street from the old one).  So, now that we have been in the new house just over a week, and are pretty much settled in, I think we might be back and returning to normal life.  C has an ear infection, so he has required a little extra TLC, too.  H was sick the last time we moved, is it a requirement that a child gets sick during a move?  Anyhow, we will be getting back to our regularly scheduled blogging, and I will catch up on the pictures from the last week or so, but for now, here are a few pictures from a Sunday afternoon wrestling match!

Who won?

Rainy Day

It has been pretty rainy here lately, and this morning was no exception!  The Moms group had an activity set up at a local church, and it was such a nice morning, and a good chance for the little ones to get to play even though it was rainy!  There were plenty of toys for them to play with.  They read a gardening story to the kids, and then they got to decorate their own pots and plant a flower in it!  H's flower pot has a monkey, lion, a couple of stars, and about seven elephants.  I guess he was feeling very big this morning.  

C is sort of transitioning out of his morning naps now.  So the mornings can be a little tough for him.  While big brother was decorating his pot, C found his cup in my purse and took a little rest against someones comfy red backpack.  Pitiful boy!

All of the little artists and their helpers.

We finished it off with watermelon and juice boxes.  What a great morning! 

Juice with his buddies Joseph and Evie/Virginia (one of the twins, I can't tell which!)

National Outdoor Day

Yesterday, in celebration of National Outdoor Day, we went to Lamar Park where there were all sorts of activities set up for kids of all ages!

 

H was able to enjoy another Art to Go activity - making an art transfer.  One of our little neighbors, Gabriella was there coloring with him.  Miss Andi, the lady in the peach shirt has so much energy, H always gets a little quiet around her.  

We made our way over to Lake Patsy where they had a station set up for kids to make their own bamboo fishing poles.  All of the parents were a little nervous in this area with so many little ones with long poles and many with hooks!  There was a lot of ducking and dodging going on!  We made H's little and without a hook.  Daddy borrowed a huge one tried to catch a fish, but I think there were too many people fishing that all the fish were hiding.  C so wanted to fish too!!!!

 

C was plotting his tactics to get down to the water to fish...

 (He wouldn't keep his hat on.)

H's buddy, Harper (H says it "Hopper"), joined him to fish for a little while.  They were having a very deep conversation about hats and fishing.  

Getting a clover painted on his hand.  He is normally very against/scared of face painting, so I was a little surprised he would want to get anything painted.  Maybe next time he'll actually get his cheek painted. 

Last stop of the morning - a little respit in a hammock.  If I wasn't wearing C, I think I would have sat in it too!

A good day outdoors!