Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Grayson has been in rare form recently, so we thought it might be a good idea to let him go have some one on one time with Doug.  That left me with Gabe and Reece - and it was too cool to really get in the pool, so we needed a new project.

We headed to the stock pile of little pieces of sidewalk chalk and let the boys each pick out a color to turn into chalk paint.  They helped smash them up, brought cups of water to stir them up in, and each grabbed a paintbrush.

Once the paint was all mixed up we headed to the parking lot to 'paint' on the blacktop.  The boys thought the water paint was pretty cool (it just looked wet at first), but as the wind blew over it the water evaporated and the color of the chalk 'magically' showed up.  Once they realized what was happening the painting got much more frenzied as Gabe made lines to "help the cars know where to go" and Reece, of course, promptly copied him.

And yes, Gabe did most of this while still wearing his bicycle helmet.

Dip in the River

It is has been pretty hot and today Ms Patti decided to take the boys on a special little field trip to the river boat landing at the park after school.  She told us she thought they would be tentative - and it would be a short little diversion.  Not so much, it turned out they went in as far as she would let them and they spent hours and hours.  They didn't even want to stop for lunch.  Finally at 4:00 she insisted that they leave and go get something to eat.

When I got home Gabe informed me they got in the water with Ms Patti.  I asked if it was the pool and they said - noooo.  So I asked if was the ocean - again they said - nooooo,  Was it a lake? - Noooo, it didn't have lily pads.  (well ok then) Then they declared it to be a river.  Too funny.

Meal Planning Monday : May 28

With the school year wrapping up and lots of last minute things to take care of, I think we are going to use a lot of 'old favorites' that don't require a lot of planning or effort.  I hate that there is nothing all that "new" on the list, but it what it is this week.

Monday: Doug's make dinner tonight - so who knows what we'll end up with!
Tuesday: left over ribs from Sunday
Wednesday: Taco Salad
Thursday: Quiche
Friday: Tuna Noodle Casserole
Saturday: Caramelized Tofu with Noodles (new)

Linking to OrgJunkie.com, where MPM lives

Pool Time!

Summer has begun!

With today the being the first official day of the summer season (though we are all still in school for weeks), AND the fact it has been hot as all get out all weekend, it seemed like time to break out the kiddie pool and let the boys have a field day.  The "big pool" is no where near warm enough, but the little pool was more than enough entertainment for the day.  The boys stripped fasterthan I could actually find their "swimmy pants."  Once everyone was wearing their suits they wasted not one second getting in.  Luckily, I managed to snap a picture before the point where Gabe decided to be "nakey butt" and remove his suit!

The pool kept them entertained for over an hour in the morning, then we took a break and had lunch and 2 of the 3 crashed for a nap.  After everyone was awake, we started the process all over again and they splashed and played for another hour or so.  It totally wore them out - but they had a blast! 

Highland Horse Farm

OK, so there are no pictures of horses to go with the title of today's post - but that's ok.  We were at Highland Horse Farm on Sunday and the boys got to putter around the farm free-range style.

We started with visiting the goats (Grayson was thrilled to pet them and feed them leaves) and several VERY large pigs.  (Gabe kept telling us to 'watch out for the poop!')  Then we went up to the top of the property where they got to pet bunnies, play on the pirate ship, and wander in the cow pasture and harass the cows. (and yes, Reece picked up a fresh new cow patty)

They also got farm tours on the Kabotas by two older kids - older being 7/8 years old.  This was probably the highlight of the day.  The boys were absolutely amazed that other "kids" were getting to drive these things around by themselves.  They took us all over the farm and told us about the different things to see/do. 

At one point, Grayson got behind the wheel and promptly told me "lets rock and roll!"  Apparently, this is what Patty says to them as they leave school in the afternoon.  We made a video to send to her:

Meal Planning Monday: May 21

Another crazy week on tap at our house.  It always seems this time of year quickly turns into a whirlwind of activity and despite our best efforts to keep it calm and sane, it always happens.  We are trying to keep it simply this week with a lot of easy prep/stand by kind of meals so they can be done without a lot of effort and by whomever has a few minutes in the kitchen to spare!  It is one of those times that I am glad I found Meal Planning Monday over on OrgJunkie.com - a few minutes making a plan helps keep us sane all week!

Monday:  Korean Lettuce Bundles
Tuesday: Frozen Lasagna from Costco (hey, it's easy and makes left overs for lunch - don't judge)
Wednesday:  (new for us) Tofu Stir Fry (recipe coming)
Thursday: Grilled Chicken, sugar snap peas, and roasted baby potatoes
Friday: not sure - I am hoping we can maybe get a babysitter and eat out :)

Beds and Bikes

The boys had another full day with Doug. It was a bit of an unusual day because they had to go all the way to Winchester to school, then all the way back to Strasburg for Grayson's speech therapy after lunch.  They ended up just staying at home in the afternoon.  Gabe got a slow start in the morning and we found him all curled up under blankets on the couch.

As usual, there was lots of outside play.  We have potatoes coming up in the garden, so that was a fun thing to check out.  And while you are up there you have to be on the look out for the garden snack that lives in the wall. 

The older boys continue to be very into riding their balance bikes.  I think they may very well be ready for 'real' bikes by the end of the summer.  Gabe is getting pretty good at holding his feet up and coasting for 10-15 seconds at a time.  Grayson is also getting much smoother in his riding.

Reece was out of sorts because he didn't get enough of a nap with the crazy schedule, so he actually ended up going to bed early.  But not before he let us know he really thinks he can use the potty.  He grabs his pants and signs "potty!" and takes off running for it.  He ended up a running around with a naked butt for about an hour and at one point he decided he had to pee so he ran out the back door and peed in the grass - then went back inside to play.  Not exactly what we want, but at least it wasn't on the carpet!

When Reece was in bed the boys worked on putting the final coat of paint on Grayson's new bed with Doug out on the porch.  They are so cute being little helpers :)

They have all been so busy lately.  I still can't believe how big they are getting and how much they they want to be like / do everything their Daddy does.

Possum Fun

What a fun Monday for the boys! Doug had all the boys today since Patti is having her arm operated on - and he was a bit nervous about surviving the day.  However, it turned out to be a great day all around!  Doug took the boys to 'the Big House' and when they were playing in the sun room they found a little baby possum that had fallen into a big cardboard box and gotten stuck.  They probably saved its' life - as it seems to have been there a few days and was really thirsty. 

 After Doug made sure it wasn't injured and in relatively good spirits (as far as possum's go) the boys picked him up and delivered him to outside to a nice puddle on the concrete so he could drink.  Then they took off across the yard looking for a good place to let him go so he could "find his momma."  And yes, Gabe kissed his tail. 

I don't know how it is that they always find this cool stuff when they are with Doug.  In the last few weeks they have seen the possum, a swarm of bees, and several snakes.   They are outside boys if there are were such a thing!

Meal Planning Monday : May 7

Another crazy week on tap at the Bowen house.  It seems like every week gets just a little more jam packed - just when you think 'surely this is as crazy as it can get,' it goes up a notch!  This week is going to be a lot of quick and easy standby meals.  I have to make sub plans for Wednesday, a meeting after work on Tuesday until 7 - and Grayson has ST after school, then Wednesday I will be running around taking Reece to his 18month well baby appointment followed by Grayson's IEP meeting, then more ST for Grayson on Friday - and I have an assignment due that I haven't finished.  Throw in Amanda being induced on Wednesday, a chance to work on my Scrapbook on F or Sat, AND the Mother's Day plant sale over the weekend and it is one INSANE week!

Monday: Grilled chicken w/ mango peach salsa, grilled zucchini, and Acini de Pepe side dish
      ALSO -- make bread!  Whole wheat sandwich bread + cinnamon raisin bread

Tuesday:  Kalua Pork in corn tortillas

Wednesday: Beef and Gorgonzola Gnocchi with salad

Thursday: Tofu with Peanut Noodles

Friday: Grilled bread with goat cheese and other yummy toppings

Linking to OrgJunkie, where MPM lives

Snakes and other fun stuff

The boys love to go look for the snakes that live up in the garden rock wall.  This weekend was a little dreary, but apparently it was just right for the snakes to come out.  They found one in the garden and one in the front flower bed.  And despite his fear of snakes, Doug caught them BOTH so the boys could look at them up close.  Now they know that the snake sticks out his tongue and that snake poop really, really stinks!

Gabe wanted to kiss the snake, but Doug convinced him this probable was not the best idea.  He did, however, like touching it and seeing how smooth it felt.  Grayson really liked the way its' tongue darted out - and Reece thought the whole thing was a riot.

I'm so glad our boys are growing up outside, enjoying nature and learning new things about the world around them everyday.  I think (hope) it is setting the stage for a life long love of learning.  It makes us odd man out amongst a lot of folks that our kids don't watch a lot of TV, play video games, or go to movies -- but I think this is really the way kids should grow up. 

Meal Planning Monday : April 30

We seem to be moving at break neck speed these days.  I just have realized I've really slacked off on taking pictures and that means I'm missing some cool things the kids are doing.  I am going to really try and get my act together and get back in the swing of things!

Despite the mayhem this past weekend, I did manage to sit down and meal plan for the week.  It isn't a fancy menu, but it is a plan - and that is what we are aiming for these days.

Monday:  Black Bean Soup (Moosewood) and Cornbread
Tuesday: Pimento Cheese Burgers (yum!!)
Wednesday: Roasted Carrot and Potatoes with Chicken (or turkey if it gets defrosted!)
Thursday: Ordering Pizza - a rare treat!
Friday:  Big Salad with grilled tuna and other yummy stuff

Walk around the yard

Everything is blooming really early this year and it has kind of messed up our purposeful color combination and staggered bloom time plantings.  So right now lots of things are in full bloom - even though they shouldn't be for about 3 weeks!  It looks great right now - but is probably going to be pretty barren in a few weeks.  So I walked around and snapped a few pictures of things that were open.  It had rained over night and many still had droplets on them, which made them look pretty cool.

Now if I could just the web page to put them on the way I wanted to - I'd be all set.

Meal Planning Monday : April 23

Another crazy week - and I had let the meal planning slip, so I am trying to get back into the swing of things.  Nothing fancy going on this week, just trying to make use of what we have and eat at least semi-healthy.

Monday: Soft Tacos and make 2 loaves of bread for the week and some Preschool Crack (ok, Bunny Bait) for the kids to take for snack week at school

Tuesday: Pasta w/ sauteed sugar snaps, red peppers, walnuts and lemon ricotta cheese
Wednesday: BBQ Ribs in the Slow Cooker, fried okra, and corn
Thursday: Loaded Baked Potatoes
Friday: Left overs or homemade pizza

This weekend I'm hoping to get a turkey breast thawed and cooked so we can munch on that for a few days early in the week.

Rainy Day

It has been raining most of the weekend and the kids are going absolutely stir crazy.  This, of course, leads to melt downs, tantrums, and general destruction of the house.  At one point the boys wanted to go outside and play so badly that we simply had to give in and let it happen - even though it was rainy and 48 degrees.  We warned them it would be cold, that they needed a jacket, and shoes. 

No luck.  Out they all bolted half dressed and full of energy.  This little outing lasted about 15 minutes before they all returned shivering and requesting dry clothes and warm snugs under a blanket.  But while they were out Doug snapped this picture of Reece - mowing the pavement - in the rain - in his jammies - barefoot.  Apparently, we are "that " kind of parents...

Planting Tomatoes and Dinner with the Brothers

Gabe planting tomatoes with Daddy

All the boys eating together at the kid table.

 Spending a nice day outside is always fun.  Gabe planted tomatoes to snack on with Doug and we finished up by having dinner outside.  The boys all wanted to eat together at the 'little table.'  Good times.

Let me tell you a secret...

It is so fun to watch the boys figure out new things - like what is funny, what is silly, what a secret is, etc.  We were doing an 'everybody wash your hands' event before going to dinner and the cutest thing happened.  Gabe went over to Grayson and told him to he had to tell him something. 


Then he leaned in and whispered (as well as a 3.5 year old can) "Grayson, I'm telling you a secret!"  That WAS the secret, but still, pretty darn funny.

Worn Out...

I don't know why this insists on loading upside down!
Today Doug took the boys to work in Berryville and wore them out completely. 

Beautiful Flowers

Gabe has become our dandelion control system this spring.  He has taken to picking every little yellow flower that opens up and bringing them to me with the instruction to "smell the beautiful flowers, Mommy!" My kitchen is now full of them, and yes, I literally sneeze every time I enter the room.  But really, who could resist this:

For you, Mommy!

Meal Planning Monday - a day late! April 10

We have really fallen off the meal planning wagon the last few weeks.  I have resolved to get my act together and do a better job.  I hated that each day we had no plan - which meant Doug and I ended up eating crap a lot. 

So - with that said, this week we are having:

Monday: Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Tuesday: Ham (left over from Sunday) and Cheese Frittata w/ salad
Wednesday: Pasta with sauteed Broccoli Rabe
Thursday: Navy Bean Soup (made in crock pot overnight with ham bone from Tuesday)
Friday: Homemade pizza with prosciutto, ricotta, and asparagus

Linking to OrgJunkie where MPM lives

On a much happier note, I have continued to purge from our overcrowded/outdated closet.  I am happy to report that I have gotten rid of three large totes of clothes - about half were mine and half were things Reece has outgrown.  It feels great!  I have been trying to get Doug to do the same, but he is just not as willing.  He has managed to get rid of all of 3 articles of clothing.  That's it - even though there are things on his side of the closet he has not worn in over 5+ years.  He just won't part with them.  I fear it is his pack-rat gene kicking in.  I'm not sure what to do about it - but I am going to keep at it.  I am finding the process really liberating and I feel great getting rid of things I have been packing up/pulling out and not wearing for several seasons now.  I figure once I see what I have that I am actually wearing I will be ready to look at getting some new clothes - which is exciting, as I have been pregnant twice in the last 3.5 years - so my clothing options have been pretty limited!

The Easter Egg Store

Today the boys decided to play "Easter Egg Store."  They worked together to get the wagon where they wanted it, then flipped it over.  Then Reece and Gabe retrieved the little chairs and brought them to wagon - where Gabe was selling and sharpening the eggs on the wheels.  (?? I don't know, this is what he kept telling me.)  When they ran out of eggs, they picked more.  Apparently, my kids have Easter eggs growing on our maple tree - because that is where they went to get them.

Trampoline Hair

This weekend was pretty dry - and Grayson suffered from some serious trampoline hair.

There was so much play and outside time that around 2:00 Grayson simply gave in to the need for sleep and laid down and fell asleep on the trampoline for over an hour!

Kool-Aide Easter Eggs

This year we decided to dye Easter eggs for the first time.  I saw a blog post on how to use Kool-Aide to dye your eggs and decided to give it a try. 

The kids were super excited (we've never done it before) and I was excited that it didn't make my whole kitchen smell like vinegar.  All we had to do was mix a packet of Kool-Aide with 2/3 cup of water and dip them.  The color developed really fast and we even mixed some colors to try and make new colors.  (This only worked on some colors - like yellow and blue did make a nice light green - but we never managed to get a nice lavender.)

Flowers and hats, but not flower hats...

Apparently Gabe wants to go skiing/snowboarding.

First tulips to bloom in the yard

Another really nice day today!  The boys are loving all the outside time after school.  We even ate dinner outside again today.  As usual, we played on the trampoline numerous times, went up and down the slide, ran around the yard, dug holes, looked for worms, played with water beads, make silly putty, and eventually made it back inside to wind down.

Why?

Why must boys do this?

Weekend Rodeo

Another great weather weekend!  The boys are loving all the outside time.  We spend all day outside, even eating lunch and dinner out there.  Now that it is getting warmer, the trampoline has become a very popular place again.  It is fun to see how much the boys have grown and gotten stronger since last summer.

We have been playing chase a lot.  They have also decided it is great fun to have you try and bounce them off balance.  This weekend we added the 8 second rodeo to the mix.

Needless to say, I see Doug having to do this a lot this summer!

Early Spring

We are enjoying unusually warm weather this week - upper 70s to low 80s.  We have been playing outside with the boys most of the afternoons.  Last night it was so warm we even had dinner outside.  I've got some pictures from the trampoline I'll add later when I find my camera cord.

On the closet rehab front, I am making slow progress.  I have set my self the task of purging TWO items of clothes each day.  So far I am on target - three days = 6 items in the 'to-go' box. 

Meal Planning Monday: March 12

I think we have finally returned to the land of the healthy in our house.  Woo Hoo!  After a bit of a disaster of a week last week where we went without a plan, which meant I shopped without a plan, which means I spent a ridiculous amount of money ($120!) on random food and we still had crappy meals - I hope we are back on track.  I made a plan and a list and made it out of the store for under $55.  Shocking the difference!

Here is our plan for the week:

Monday: Mac and Cheese w/ grilled chicken
Tuesday: Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Wednesday: Big Salad with lots of yummy stuff
Thursday: Loaded Baked Potatoes
Friday: Fritatta with salad

And on a random food related note... the boys helped make pancakes this morning.

Linking to OrgJunkie, where MPM lives.

Boxes are Fun!

I wish I had gotten my hands on the camera faster so I could have gotten more shots of this in action.  We got a box in the mail that had this little clear window in it and Reece decided to put it on his head.  At first he was walking around looking like a little robot - then he climbed up in the chair with it still on his head. 

This little boy is an absolute riot - and I think he knows it!

Closet Rehab Plan

After having some success with the 29 day organization challenge and getting most of my living room / dining room back, I decided to tackle another trouble spot in the house.  The one closet upstairs that Doug and I share and have to rotate our clothes through every season.  Since having the limited time for the February challenge really helped 'make it happen,' I decided to give myself a new deadline - two months, so May 9th.  I think a little more time is needed because I am going to have to purge clothes that are currently in the closet AND clothes that will be brought down as we make the change of the season.

Here is what I am hoping to accomplish:

• a major purge of clothes I haven't worn in years (and get Doug to do the same)
• removal of any clothes that are in need of repair, because let's be honest - while I know how to do it, it isn't going to happen given our current life
• I want to get some closet organizing stuff - because right now we have one hanging bar and three shelves, and that's it

I know this is going to cost some money to pull off, but I have been hating this closet for the 9+ years we have been living in this house.  It makes no sense that we have not tackled this problem area.  

It's not all good...

The truth of the matter is - that having 3.5 year old twins is hard.  You think 'terrible 3's' are hard with one kid - try having two of them going through it at the same time, in the same space, with the same issues.  There are lots of good moments - they really do play nice a lot of the time.  BUT...sometimes it just isn't going to happen.

I was out of the house less than 15 minutes when I get this video from Doug:

You can even hear Reece in the background cheering them on...

Is that a Cheerio up your nose?

I decided a picture really wasn't in order for tonight's post.  The boys decided they needed a little snack before heading upstairs for a bath and bed so we were in the kitchen and they asked for cereal.  Gabe was eating Life (he calls it tasty squares) and Grayson was eating Cheerios.  I turned my back to them and was cleaning the counters when I heard Grayson ask Gabe why he couldn't get the Cheerio out his nose.  This got my attention!

So I turned around and went over to Grayson, who had is finger wayyy up his nose, and asked him if he had put a Cheerio up his nose.  He silently nodded yes.  Geez.  OK - but then I thought he may not be telling the truth, it could just be his finger.  So I ever so gently reach over and put my fingers on either side of his nose to see if I can FEEL something crammed up there - and it crunches.  Crap.  There is a Cheerio up there.

As I am trying to get the now crunched Cheerio out his nose (we are not going to the ER to have this thing extracted - I am going to get it out myself even if it means we knock him out with Benadryl and I use long tweezers), I hear Gabe behind me ask why he can't get the tasty square in his nose. 

OMG.  Why would a child cram cereal up his nose??  

I finally get the Cheerio out with much squirming and grossness only to see Grayson try to cram ANOTHER one up the other side of his nose not 5 minutes later.  I cannot fathom how this is funny,  fun, or in any way a good idea - and yet, they both thought it was riot.