Happy Birthday Grandpa Don

We celebrated his 70th birthday last night at the Sunshine Factory in New Hope. It was lots of fun and so nice to be together.
We'll be doing it again in a couple of weeks for Grandma Kay's 70th birthday

Oh what a beautiful morning . . . .

Oh what a beautiful day . . . (name that movie???)
Dan had baseball games this morning and was out the door early. I decided that I would take Emily and Louie to "the farm" (aka: Gerten's). They call it the farm because there's lots of tractors running everywhere and the first time we went there that they remember, there was a farm animal petting zoo. We filled out cart with flowers and herbs and then headed out to the shrubs to let the kids run!
There is a beautiful display out there that has a path, bridges and a Japanese Coi pond. Emily was talking to the "coi keeper" about the fish and how big they are. (this was after the coi keeper hollered at her brother for throwing rocks into the pond. )
When we got home and were busy working out in the backyard, this little man made an announcement "Mom, I want to wear big boy pants and sit on the potty today!"
Here we go again! We have been anxiously awaiting for him to show interest in using the potty. I guess him seeing his new train bed out in the garage has finally sunk in. We've been telling him that he gets his big boy train bed when he goes to the bathroom on the potty.

So, we went inside and put on some big boy underwear and sunscreen to protect his fair skinned legs.

We were outside for about a half hour and he said "Mommy, I have to pee!" and when I looked over at him, this is what I saw:

So, then I explained to him that the feeling that he had, when he hollered to me that he had to pee . . . that's what it feels like to have to go potty. He's a smart little kid, he said "Ok mom, I'll tell you when I have to pee again."

About an hour later, when I asked if he had to go potty, this is what I saw:

He was trying to pee right there in the middle of the yard.

What a great day! we've made progress in the right direction. Maybe this last package of diapers really will be our last pack! Yippee!

After dinner, they enjoyed ice cream sandwiches that I bought from the ice cream truck when it went by earlier (wink wink).

And let me just say, this chick is the absolute messiest eater of anyone I have come across in my life. She can make the smallest ice cream sandwich into the biggest mess ever!

The kids had lunch at the kiddie table outside before Emily went to school. Pigs in a blanket and grapes. Yummy!

Here's Emily, waiting for her school bus. She was very excited to go to school today.
After Emmy left for school, Louie was outside helping Grandpa Don and Dan build our raised vegetable beds. I'm really looking forward to have three times that garden space this year.
We've got lots of plants that we started as seeds to get in the ground this weekend.
Louie was so busy helping drill the holes. Grandpa Don was showing him how to put in the screws with the big power screw driver.
We've got one raised bed over where our garden was last year, two more were built along the garage.

Grandpa Don was showing Louie what a level is for.

and the correct way to use it.

And then, after everything was done and cleaned up, our load of 50/50 soil and organic mulch (aka: manure) was delivered, along with some western red cedar mulch for the front flower garden.

I can't wait until tomorrow afternoon, everything will be in the ground and happy!

Then, it's off to Lowe's to get soaker hoses. They are the only store that sells 10 foot soaker hoses???

This is what Louie's crib looks like everynight. I can never figure out how he can sleep in there comfortably.

The other night, we were playing out in back. Some cute pictures.

Some advice to the photographer . . .

I was reading the post on the Pioneer Woman's website today in her photography section.
I read the Pioneer Woman daily. The photography section has some great tips for camera operation, photo composition and Photoshop tips and tricks. The confessions section, chronicles some of the most entertaining writing I've read in a while. The "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" story is a must read. The cooking section, some of the most wonderful recipes that I've ever made . . . . (grandma Iny's Prune Cake, Orange Marmalade Rolls, the 1980's Bacon Appetizer, Migos, the list goes on). I read the home and garden occasionally and periodically check in on homeschooling, just out of curiousity.
Today, the photography section has some wonderful advice to all you photographers that are always taking pictures of your kids.
Read it, live it!

Last year for Mother's Day, I had some pictures of me and the kids taken down at Olivia's studio. I loved the photos from that day. She made me a little 8x10 mom print that is so cute!
I love, treasure it, and need to order just a print of the photos on it. Add that to my to do list.

I meant to get a picture of me and my kiddos on Mother's Day this year, but forgot. Add that to my to do list . . .

Mudder's Day, part 2

We had brunch at my mom's house for Mother's Day yesterday. My sister brought this lovely "Edible Arrangement." Cute and delicious.
Emily and I made some cinnamon rolls that were out of this world! The recipe made 7 pans! We made half of the dough into cinnamon rolls and the other half into orange marmalade rolls with an orange glaze. So delicious!

After brunch, Uncle Joe, Patrick and Katie showed up. Emily and Louie LOVE playing with Katie.

Emily found the little tape player down in Grandma's basement and she hopped up on the living room table and was doing all the stuff that the songs were saying (the Hokey Pokey, Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes, etc.) It was really cute.

She has such a cute smile!

Lately, this is where you can find Louie's finger. Hopefully, this nose picking phase will pass. It's getting old and it's really disgusting.

Happy Mudder's Day!

That's what Emily told me when she sauntered out of her room yesterday morning. Such a sweet girl!

This is what Emily made me at school, isn't it cute? her class takes a field trip on the Metro Transit bus down to Leitner's and they get pots, dirt, seeds, etc. and plant the seeds and then give it to the mom's for mother's day.

Such a sweet idea. She was so proud of her present.

"You've got a friend in me"

We're CRAZY about "Toy Story" at our house! It's a phenomenon that's been evolving for quite a while. Last week, Louie went to our friend's house to play and Isak loaned him one of his Woody dolls.
I figured that we needed a Buzz Lightyear too. Ebay is an amazing thing, I found a Buzz and a Woody.
Emily got the new Woody and she LOVES him.

This is the Buzz that Isak loaned to to Louie. He's been the object of both of our kids affection.

Our new buzz arrived yesterday, we went to swimming lessons and then came home to have Louie puke like a firehose all over him. Poor kid.

So, Buzz has been in our house for less than 24 hours and he's already been through the wash.

We're all feeling better now! Louie woke up this morning and yelled "Mom, I'm awake! I feel better." and he does feel better!

Charlie turned 16 on May 1. We were invited over to Tapio's on Sunday afternoon to celebrate with him! We wish him the best!

Cinco de Mayo

Emily, Louie and I went to Cinco de Mayo over in West St. Paul with Auntie Tesa, Maria, Bella and Lorenzo. We also met Missy and GenGen. Uncle Paul was playing in the softball tournament over there too. It was lots of fun and there were tons of people there.
This falls into the catagory of "World's Dumbest Purchase a Mom Made!" Louie spotted kids along Concord blowing these trumpets. I wasn't paying attention to them to know that they are quite possibly the most annoying thing EVER! Tesa bought one for Maria and Bella too!
As all the kids were blowing their trumpets, I had a flashback to "Sixteen Candles" when the Geeks are driving around in the car playing the kazoos, there's kazoos playing in harmony. That's what the trumpets in stereo reminded me of.

Emily loved the trumpet too.
So did Maria and Bella.

Bella reminds me of the saxophone player in the Muppets with her hair under the sunglasses like this. She wore them like this all day.
Then, Lorenzo wanted in on the trumpet action.
Because all the girls were distracted by the tent in the kids area that offered fingernail painting.

Maria picked bright blue.
Emily wasn't sure about the whole operation, but in the end she decided to go for bright pink. Notice that the people doing the nails are boys.


And then Louie realized that Emily was getting hers done and he HAD to have his painted as well. Yep, we'll be filing this one away with the shot of him in the pink Dora boots from last summer.
And after the fingernail painting, we got a Jolly Rancher Watermelon flavored snowcone, which promptly turned Louie's lips and mouth bright red. Looked like lipstick.

He really liked the snowcone.

On the way back to the car, we had to spend the rest of our tickets so we got some mini-doughnuts. They were so good!
We got home, took naps and then ordered a pizza for dinner. Lots of healthy food eaten at our house today!

Tomorrow, we're celebrating Charlie's 16th Birthday over at Auntie M's house. I am inspired by the delicious dinner we had over at Lynchs house last night. Mary made homemade refried beans (YUMMY!!!) and made bean and cheese enchiladas. So delicious! Anyhow, I'm going to also make some homemade refried beans and so fresh guacamole and chips to bring over there. Lunds has RIPE avacadoes on sale, 10 for $10! What a deal if you like to make guacamole and we LOVE it!