whobody went on a nature hunt?

So. After "the farm" we stopped down at Buck Creek to let Keaton go on a little nature hunt. This is one of dad and the kids' favorite Saturday morning stops. It is SO beautiful there.  Here are the kids with their "nature hunting" tools...

It was a little too cold for them to find much of anything, but Keaton did find a few worms and a snail shell... The kids' favorite thing to do in our yard is go on 'nature hunts'...which pretty much just involves collecting anything and everything that they consider  n.a.t.u.r.e.  We usually have quite the collection.  Keaton thought it would be neat to look elsewhere! Below is Nash with the bug net....danger!!!

As you can see, Lola took the hunt VERY seriously.

Here Keaton, Dad, and Lola are looking at the teeny tiny fish swimming in the creek. (We tried to keep Nash as far away from the water as possible...

Here is a picture of Keaton with his "finds"...he was very proud!

We will do this again...and hopefully next time, it will be a little bit warmer!  We are lucky to live in such a beautiful area!

whobody went to "the farm"?

Last night we decided to take the kids to "the farm".  I know what you are thinking...you guys are farmers, you live on a farm.... No. Not true.  Yes. Jason is a farmer, but our yard is nothing close to a farm! Luckily, our neighbors  let us come and play on their farm whenever we want.

Even though the weather wasn't great, we went to get a little fresh air and see some animals.  Jason started doing this about 3 years ago.  On Saturday mornings in the summer, he would take Keaton to "the farm", grandpa's pond, or the creek to spend a little time with Dad (and give Mom a little time with Lola).  Last summer he took Lola along and left me with Nash!  Last night we went with the whole family! Above is a picture of Nash with the horses... Below is a picture of Jason and Lola in with the cows. Jason's brother, Chuck, happens to have cattle at this farm and had come to feed them while we were there! Judy was trying to get one of calves to come over so the kids could pet it. (That, however, did not work)

Lola and Keaton had fun playing in the grass...but Keaton was very, very, very, very, very, very afraid of the chickens, so he was always watching for them out of the corner of his eye. (and he was usually hiding behind me whenever they got remotely close to us)

 Yes, he was actually up on the fence to keep away from the chickens. :)

Lola, however, loved the chickens and chased them around the yard.  These are VERY nice chickens by the way. It was cute...we were just over looking at the horses and all of the sudden the chickens just wandered over by us...Nash and Lola were ecstatic, Keaton....well, Keaton was a little bit petrified!

 Nash, of course, wanted to pet the chickens, but was not successful!

I should add that Nash, like most 1 1/2 year olds, LOVES animals...and really had a blast seeing some farm animals up close and personal. He was just overtaken with JOY the whole time we were there!

and I had to get a picture of all 3 kids together....THAT doesn't happen very often where they all actually have their eyes open and look decent!

I know the kids are very much looking forward to spending more time at the farm, now THIS makes me excited for warmer weather. Hmmm, maybe Jason will just take all 3 kids this summer, and leave me home alone! (ha, I don't think that will happen....)

whobody colored some Easter eggs?

Nothing too exciting in this post...we just colored our Easter Eggs today.  I have to say, the older the kids get, the more fun this is.... I remember the days when coloring eggs with the kids just involved me pretty much doing it for them and they just watched.  Today Keaton and Lola loved to make the designs on the eggs with crayons, and explored putting the eggs in more than one color. They both got to do 11 eggs...and wanted to do more. :)

Here is a picture of Lola coloring eggs:

...and a picture of Keaton coloring eggs...

...and of course, I let Nash color an egg too *(on paper).

Lola's finished products....

and Keaton's finished products.

Now, what are we going to do with all of these boiled eggs???

whobody is an excellent teacher?

This paper below is what Keaton brought home from school today. His teacher had written his name first and then he copied it 7 times.  As soon as he showed it to me, he asked for the markers and called for Lola.  They went right to work. They had some serious business to take care of...

Keaton recreated the same paper for Lola....right down to the red line, yellow line and green line...and the stoplight. Then he put Lola to work... first he wrote the name that he wanted her to write, and then she copied it.

It was stinkin' cute because he would say things like "Oh, Lola, your 'a' looks really good, but there is just one problem, it's backwards." and then she would hit her forehead with her hand and try to correct it. Keaton was SOOO proud to be teaching her.

I just love it when they work together like this... Now if only Nash could 'play markers' without sucking on them, they could color while he is awake too!

whobody is SO glad the weather is warmer?

Keaton, Lola and Nash have very much enjoyed playing outside this week.  It has finally been a little warmer around here *although, it has been VERY windy.  The kids love to play with just about anything outside.  Yesterday the older two kids were busy trying to get things stuck up in the trees, and Nash was busy trying to find new ways to play with his car and Lola's scooter. I will say that Nash enjoys being outside the most...he is so happy out there and of course throws a fit every time we come inside. He is not afraid of trying to ride anything (i.e. he tries to get onto Keaton's bike-without-training-wheels and gets very angry when it doesn't work).  He is also not afraid of going anywhere in the yard, which is why I am so thankful that we have a fence! Enjoy...

whobody is Grandpa Firetruck?

Well...we talk about all kinds of Grandpas and Grandmas in our house. We have Grandpa & Grandma Tractor (Reimer), Grandma Piano and Bompa Sheryl (Zittergruen), Great Grandma and Grandpa Werges (no nickname for them I guess), and Grandpa Firetruck. 

My Grandpa Zittergruen is who the kids refer to as "Grandpa Firetruck".  Keaton started this when he was just learning to talk.  We would go up to Grandpa's house to play cards about once a week, and Keaton would just play with toys while we played cards.  Grandpa was at the Dollar Store one time and found a electronic (LOUD) firetruck on clearance and decided maybe Keaton would like that toy to play with at his house...so he bought it and Keaton loved it.  From that point on Keaton would ask "when are we going to Grandpa Firetruck's to play cards?" and so a name was born.  If I mention Great Grandpa Zittergruen the kids will say "who?" until I say Grandpa Firetruck, they totally act like they don't know his real name. (Although lately Lola has been referring to him as Marvin too.... :)

Grandpa Firetruck turns 93 in a few days and just recently hurt his back and was put into the hospital.  Keaton, Lola and I have been spending lots of nights going to visit him.  We usually leave Nash outside to play with Grandma Piano...I guess I am afraid that he would destroy something in the room :) The kids have been GREAT about making him pictures and cards...and being very good sports in the hospital.  I'm pretty sure that they are in it for the chocolate candy bar they each get from Grandpa when they leave.  They have even been good about saving all of their questions and concerns for after we leave.  ALTHOUGH...one night while grandpa was eating the ice cream from his supper Keaton says "Grandpa how come even though you are sick you still get treats? When I am sick I don't get treats...."

Here are some pictures of Grandpa Firetruck being a good sport with the kids....

 He gives the kids rides in his lift chair....

 and plays Nerf Guns with them

The kids cannot wait until he gets better and we can play at his house again! Get well soon Grandpa Firetruck.

whobody needs an update?

Yes. I told you I would let you know how the "cupcake at the restaurant thing" went on my birthday.  Yes. I 'forgot' my birthday crown at home.  Yes.  The kids still told the waitress at the Litehouse it was my birthday.  Yes.  They did sing to me.  Yes.  The waitress did bring out TWO birthday cupcakes with a candle in each one.  Yes.  I let Keaton have one and Lola have one. Yes.  I truly did have a wonderful birthday with my 4 favorite people.

whobody wants a ride?

Lately, Nash has been attempting to hitch a ride

on or in 

anything and everything

that has wheels

(and some things that don't)

the semi

the little people mini van

(he TRULY is trying to step into it here,

usually he steps into it and kind of uses it as a rollerskate)

the animal train

(he had just fallen in this pic)

the trash can :)

(no wheels, just fun)

and the semi again

(this is by far his favorite, probably because it actually works)

He also sits on top of any tractor we have in the house (which there are quite a few) and also tries to "ride" the stuffed animals. I have not been able to capture all of these on film, but trust me, they are just as cute.

disclaimer: my house is not as messy as these pictures may make it seem :)

whobody is an april fool?

Yes. That is me wearing my birthday crown that Keaton made for me.  Yes. I have been wearing it all day.  Yes.  Keaton and Lola fully expect me to wear it when we go out for supper tonight.  Yes.  They firmly believe that if I wear the crown, the waitress will give us 5 birthday cupcakes for our family.  Yes. I will let you know how that turns out.

So, today is my birthday.  Which really isn't an exciting event for me, but for the kids...Wowzers. They think it is great...so I have pretty much spent the morning opening 'presents'.  First of all, Keaton made me a whole STACK of pictures...Lola made a few...and I scanned some of each.  He wrapped up each drawing into a roll and then taped each one with 3 pieces of tape. So, I sat there and opened each one with a scissors, very, very carefully.  To top that off, Keaton insisted that with each drawing that I opened we needed of picture of me alone with the drawing, and then a picture of me and Keaton with the drawing, and THEN a picture of me and Lola with the drawing.  That only took like 45 minutes. :) 

 Lola has been wrapping up lots of presents for me today. What she does is she takes some of her toys, wraps them in her blankie, and then sings Happy Birthday and gives them to me. So far I have received baby Minnie, baby Pluto, Texy, and lots of pet shops and other little trinkets. The kids also decorated...

Yes. That is a balloon taped to a strip of paper (as a string) taped to the wall. CUTE! What are we doing on a day as special as this (that also happens to be a day off of school)?  Well, switching the kids rooms around of course.  Keaton decided that he should move back into his old room so that he can guard the garden again this summer. SOOO...we started moving things. THEN Lola complained that she never gets to move rooms...so, she is now moving into the room the Keaton just moved out of....and the very very very very very very very very very very very very pink room in the house is going to be the toy room. :) So...yes, me and the kids are switching beds, furniture, toys, and clothes around 3 rooms today. I feel like I am doing a Rubik's cube shifting things from one room to the other. Here are the drawings they did for me...

"birthday girl is near she is 32 this year" Keaton (not sure where he came up with the rhyme) 

 "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0" Lola's picture of a rocket (done very very very quickly....)

 "rainbow" by Keaton

"firetruck" by Keaton

Now every time they draw anything or I take their picture they say "Are you going to put this on your blog...you should mom, you should put this on your blog."  I should tell you that they have NO IDEA what a blog even is. They are hilarious and have been extremely sweet for my birthday!