Butterflies

Catching Butterflies

Leo obviously gets his patience from Daddy. He's been outside 1/2 the morning and he finally caught a butterfly! Then he said Lorelei can have it for her birthday.

*We did let the butterfly go, after they said their goodbyes.

There was a little time to play Pirates too!

Super Hero's, Bad Guy or a Princess

Made by Nana

These two kiddos we're running around flying through Nana's house.  I also learned that the 'Fun Size' candy bars actually "Make me fly faster!"

Watering Memorial Flowers

Watering the Flowers

We've been stopping by the memorial to water the flowers because it's been so hot and dry this week.  

The kids have so many questions and comments about Grandpa: 

"Are we standing on him" 

"Where did he die?" 

"Was he sick?"

"Maybe he was just passed out"

"How did they know that he didn't just pass out?"

So I did my best to answer all their questions, and then Leo throws out his real concern about dying... "Mom, who is going to feed me in Heaven?"

We added a flag to the flower bed, and then the next time we came back we bought Grandpa a pinwheel, oh and the kids got one too!  We watered the flowers and then the kids watered any real flowers/pots in the surrounding memorial markers.  They are really sweet kids.  

Later that week, we stopped in again, and the kids wondered why to which I said that Dad  hadn't been there in awhile.  So Leo says, "Dad, he's dead."

Oh my gosh, I don't think I laughed so hard... as if he may not have known.  You gotta love kids!

Graduation Day

Lulu's Graduation Day

I can't believe an entire school year is over for my little girl.  Today she graduated from Preschool.  We gathered to watch them sing songs, and walk the stage for their certificates.  It was so cute.

Later we went out for DQ to celebrate, but that is not where she wanted to go so she was just a bit disappointed... but she enjoyed her ice cream just the same.

Easter 2014

Easter Service at St. Raphael's

We went to see Grandma and family in the Twin Cities for Easter.  We went to the beautiful St. Raphael Catholic church for Easter service. 

St. Raphael's Catholic Church

Shortly after services started, seconds I am sure, Leo started  'log rolling' down this aisle as many parishioners were onlooking some with smiles and the others... well you know the disapproving looks a Mother who can't control her child gets.

Leo

So I took him outside to burn off some energy.  Where he proceeded to roll around in the grass, and throw landscape rocks (against my directions), and look into the flood lights around the 10 Commandments thinking it was a telescope.  

Thank goodness Lulu was an angel! 

Coloring Easter Eggs at Grandma's

Staying in a hotel for holidays is less than ideal especial when young children are expecting Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny and some traditional type activities that cannot happen easily in a small room.  So I planned an GLOW-IN-THE-DARK Egg hunt the evening before Easter.  As you could guess it was a big hit and nearly impossible to get the kids to bed after that!

Glow-in-the-Dark Egg Hunt

Leo & Lulu

My Cupcakes

Lulu and I made Funfetti cupcakes after dinner (see them cooking in the oven) while The Big Cheese* was in the living room watching Leo. I stepped away to spray out the cloth diapers in the bathroom, leaving the opened the frosting container on the counter next to Lulu's step stool with her butter knife in it so she could frost them when I was finished.

Leo left the living room, and it was assumed he was looking for me the house was quiet. However, what he found was Leo alone in the kitchen eating frosting from the container.

Lulu enjoyed making and eating cupcakes & frosting too. She's so funny, I am so tired I can't think of one thing she has said today, but it's generally a stitch.

Preparing the Garden

We had our usual Saturday Pancake breakfast with Nana, then I was able to get in a 4.5 mile run in without any kids. Both kids wore their newest overalls from Grandma Betty.

Lulu and dad worked on getting the mower running so that I could start preparing the garden. They took a few breaks for a little bit of water.

Here is the garden as of yesterday afternoon. I pulled up all the black paper, and The Gardener* ran the tiller down one row before the weld on the handles of the tiller broke. We need a little post work done, and of course some more tilling...but we are well underway and Nana has offered to co-garden with us.

Lulu & Leo spent the entire beautiful Saturday outside all day, with the exception of a nap. They spent it sitting on the mower steering.

New chicks! We have only gotten 7 new chicks this year, in 2 batches. They are well and thriving.

Easter at Grandma Betty's

Coloring Easter Eggs, Easter Day at the Park & In the Backyard (all pictures in random order).

NOTE: Some picutes taken by Lulu (her first pictures).