Drumapalooza

My mom and I took Mason to my old high school's fundraiser supporting the percussionists in the district. And before the concert, Mason was able to get his hands on as many loud instruments as he could!



He loved making this drum "bounce."


This was his first time seeing a xylophone. After hearing the sounds it made, he told me he wanted to play Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" on it. This boy has an amazing ear for music. Until he said it, I was completely unaware that this instrument and so many other percussion instruments are in the song!


Who doesn't love a good snare drum? Mason came back to this instrument several times and had some good rhythm and drumstick taps that he said he has learned by watching Frankie Ballard in concert!


And the gong. The very, very, very loud gong. Mason took many swings at this one, and then asked me to hit it so he could dramatically fall to the ground to the sound. Acting and music. Two things this kid loves!
The concert itself was great. The talent that kids not much older than Mason have was very inspiring to our future musician. I'm just holding my breath that he doesn't ask for a drum set anytime soon!

Accessorized. Always.

Because how can you even begin to complete your preschool homework if you don't have on your reading glasses?!






A prop originally used for Mason's 100th day of school. Found in the deep dark corners of the playroom and given new life.

Out of the Mouths...

The saying goes: You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.
Says my fashion conscious Camryn: You get what you get and you don't throw an outfit.
This could very likely literally apply at some point!

Conversation with Jacob went something like this:
Me: Jacob, when you were born you were so little that you barely even had ears.
Caleb: Maybe that's why you have such a hard time listening.
Jacob: Mystery solved!
Still belly laughing over this witty kid's comment!

Flower Girl

Said Camryn to another little girl at the park: I can't go down the slide right now because I need to look at all of the beautiful flowers.









I know they are dandelions, but it really is pretty! Camryn loved my idea of putting this bouquet of fresh-picked weeds in her bedroom. And so did I.

Weekend Wrap Up

Wowza, this was a busy weekend that started on Friday with a day off of school, continued with a Saturday afternoon baseball game, and finished with Easter Sunday. Here's the breakdown:



Just as we were headed to the neighborhood park on Friday afternoon, it rained. Hard. So we camped out in the garage--or in some cases completely exposed to the rain in the middle of the driveway while ineffectively holding an umbrella. Once the rain quit we continued with our park plans where the kids met up with friends and Jacob ran in to his teacher. Fun time!



On Saturday we dyed our eggs before heading out to Jacob's baseball game where he had a hit and an almost catch.



Oh, and Mason and his buddies found this thing in the woods and felt the need to drag it back to where we were sitting in the stands--a solid quarter-mile away. Luckily we travel with hand sanitizer. Always. Just glad they didn't find the head of whatever that was. OMGosh.



We had a lazy Easter Sunday morning watching cartoons after the excitement of the egg hunt was over. Couch space must be at a premium in our house.


Then we headed to my parents' house for another egg hunt and lunch. It's easy to get kids to smile if you tell them they can't look for eggs until they flash their pearly whites.



And with tons of open space at my parents' house, it was easy for the kids to test out their new boomerangs, frisbees, and kites, which was fun until Mason was almost strangled by Camryn's kite string. He's recovering, but went to school today with a huge paper cut looking scrape from his nose around to the back of his neck. How many more unlikely injuries can Mason get before I am reported?!






And then during some evening yard work we came across this fellow. According to the pictures, it took Camryn a little bit of time to warm up to toad.
A fun-for-all weekend!

Weekend Fun

We had a weekend filled with unusual activities. First up: a nighttime flashlight Easter egg hunt with friends that lasted all of five minutes. That was quick!





And then yesterday my mom treated her grand babies to horse rides at the local barn. The kids had a blast!












After the rides, we walked through the stables to pet the horses and give them carrots.








Camryn needed some assistance and reassurance that the horse wouldn't eat her. Can't blame the girl, her arm is about the size of a carrot...

Play ball!

The unofficial start to Jacob's season began this evening with a very windy practice game. He is off to a fantastic start--made a great throw to first, had some solid hits, and played catcher for an inning. And I can only hope I look ten years younger after having my face sandblasted with flying infield dirt for nearly two hours. Holy dust storm!



Looking forward to a fun season!

Not really that warm.

When the summer bug hits, you gotta wear a swimsuit. Even if it means layering a jacket on top to keep warm.



Girl's got a style all her own!

No thanks.

That moment when you tell your 8-year-old son to stop squeezing your butt because it's inappropriate, to which he replies, "but I just love how it feels like play-doh."