Summer...

"Hi Geese, I driva da geen dome."
(Hi geese, I am driving the blue car) [sitting on dad's lap driving from the pool back to grandma's house]

"Booty no-no"
(Naked booty) [usually followed by a naked booty dance before and after a bath, or during a diaper change]

"Booty Gumbo"
(Booty Gumbo) [it doesn't mean anything, he just learned to say booty and gumbo in the same day, and we think it's funny to put them together]

"I Boot Boy"
(I am Boot Boy) [then he tromps around proudly wearing his boots]

Being two must be so much fun...we're sure having fun watching him be two.

Every day should be like this.

Kids view of the world...

Luke
I call this Budding Photographic Genius: The Series




Laurel
This is more if an instrospection on the life of a four year old





And these are just pictures of my beautiful and somewhat crazy children.

I only remembered to take out the camera on Easter morning...we did dye eggs and hunt them and all that sort of thing...I just don't have photographic proof. But here is Easter morning, which we did on Saturday since Jon was working. I'm pretty proud of myself, I reused the easter baskets I made last year (whale and pig) and spent a whopping $3.50 per child on Easter goodies. I love this age! They expect only to be surprised and have no care about the cost involved. Laurel's biggest surprise was the cotton candy, which she's never had but has wanted to try since she saw Aquamarine. Luke on the other hand loved his little motorcycles, and of course the chocolate. This kid could eat as much chocolate as you give him...he would never stop.

Easter Morning Pictures...

My little stinkers.

Sunday we spent the afternoon at the new house. At first we thought we'd picnic and fly kites, but it was a little chilly. Then I had another idea...last week I started to walk the property line in the woods. We hadn't really ever done this, and didn't know how far we owned into the woods. Last week I realized we must own more than we'd realized, so this week I thought we'd turn it into an adventure. So, the kids put on their boots and we snuck through a broken part in the fence and began to explore. It wasn't long before Laurel was caught in some thorns. So I pulled her hair out of the thorns, pulled a single thorn out of her hand...and we moved on. (there were better ways to go, but she wanted to cross the bridge) So I lead, and moved thorns and we made our way across a little bridge over a "seasonal spring." (yes that means drainage ditch) But pretty nonetheless. We made our way past what we thought was a deer stand, but I think is actually an old run down treehouse...now our imagination is starting to run away with us! We kept going and going through the woods, down the fence line and to the creek. The kids and I stopped at a perfect spot in the creek to play. There is a place where the creek bends, and the kids can walk around on the rocks. The water rushes down some rock outcroppings and makes it sound like rapids. Back here you hear the water, the birds, and not much else. The kids threw rocks in the water for quite a while while I took pictures. Jon kept walking the far end of the property line...and found some new dog-friends. (the neighbors to the back that own a farm set the dogs on him) They weren't dangerous, but they were persitant. Good to know...when we get chickens we'll at least have the neighbors dog to scare off predators.


We also finally pried off the brick facade of the fireplace to figure out why they'd built such a horrible facade over a masonry fireplace. Whoa nelly...it is the worst made fireplace EVER. Not sure whether we'll knock her down or put the facade back up yet. We also tore down some dry wall...that was fun...even Luke got in on the action. It turns out we don't have to worry about asbestos. Why you ask? There is no insulation in the house. Yep, that's what I said. None. Zero. Zip. Not that it matters, since we would have reinsulated the whole house anyway (saves us from throwing away the nasty old insulation). But can you imagine how cold and hot that house must have been over the years!!