Defy Gravity Fun

One of Simon's classmates, Carter, had a birthday party at one of those giant indoor trampoline playground places.  The kids loved it!  Zac said Simon took a while to warm up, but eventually became very active.

Afterwards, they went to Cici's pizza.

Springing

Grayson's visit

Lindsey brought Grayson and Brie to our house for a visit this weekend (Brent was recovering from a bizarre tooth infection).

The kids all played together really well and it was a lot of fun.  On Saturday, we went to the park after they got here in the afternoon.

Ok, so this was really the best thing. That night, Grayson wanted to have a sleepover in Alice's room, so I made him a bed on the floor with a sleeping bag and camping mat. Then they read each other bedtime stories. It was really the best thing ever. These two were in the baby room together when they were three months old, and seven years later they're reading to each other!

The next day, after morning snack, we headed down to the nearby creek to play.

After that, they came in, got cleaned up, had lunch and watched a movie while Brie took a nap.

Then they left around 3:30pm and Zac took the kids to a birthday party.

Teacher Work Day

The kids' school was closed on Friday, and I only had a half day at my school, so I brought them with me. It's nice that they're finally at an age where they mostly behave. Plus, they just watched videos with the headphones on while I was teaching class, so that kept them busy.

The atrium was a great place to launch the parachute man.

Afterwards, we went to the arboretum.  The kids whined most of the time, but it was pretty.

Rub a dub dub

We hardly ever give the kids a bath anymore because they take forever, try to swim, and make huge splashy messes.  But Zac needed to fix their bathroom shower door, so they got to take a bath. They loved it!

YMCA After School Care

Here are some pictures of the kids from their after school program.

Simon's Joke

Translation: Fart. Excuse me!  Funny.

Simon and Elli

Elli loves coming over to our house to play with Simon.

White Deer & Lake Benson Parks

On Sunday, I planned to take the kids out for the whole day so Zac could get stuff done. It was a beautiful warm spring day, so I took the kids down to the adjacent White Deer Park and Lake Benson Park.  Since they are near Izzy's neck of the woods, I reached out to Natasha to see if she wanted to do a playdate. She was heading out of town for a conference, but was able to drop Izzy off with us for a few hours.  

The kids had a great time on the playground and in the field.

Then we went over to the nature play area and had a picnic on a grassy knoll.

Then they played some more.

Alice took these pictures of Simon with a fort that they found int he woods and added to.

Portrait of a mother, by Alice.

Followed by a selfie.

Simon loves climbing trees!

Emory, Towns and Hans

On Saturday afternoon, we had Emory over for a playdate and I took the kids to the park for part of the time.

That evening, we went to Zac's work party at the NCSU golf course clubhouse. Emory was there, and so was Towns, a daycare friend (although the kids didn't really remember him).  They all ran around together gathering golf balls and playing. At some point Alice started calling Towns "Hans" and then Simon called him the same thing. I don't know why I found it hilarious.

(Don't worry, there is not a drop off on the other side of this wall. It's just a little wall to enclose the firepit.  So it was a fine evening where we got to sit around a gas fire pit with the Raleigh skyline in the background.

You need to be awake at 8:29

Simon's messages to us this morning, pushed under the crack in our bedroom door.

Bus Stop Beauties

Kitty's progress report

According to Simon, "The kitty is behaving good!"

Bat Devil?

Based on her drawings, what kind of teenager do you think Alice will be?

Signs of Spring

I live twenty years

They must have had some health-related program at school last week, because Simon has recently gotten the idea that if he forgoes sweets, he will live for twenty more years.  He often skips his after-dinner treat now.  I'm trying to convince him he'll live thirty more years if he eats some ice cream, but he doesn't seem to believe me.

Sight words

 In his spare time, Simon has been making alphabetical lists of every sight word he can think of.  That's normal, right?