TOAD!

Mason is holding it, and the other two are saying it. I'll tell you what, it doesn't get much better than temporary wild pets when you are a kid!

That's a Wrap!

Kindergarten is over, and we closed the chapter with a 1.5 mile walk to school with some of our best friends. So glad that this clan of usual bus riders were able to make it the whole way without begging to be carried! And Jacob came home from school all excited that he is now a first-grader! Here is to hoping that the summer is as much fun for him as the school year was!

[First and last day pictures. Totally planned the outfit. Looks like the only real difference are the tie shoes!]

R&R

 A well-deserved break from all of the hard work we have been putting in to the rest of our yard.


 
 

















Coffee and side tables compliments of my handy dandy hubby and our garage full of barn wood. Feeling a little backwoods in the middle of suburbia!

Swimming ended.

Jacob passed, just as expected. And Mason didn’t pass, just as expected. But both kids had a blast and CANNOT wait to dive in to my parents’ pool this summer!

 

The last day of swimming was full of fun! Mason got to paddle in a canoe. Jacob got to swim in the “vortex,” and both boys went down several slides!

Teacher gifts? Check.

 

I snagged these adorable perennials for the teachers to plant in their gardens. A way for them to remember my—ahem, darling—children each spring when they flower!

Splat!

It took roughly 1,000 slams to the ground before my phone threw in the towel. Big time! Phone has been replaced, and Mason’s tears have since dried after he learned that all of his games transferred to the new phone. I—sarcastically—appreciate his genuine concerns…

Mason graduated.

Preschool graduation happened Friday in a cute outdoor ceremony filled with songs and several candid moments. Among those candid moments were the wide range of Mason faces that we have grown to love—and expect.

[Mason spotted us during his processional. And then continued to showcase his talent.]

 

[Each of the graduates had a moment in the spotlight. As they received their diplomas, the school director announced what each child wants to be when they grow up. The most popular: Policemen and veterinarians. Mason, however, was one-of-a-kind. He wants to be a dad when he grows up. Only time will tell what that actually means, though I venture to say it involves lounging in the recliner and watching TV. Lots of TV.]

[The proud graduate. Stealing the head tilt pose from his older brother.]

[Photo credit: Jacob. Not bad. Certainly better than the stink bomb pirate face Mason found just as the picture snapped!]

[And my amigos. Plus one very smelly Glow.]

A Gift to Grow in

After a couple subtle hints, Caleb whipped up this barn wood planter for me as a Mother’s Day gift. And now this very heavy box has found a permanent summer home in our backyard where it is helping to grow squash, sugar snap peas, bell peppers, tomatoes, and strawberries. We are all looking forward to grazing in our “garden” as the summer goes on!

Catch Up #4

Crap like this melts my heart. Every single time.

Jacob’s journal page that he brought home. One for the memory book. And I love to cuddle with my little people, too. Until they start fighting across my body and I get an elbow to the gut. Then it’s game on.

Catch Up #3

Mason constructed this picture.

I loved it. The colors. The design. And then he told me it was an alien pooping. "See the butt cheeks, Mom? And the orange squiggles are the poop. It's coming out the butt, and there is more on the way."

Shaking my head as I am trying not to laugh. It's clear my little Picasso put a lot of thought in to this one. And, really, who am I to critique an artist's work?!

Catch Up #2

College prep is underway in our house.

More specifically Mason's room. Post-bedtime. Turns out our little frat boy wannabe moseyed to the corner of his room, dropped trow, and peed. Totally asleep. Totally soaked the wall and carpet. And had it not been for the undies he ditched in the middle of his room and his bare bottom staring at me when I opened the door to check on him, he may have pulled this off under the radar. Good grief!

Catch Up #1

I had a birthday. And I made my own cake. With candles that I found lying around the ol’ pantry. Not my age, but a girl can reminisce.

This is what you get when you are in charge of your own cake production. It says "thang" not "thong." I'm not good at icing.

Hooray for Mom Gifts!

I scored these sweet little things for Mother’s Day. Looks like the boys have some pretty crafty teachers this year!

And let me tell you, cute crap like this lessens the blow of having wild animals rip through my house the other 364 days of the year!