Memorial Weekend

We had a very busy weekend. We planted Black Eyed Susans, Gerber Daisies, Petunias, and a new Coral Bell to replace the butterfly bushes the rabbits ate, and to fill our planters on the front porch with new annuals. We also planted marigolds in really cute pots for the kid's teachers. We went to the farm on Sunday and had a big family picnic on Monday. We had tons of food and spent the entire day outside. The weather was pretty warm but there was a nice breeze. The younger kids got in the baby pool and sprinkler, but they did say the water was cold. We had a long black visitor as well, but my brother-in-law jumped in and saved the day, causing loud screams from the little kids (and some bigger kids too)!

Now it's back to the weekly routine. The kids have this last week with their current preschool teachers and then they transition. Peyton is a little worried about the change, but I'm sure she'll adjust quickly. Liam is oblivious, which is probably for the best! We have the annual preschool graduation/ transition program this week, strawberry picking, a wedding, and our 11th anniversary to celebrate too! Plus we have to start getting ready for our camping trip. It's going to be interesting camping with two small children. I'm going to need to start making a list now so I won't forget anything major, like diapers! Laundry beckons....I need to get off the computer!

Michael's Arts and Crafts Store

I LOVE going to Michael's except I have one little problem. I get interested in something new and want to know how it works and what I can make using new things. We took the kids earlier this week and spent almost an hour just browsing the racks and buying a few supplies for a craft that I'm working on (it involves dried flowers and modge podge). I walked through aisles of beads and jewelry making supplies, scrapbook and stamping things, paints, candle making supplies, etc. I just want to make stuff, but I really can't afford to get roped into another big hobby. I already spent a lot of time and energy on scrapbooking and photography stuff.

I completed my high school scrapbook this week...woo hoo! I also took a lot of random pictures of the kids and scrapped them into an album that Janice got me for Christmas two years ago. Now I need to go buy a bunch of supplies so I can get started on my 2008 album. Creative Memories has changed the sizing of their albums and pages, so I need to get the new ones so I can get started on '08.

I'm glad that I'm passing on a love of creativity to our kids. They love to color and paint and play with stickers. As they grow it will be fun to do more advanced crafts with them, things that require more than 5 minutes of attention!

Here's a picture that I posted a week or so ago. I played with it a bit in Photoshop and I love how it turned out. I love the nostalgic look of it. I also just think it's a really sweet picture of my babies!

Big Boy Haircut

Liam's hair was getting a little shaggy and I trimmed it myself, but it was a real hatchet job. I just need to leave it alone and let the pros do it because it's either uneven or looks like a bowl cut! Today we went to a place called the Hair Corral for his first real cut. I'm not sure why but that name makes me chuckle a little. The Hair Corral has several sections, a beauty salon, a barbershop, and a nail salon, plus a shop where you can buy shampoos, etc. We went into the barbershop and it's a long room with about 14 barber's chairs and a bunch of chairs along the wall. Oh, and a bunch of dead stuffed animals on the walls. We saw a goose, a fox, and a deer, just to name a few! You basically sit and wait near the barber you want and when they're ready, they'll take you. This sweet woman, Carla, cut Liam's hair. She had him sit in my lap while she did the trim. He sat completely still, which is so unlike my boy. So now my baby looks like a little boy. I can't get over how different he looks with just a little trim.

And not to be upstaged by her brother, here's the way Peyton styled her own hair this morning:

(I didn't let her wear all of these bows and clips out of the door. I made her pick two because I always end up having to carry them for her.)

Book Festival

We really enjoyed the local PBS station's book festival this weekend. Peyton has looked forward to this "festibal" since we attended last year. The kids each got two free books and we all enjoyed great live entertainment. Liam LOVED the music and sat for a long time listening to these two guys play guitar. He provided accompaniment with the shakers. I swear they sang "This Land is Your Land" about 50 times before moving on to "If I Had A Hammer." Then Liam went to listen to the Turner Ashby High School Jazz Band and Mr. Mike's Drummers. Peyton loved all the costumed characters and was sure to track down the Chick-fil-A cow! It was fairly chilly on Saturday and the wind made it feel almost cold at times. We had a picnic on the balcony of Mark's office and sat shivering while we were eating, but we still enjoyed the day. We had to stop by and see Duke Dog too. He's a major attraction for the kids whenever we're on campus.

Well, I am off on a trip down Memory Lane! I'm working on my high school scrapbook and I've finished sorting the memorabilia and pictures and I'm ready to start putting things on the scrapbook pages. I have enjoyed laughing at my various hairdos and prom/ Homecoming dresses. I'm so glad that the fashions and trends have changed. I can't imagine having to maintain a perm and crazy bangs like I had in high school. I'm sure Peyton will get a kick out of seeing these pictures. She loves the ones of her dad with a mullet!

Blackberry Cobbler

Oh yum yum yum! This was a very easy and delicious treat that I made last night to surprise Mark when he got home from a conference. The kids were asleep so we got to enjoy some without having to share! It was good today too. I think I'll make this for our Memorial Day picnic at the family farm. I might change it up and do blueberries instead, but the blackberries were really good.

We have had a lot of rain lately and it has been a little chilly, more spring-like, but after enjoying 80 degree days, it's hard to go back to low 60's! I'm hoping for some warm sunshine tomorrow because we'll be attending a book festival at JMU. Right now the trees are really blowing in the wind and the sky is fairly dark, so I'm sure we'll have rain before the afternoon is done. Liam crashed and is asleep now and Peyton is singing quietly to herself in her bed. I'm scrapbooking at church tonight...YAY...and so I just finished packing up all my gear. I have got to take less pictures this year. I have already completed two albums for 2007 and I'm still not done with December. I'll have to include that month in with my 2008 album(s). We just do so many activities and I take so many pictures. I have tried to weed them out, but I still end up with enough to fill multiple albums. The Creative Memories albums can only hold so many pages, so I'll have to cut back! I think after I complete the 2007 pics I'll work on my high school album. I have finished one for my JMU years and one for my wedding, but haven't gotten around to high school. The sad thing is that I don't remember most of the people in the pics, so it will be an interesting book when completed. I'll probably have a lot of the concert programs and band pics and my soccer team pics and be done with it. High school was 15 years ago this June...yikes! Now I feel old.

Such a cute craft

I got the idea for this craft from a website called The Crafty Crowthat has fantastic ideas for crafts and projects. This particular craft came from a website called Glittergoods. I made them today to stock my diaper bag and purse so that I'll always have paper for my kids. I have loads of crayons in my diaper bag thanks to local restaurants, and I always have at least two pens in my purse, but I never have paper. Now I can pull these out in church or when the kids need to be occupied and they have their own little journals. I may have to try to do a larger format one for myself.

Cool Leaf in our yard

Peyton and I were outside last week when she noticed this leaf growing up under a shrub/ tree thing near our garage. How cool that it is heart-shaped!

JMU Arboretum

My mom and I took the kid to the arboretum last week to see the turtles (Liam's favorite) and the baby ducks. We tried hard to get a really cute picture of both kids on the bench, but didn't get any that were great of both of them. Liam would have a sour face or Peyton wouldn't be looking at the camera...I swear it is like pulling teeth to get a good picture! I do love the one of both kids on the bridge. Liam took off running and Peyton followed him for a change. They love being outdoors and it is so nice to have great green spaces close by for them to play!

I really miss the warm weather. Spring came and it was so warm and lovely and for the past 4 or 5 days it has been raining and chilly. I'm ready to see the sun again! Don't get me wrong, I know we need all the rain we can get, but after a few days I start to feel down and the kids get wild! Hopefully the weather will turn soon and we can get over our cabin fever!

Mother's Day gift

(Poster was my gift from Peyton - sorry about the bad picture)

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms! I had a very nice day with my family. Mark got up early and made a fantastic breakfast for me, a complete surprise. There were flowers on the table and quiche, scones, fruit, and berry parfaits for dessert. You have to love a breakfast that ends in dessert. Liam was running a minor temperature so he and Mark stayed home and I took Peyton to church. The sermon was awesome. Our pastor talked about the things his mother taught him about Jesus. It reminded me that my biggest assignment as a mom to Peyton and Liam is to teach them to love Jesus and if I achieve that, then I've done my job well.

Peyton's Sunday school made a poster for each mom featuring pictures of their own kid (they had the kids decorate the matte with buttons). I started to cry when Peyton gave it to me and she wanted to know why I was sad. It was so touching and really I would much rather have the sweet handmade gifts than a gift card or spa treatment. I'm a mom and so I appreciated getting to spend time with my children and husband today. It was a really great day.

Gardening

We have our garden planted now and I'm ready for some fresh veggies soon! Peyton and Liam "helped" Mark get the tomato and pepper plants in the ground. They mostly pulled up big chunks of grass and dandelions and threw them at each other, but they had fun and I think the early exposure to how vegetables are planted and grown is really important for them. Peyton loves going out to look at how much the veggies have grown.

We've had some really warm days which makes us shuck our shoes as soon as we get outside. We were all barefoot in the sandbox last week enjoying the feel of sand between our toes, well all of us except Liam. He's not crazy about the sand sticking to any of his parts. It is around 70 degrees today and the inside of our house is cool. As soon as they kids get up from their nap/ rest, we'll head outside. We're planning to eat on the deck tonight too! Have I mentioned that I LOVE LOVE LOVE spring!

We headed up to Pennsylvania this past Saturday to celebrate my cousin's 40th birthday. Her family threw a surprise party/ dinner for her. It was a long way to go for a short event, but it was a great surprise. The kids enjoyed getting to spend some time with Nonna and Uncle Craig on the trip and on Sunday. They did an email live chat with their Granna yesterday which was hilarious! They were making faces at each other and laughing. It was such fun for Mark and I to watch them interact with Granna via computer. Do you think our kids will ever know what rotary phone was or a tape player? I swear technology is amazing!

We went to the park yesterday to check out a new bike trail. Mark had Liam in the pull trailer and they went to explore while Peyton and I stayed on the hard gravel trail with her trike. When they got back Liam was crying and really unhappy. I held him while Mark took Peyton on a ride and he was hiccuping and sobbing and saying, "Bumpy bumpy." The trail through the woods was super narrow and the pull trailer was too wide. They went over a lot of rocks and Liam was a little traumatized. The trail we plan to do this summer is a lot more smooth and definitely wider! We didn't know that he knew what bumpy meant! I'm looking forward to more bike rides now that it's warm!