Boy stuff

I've been receiving some pressure to post about what happened here while Reagan and I were away. I suggested maybe he should start his own blog but he hardly even dignified that suggestion with a response.
Tony took the whole week off which was so great for the boys. I thought that Tony would get lots done around the house, you know, tackle that honey-do list, but he had other plans. And school was definitely not on the agenda. Castle Fun Park, the comic book store, the bulk candy aisle, to name a few. But the biggest and bravest undertaking in my opinion was the two night camping trip to Hicks Lake. From the details that have been shared with me I can tell you I am very glad I missed it. It was a very boy-ish, for lack of a better word, trip. It rained the first night so I know at that point I would have packed it in and headed straight for home but not my boys. The hung around the fire, chopped wood, ate lots of candy, and hiked around the lake. I was told that Tag didn't take a liking to the whole camping thing after the first day but I would wager that maybe it was because nobody packed him a sweatshirt. (Sorry Tone - I couldn't leave that out). For all the 'Dad' moments as I like to call them they definitely created some memories that could never be replaced.
But here are a few of my favorite quotes of the week that I heard either through phone calls to me in Palm Springs or when I got back.

- "Again??!!??" from the boys when Tony told them they were going to MacDonald's to eat.

- "It would have been fine if they would have packed warmer clothes" when I asked Tony on the phone whether or not they were freezing at the lake. They really have to learn some independence when they hang out with Dad. After all, Tag is almost Five.

- Tony: "The school called and left a couple messages asking where the boys were".

Me: "Did you call back?"

Tony: "Nope"

(Thanks - that makes it great for me when I have to go back there and face all the teachers)

Dad's have a very different way of doing things but I think it's good for us Mom's to realize that different is okay. The kids were fine, actually much better than fine, even if did wear the same clothes for three days straight.

Here's the photos:

My new green dryer

This is what happens when you leave your husband at home for a week and he realizes how much the dryer runs for a family of six. (yup, he did laundry)

I'm back.

After a week of relaxing in the sun with my sweet girl I'm back into real life at home. Even though I missed my four boys and was happy to see them, the days in Palm Springs flew by. Reagan and I spent the week there with my brother and sister-in-law and their sweet little granddaughter Evie. I read a lot, laid out by the pool a lot, watched Reagan swim a lot, and ate a lot of good food, courtesy of my bro who definitely knows his way around a kitchen. We even made it to Disney for a day.

A huge thank-you to them for having us and a even bigger thank you to all my lovely boys who let their two girls go. They had their own fun though; more about that tomorrow.

Here are some photos of our week:

These two got along so well.

Our hosts. (at the zoo - so hot - 106*F - yikes)

Lots of this

The bedroom i shared with this little lovely for the week

Love this shot (waiting in line at Disney)

The first five minutes in the park - she was so excited.

And to prove that I was actually there: the only photo with me in it. I'm really hoping that my brother's camera will have a few more.
And this shot is for my biggest bro (a self proclaimed Bird Nerd). This is the only bird photo I've ever taken - not bad eh!

A well deserved break

After a couple of hours of grocery shopping and other errands this is just what Tag and I needed. A sunny step to rest on, a stack full of books to read, and a venti black tea lemonade to share. Our sunny weather favorite and our first of the season. Lovely.

Family and chocolate

Lots of family and chocolate this weekend. Sounds pretty near perfect doesn't it? And it would have been too, if it weren't for the very stiff neck I woke up to on Friday morning. It stayed all weekend and gradually worked it's way down my back so by the time our last guests left on Sunday afternoon I planted myself on the couch and pretty much stayed there for the rest of the day. But even then we enjoyed ourselves. We found that Willi Wonka's Chocolate Factory (the 1971 Gene Wilder one) was on TV so we all planted ourselves with our Easter chocolates and ended the weekend in a sea of foil wrappers.

Here are the highlights:

Baskets lined up and ready for the egg hunt on Saturday.

I dragged them all up to the top of the playhouse to get a group shot 'cause I wanted the cherry tree in the background. They cooperated...ahem...sort of. (missing:Jake-golfing)

Tony took the camera for a while. Thought I might get a shot of me with the kids but he was more interested in his plants this time. I think I actually saw him shoo away one of the kids with their basket of brightly colored eggs because they were in the way of his 'plant shot'. To his credit, this is a nice shot.

On to Sunday and the Braun gathering.Twenty four people at our place for brunch. A little squishy but we made room for all, from youngest to oldest. (Tag, Evie and Oma)

Happy Easter

Lots of crafting this week. Really feeling in the mood.

First off this little springy shadow box for Reagan's room.

Then this, to finally change out the Christmas one hanging in the bathroom.

Then today of course, egg decorating. The ones at the top of the post are my pretty creation, with the kids help. And then I spread the table with newspaper, set out all the little bowls of dye, layed out a few ground rules and let them at it. If one orange egg is good, three must be better. So pretty.

Grass

I have been noticing the pots of grass in the home decor stores and magazines for some time now and I am always attracted to them. Their springy fresh look. The perfect grass green sure to brighten up a room. But, who pays $40 for fake grass in a plastic pot? Not I, that's for sure. So if fake grass is good, real grass must surely be better. Don't you agree?

So now this little pot sits on my kitchen table and it makes me happy to look at it. So happy in fact, I now have grass seeds growing in three other containers around my house. Wheat grass to be exact, so if I become so inclined I could actually snip some off and add it to my morning smoothie. If I become so inclined...I don't actually see this happening...but I could.

So four little pots of bright green grass for under $10. That's got to make anybody who spent $40 on the fake stuff a little jealous, no?

Catching up

I've been wanting to post all about our sun-filled weekend since Monday. But the sun has continued to stick around so I have been busy outside enjoying it rather than sitting on my computer. A very good thing but of course now I have too much to say.

The weekend was filled with this:

Hours of Lego building (Cooper spent his birthday money)

A new bat and ball for Tag

Lots and lots of shooting hoops (and Hudson all of a sudden taking quite an interest on how he looks. Hence, the gel in his hair and the coordinated outfit)

Tony wandering around the yard admiring all his new shoots sprouting from the ground

Monday morning brought spring colds for both these two. But the sunshine was very healing and by the afternoon all was well.

Today, the clouds returned and allowed me to get caught up on some housecleaning and blogging. For all a purpose. Happy Wednesday.

Super Cooper

1. He turned eleven yesterday.

2. He spends a lot of his time in a place I like to call 'CooperLand' and we have to call him back to join the rest of us often.

3. He knows how to have a good time and has no trouble laughing at himself. I think it's one of his best qualities.

4. He still gives me a kiss and hug goodbye in the schoolyard even with his friends around.

5. He knows what he likes and he is very confident in his decisions. This is a quality I know will serve him well one day, but can make for a very big parenting challenge.

6. Has a great love for his brothers and sister and is really good at being responsible for them when I need him to.

7. Really wants to get good grades but doesn't think he should have to do the work to get him there. We are working on this one though.

8. If there are strawberries on the dessert table, he doesn't need anything else.

9. Every family needs a drama king/queen and he's definitely ours.

10. Whatever he happens to be in to at the time (ie. basketball, Lego, Lord of the Rings) it tends to be all consuming.

11. He adds a fantastic dynamic to our family.

Part two in a series of four.

FPOTM - March

Me surrounded by all the things I love the most.

Happy April!