It's Another Floor to Sweep, But I'm OK With It

In between bouts of rainy weather, Jay and I tackled another project around the house. Actually, this time it was a backyard project, and it was a ton of fun.

Here's the before:

(basically some useless space next to the deck)

And here's the after:

A treehouse, complete with slide! The kids are in heaven (and I kinda like it, too). There's nothing like laying in the treehouse, listening to the birds chirping, and staring up at this:

Jay designed and built the entire thing. I supervised. Actually, I helped quite a bit, mostly in the painting department, although I did have a few turns at the chop saw. (There is photographic proof, but I'll spare you.)

The kids are loving it! Now with outside toys, a trampoline, a hill, bikes, and a treehouse, they have no excuse to come inside on sunny days. Well, except to get a drink of water, and Jay took care of that, too:

He created homemade water fountain. He is one clever guy, I tell ya. When he told me he wanted to make a water fountain, I admit I was a little skeptical. But not only did he pull it off, he made it completely adorable. I think the kids aren't the only ones who will stay outdoors all summer!

Some more pictures, if you're so inclined:

Another Momentous Occasion

Dexter ...

... adores his sisters and will do anything to get their attention, which usually includes following them around, crying, begging them to go on the trampoline with him, or throwing toys at them if necessary.

... talks back a bit, but it's so cute that I have a hard time taking it seriously. I know, I know, it's a bad habit to get into. But when I'm telling him to do something and he yells with all the feeling he can muster, "Mom, you no bossing me!," it really is quite comical. Unless I'm in a rush to get the girls to school and he's refusing to put on his shoes, or some other typical drama, then it's not that comical at all.

... loves trains, Star Wars, riding his tricycle (or "scooter," as he calls it), and eating snacks. He also has a slight obsession with gum.

... always asks for "Papa come back," in his nightly prayers, and nearly fell off the dining room chair when we told him that Papa was indeed coming to visit in May. He was so excited that his prayers were being answered!

... is talkative, observant and very sweet. Oh, and he's a music lover. Jessie's Girl is his current favorite. (That's my boy!)

... is growing up.

Happy 3rd Birthday, buddy. We love you!

He was so excited for the cake, but mainly because he wanted the Thomas train that was riding the icing rails.

Opening a present from Nana. Can you sense a theme?

A train table! (Gotta love Craigslist!)

Pioneer Dresses Are Really Quite Versatile

A few weeks ago, Natalie needed to do a report and presentation on a historical figure for school. She chose Florence Nightengale.

What a cutie!

She already knew a little bit about The Lady With The Lamp because of a book we have, but she loved learning more. She did a fantastic job with her presentation (she has Jay's memorization skills), and was one of five kids asked to do their presentation for the Principal! Natalie was very excited.

The costume consisted of a Princess Leila dress, a Laura Ingalls apron and bonnet (turned backward), a homemade sash and ruffly cuffs, and of course, the all important lamp, which we found at Goodwill for 3 bucks.

I think I'm going to make the kids dress up like historical figures once a week, it's just so cute. What do you think? Cal as George Washington?

Easter, Spring, and All That Good Stuff

Happy April!

Now that Spring Break and Easter are over, it feels like the end of school and summer vacation are just around the corner! This year, like all others since my children have started school, seems to be flying by at record speed.

We stayed local during Spring Break, but had a great time going on hikes and having picnics, and taking a short trip to the Jelly Belly Factory. (Free candy, baby!) Easter and General Conference were also wonderful, and then Monday brought us back to the reality of school and schedules and homework.

But because I don't want to think about all that right now, I will reminisce about our backyard Easter egg hunt instead.

Wait, before we get to the egg hunt, here are the kids with some of their loot. (Hooray, Dollar Store!)

Cal was still sleeping when the baskets were opened, but once he woke up, he was more than a little excited to find a new jump rope. The boy loves cords, jump ropes, and basically anything he can trail along behind him. It's a very strange obsession, but hey, what can you do? Better than Dexter refusing to try on anything but girl's sandals at Target. But I digress.

Ok, now onto the hunt!

After the first round of hunting was done, we discovered they had all found the exact same number of eggs. (And Jay and I barely interfered, I promise!)

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Dexter eventually agreed to buy boy's sandals. He looks like a little man in this outfit ... it kills me.

The end!