Crazy May Days

May (and June) found us busy with Parker and Tyson playing T-Ball and life being fun and crazy....

Take a look:

Ready for the first practice!!

VERY excited for the first game.  They were both disappointed when they learned no score would be kept, no 'outs' honored...it was pretty much useless for them, but a good experience.

Parker ready for some game action.

Ruling the out field.  He had a GREAT arm too--batted, threw and caught really well.

Action shot from...2nd base?

Their team.  Parker was the tallest, but possibly not the oldest.
I think Tyson was the best player, but I might be slightly biased.

Parker

Tyson

Kaden and Spencer spent the rest of the month in crazy play and eating!  The highlight of the month for me was Spencer's hair.  It was long and out of control, but he HATES a haircut, so we made the best of it.

This may be a smoothie face...either way, it's a great mustache.

Spencer and Kade enjoying the tub...and I enjoyed the hair.

Spencer always requested that I take the clip out of my hair and use it in his.  This was also a Sunday evening. We remove his 'nice' shirt when he eats, only on Sunday.

A favorite picture of mine.  Who wouldn't love that face, energy and HAIR!

Kaden enjoying food...possibly.  He has become quite a picky eater.  He'll sit politely at the table and not touch anything, then say he's full.  Not sure how he keeps his build.

Another bath moment.  Spencer's hair was particularly great.  Kaden is particularly cute.  (We were trying to decide a color to paint the wall in our bathroom...hence the unfinished paint job in the background.)

Tyson's 6th Birthday

With only a week to recover and start planning after Parker's birthday, Tyson's birthday comes along pretty quickly in May.  He also wanted as themed party, and as suits his personality, he chose a Sports theme, which is easy (sigh of relief).

To make it easy on myself (and due to unsure numbers of friends attending), I suggested they play games, and any kind of sport they wanted.

They started with TWISTER!

Fun and craziness was had by all.

Some friends were very interested in Legos.

The timing of the party made me feel like it was best to offer a healthy snack before the brownies.

Josh saved the day again!  He made brownies and cut it into the shape of a football.  The baseball bat candles were a nice touch.

Lots of friends meant lots of gifts!

And lots of fun afterward!

True to our tradition, on the day of his birthday I took lunch to him at school (again a pizza).  I know the Birthday Chicken came, but somehow the camera didn't make it!  He also had a special birthday dinner.  All we caught on camera was the opening of his gifts...which may have been the part he liked best.

I was really proud of the gift I found him, since I'm tired of toys.  It's called Snap Circuits.  The boys have had LOTS of fun building circuit boards that use battery power to make a propeller fly, lights light up, and noise.  It's the best.

Parker's 7th Birthday

Parker really enjoyed his birthday this year.  He was thrilled to have an actual party with a theme!  We did our best to make it a special day for him (after having Kaden's birthday and Easter in the same week). 

Birthday morning....The Birthday Chicken made it!  He brought cereal and decorations, as usual.  Grandma sent a card with a foam airplane--that went over REALLY well too!

A new tradition we started this year was to have lunch with the birthday boy at school.  I brought a Pizza and his brothers to eat in the school cafeteria.  It made classmates a bit jealous, but Parker loved the attention and the pizza.

Then I run back home and work on the birthday dinner (after a quick nap).  It's only one day a year, so I pushed myself to make it special for him...I think it worked!

Birthday dinner: chicken balls

This was after he opened his gifts.  It's fun how excited all of them get, and obviously stay, as they look at all the new stuff.

 OUTER SPACE BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!

Parker invited a couple friends, and with his brothers, the house was a busy lot of fun!

The boys making their rockets and alien space ships.

Josh saved the day by making a moon cake. (I have given up cake-making. It makes me frustrated!)

They made Flying Saucers (mini pizzas) for lunch!

Parker on the moon.  (Josh embellished the moon with a flag & a foam spaceship.)

Happy Birthday boy and friends!

SEVEN candles!!!

Gift-opening fun and excitement.

Easter

Easter is always a fun time.  This year I was early on in pregnancy and therefore kept it rather low-key.  The boys are so flexible that as long as we do a couple main things, they've had a good holiday.


This year my mom sent the boys foam eggs to decorate.  They LOVED it!  Glitter, squiggly things and all.

Kaden showing off his creation.

Parker and Tyson working hard.

Tyson being goofy/normal.

Finished products!

 Easter is not Easter for our boys unless we have our annual Easter Egg roll.  This means we find the tallest grassy hill, take our colored eggs, and roll them until they're all broken....or we're tired.

We colored eggs first thing in the morning...hence the tired faces and pjs.  (Kaden, Parker, Tyson, Spencer)

Excitement for little guys (Tyson & Spencer)

 Before going to roll the eggs, we had lunch--picnic style!

Cool Kade!

Homemade Subway sandwiches and fresh strawberries--delicious lunch for a holiday!!

The boys HAD to get their Easter gifts before Sunday--so they could give them a try.  We told them at the same time we signed them up for T-Ball!!

A bat for Kaden may not have been the best idea--especially once Spencer got a hold of it!

Subsequent baseball game.

ROLLING EGGS!!

THROWING EGGS!

NONE of the eggs broke this year, no matter what we tried!  They threw them as hard and as far as they could to no avail...even Josh didn't have luck cracking one.  Either we got REALLY good eggs, or the grass was REALLY soft.  It was a great hill (although it could have been a little steeper for our purposes).  We'll try again next year anyway (since it's about the only hill in Moses Lake).

Kaden's 3rd Birthday!!!

Kaden turned 3!  It was such a fun day for him--every mother's dream and relief.  Here is a glimpse of how he spent the day:

First, the birthday chicken came and delivered cereal!!  SUCH A TREAT!!  Kaden was thrilled to have cereal for breakfast (makes it an easy morning for Josh).

Then Kaden's girlfriends came over (he said no to the boys, saying they might hit him).  They played for a bit then they had dirt dessert instead of cake...the gummy worms made it quite a hit.  Those were the only candles he blew out for his birthday...we sorta skipped dessert with the family.

All the ladies and Kaden.

Spencer was the only other boy at the party...he enjoyed it.

Getting the last drop.

Opening gifts...he loved them all...and always enjoys a new car.

We took the family to dinner, both for Kaden's birthday and because Parker and Tyson had brought home excellent report cards yet again. 
Kaden was happy to forfeit his pasta dinner for french fries and lemonaide. 

After the restaurant he got his gifts from his family.  Lots of excitement from all the boys!

He called the bubble wand his light saber.

The boys all made quick work to the playroom to build his new train set.  A great buy for kids of all ages!!

It was a fun, happy birthday for Kaden.  At the end of the day (possibly prompted by his father), he came and gave me a big hug and said thank you for the birthday party with friends and for his presents.  He's such a fun kid.  He was really hard as a 2-year-old, but now that he is figuring out his place in life a little bit better, he is turning into a sweetheart (whew!).  He loves to give me hugs and kisses at any random time (his favorite being when I am in the bathroom) and tell me he loves me.  It's those things that make the discipline and hard stuff all worth it.  He will be a fun kid to watch grow and learn...he's already so bright and capable, and full of mischief!