silly for spring

As much as Oscar loves his Legos, Lincoln Logs, and “screen things”, I can assure you he likes being outside even more, and has from day one.   If only he didn’t deal with doggone allergies so bad this time of year, I think we’d just about live outside.

Now, having a mobile one, and a scary goose that has returned for the 3rd year to lay eggs at the bottom of our yard by the pond, I am even more thankful for our fenced in backyard.  I’ve already called that I will surely go into labor pitching the ball to Oscar out back.  Not anytime soon, just calling it.

We’ve had a handful of perfect spring days so far that really make me look forward to lots more.  Here are some phone pictures from the last week or so of kiddos playing outside while I rotate between playing and putting my feet up and enjoying a snack with some ginger beer.

I think Oscar would maybe be done with the water table, if he didn’t have a new buddy who loves it as much as he once did.

 

Miss Evelyn is fiercely independent, and I love it. She was a total mess after eating a popsicle yesterday, but blissfully happy (once I gave in and let her hold it), and it wasn’t anything a bath and a little bleach in the next load of whites couldn’t fix.  

Someone is working on stealing my summer reading spot.

Here’s to countless hours outside, and many more memories playing baseball, bubbles, chalk, soccer, and the random games one creative 4 year old makes up.

look what i can do

Look out world.  This girl is on the move.

soccer week 3

Oscar seems to be getting the hang of this whole soccer thing a little more each week. Need examples?

1. He only ran off the field to give me a hug and a kiss once yesterday. 🙂

2. In the 2nd half he got a little more aggressive in going after the ball instead of staying back and watching all the others fight for it.

3. He’s discovered that he’s quite fast.  A couple times he swooped in and got the ball in a jiffy.  One time he even scored a goal!

Go Gorillas!

roomies

Last night was night 1 for these two roomies.

Oscar is thrilled to be sharing a room.  If you think Evelyn looks unsure, it is because she totally was/is.

All was well until about 1:30 a.m., when Evelyn began a series of scared wakes.  They lasted until 3, when we waved the white flag and put her back in her old room where she slept like her usual champ self.  Baby steps.

Enjoy the grand tour!

I’m so glad that we have some time to work this transition out before the littlest arrives.  Tonight’s plan:  keep the room a little darker (swapping a dimmer nightlight for their moon lamp) so if she wakes she hopefully doesn’t remember that things are different.  She did have two successful naps in there today, so I’m hopeful tonight will be better.

 

*UPDATE*
The first two nights, we moved Evelyn to her old room around 3.  Since then, all has been going swimmingly!  Hooray!

resourceful

You’d think these two don’t have any toys.

An old laundry hamper (that was pulled out to pitch) has provided hours of entertainment.  I’ve since tried throwing it away a few times, but when I do Oscar declares that the sky is, in fact, falling.

It has even been a bucket in our own version of Bozo the Clown’s Grand Prize Game.  

Evelyn has a walker.  Two actually.  However, she often cruises right by them, pushing anything and everything else.  

If only I can teach her to fold the laundry and put it all away.  

Never mind the fact that he has a basketball goal hanging on his closet door, as well as a Fisher Price one outside.  He plays with the one in his room when Evelyn is asleep, but if she’s awake and in her room he sets this up to be in the same room as her.  

Good job, resourceful ones.  Maybe I should be like the mom that took all her kids’ toys away (shot version and long version).  Just kidding…but we have purged a lot lately to getting ready for human #5’s arrival (causing one “treasure loving” kid to declare that everyone forgets about him).  Don’t worry, Oscar, we won’t get rid of all of your toys, just promise you’ll always be as creative and content with the little things.  

 

conversations with oscar

Eyeing the chocolate bunny in Evelyn’s Easter basket…

Oscar:  My sister can’t have chocolate…can she?

Maggie:  …

Oscar:  Can she?  Can she?  I can eat it for her if you want me to.

Maggie:  Well, that’s very nice of you to offer.

Oscar:  I know.  

 

Playing with the sticks that hold his tent up…

This is after he walked around holding them like Elmer Fudd and said he was hunting.  Reminded me of the “props” bit on Whose Line is it Anyway?

 

Taking me by surprise…

Oscar:  I want you to make some of those kale chip things with dinner.

Maggie:  (faints)

 

Showing off one of the many things he’s learning at BSF…

 

Heartbroken that we were going to clean out some toys…

Maggie:  We are going to get rid of this.

Oscar:  Noooooooo!

Maggie:  It is broken.  

Oscar:  Everyone forgets about me.

Maggie:  …

 

Randomly quoting Turbo…

Oscar:  So classy!

 

Giving Tom Jones a run for his money…

Apparently this is on Turbo, also, although I’m not entirely sure.  I do know we don’t jam to Tom Jones around the house, so it is from somewhere else.  Hilarious nonetheless.  

 

After his bath last night…

Oscar:  I am so handsome.

Maggie:  You are, and very humble.

Oscar:  Yeah.  

big girl

Does a Pebbles Flintstone ponytail mean she’s not a baby anymore? 

Either way, it is just too much for me.  

She eventually yanks the rubber band out, but so far it lasts way longer than a clip so we’ll keep going with it…especially at dinnertime.  

 

happy easter

What a great day!  Here’s the recap:

The kiddos enjoyed looking all over the house for their Easter baskets before church.  Here’s their loot.

After church, we headed to Nana and Pops’ house for lunch, an egg hunt, and some much needed relaxation after a busy weekend!

 

Oscar was in no hurry to find Easter eggs.  With no competition, why not pick them up at a leisurely pace?  Just wait buddy…you’ve got Evelyn and the “group” (baby bro and twin cousins all due this summer) to give you some competition very soon!

  Hey Oscar, can I have some of those jelly beans?

Just kidding.

Happy Easter, from our family to yours!

 

 

soccer week 2

On our way to the game today, on his own Oscar started a conversation about staying in the game, instead of running over for kisses, high fives, etc.  And with the exception of when his cleat fell off, he did stay in…during the first half.  The second half of the game he zoned out a few times and showed off some sweet superhero moves (which in watching the other boys on the team, I’m discovering must be typical 4 year old boy stuff), told me he was hungry, and that his finger hurt.  But when this boy decides to go for the ball, he is quite speedy and goes for it all the way.

Lots of pictures since Greg had to miss the game, per our little athlete’s request.  

So close, buddy!

Even though Nana, Pops, and I told him how proud we were of him, and they don’t even keep score yet, he told me that he’s still sad that he didn’t score today but “it’s ok!”  I guess this competition stuff starts early, huh?  

 

 

egg hunt and exhaustion

Easter weekend is always one of Greg’s busiest.  Three services each today and tomorrow.  He actually had to leave early because he was asked to play music at a funeral this morning, followed by a second rehearsal with choir and orchestra for the weekend services.  He left at 8 this morning and will be home around 8 tonight.  Oscar has a soccer game at 4, and while I maybe should’ve stayed home until then to get a few things done and relax, I decided to take the kids to the town’s egg hunt.  I’ve been wanting to participate in more town and park organized activities, and I wasn’t going to let being sans Daddy and 33 weeks pregnant (and quite sleepy) stop me.  I almost let the fact that we had to park at town hall and walk to the park stop me, as I thought we’d surely be late.  Fun mom rallied, though, and we made it just in time.  The egg hunt probably lasted all of 30 seconds, and yielded just about 10 eggs or so, but Oscar had a blast.  

Evelyn enjoyed leaving a Cheerio pile for the birds, but must’ve already known that today was going to be a tiring day.   She had zero interest in rallying. 

After the egg hunt and a trip to the store for Easter dessert ingredients, we are home and resting up to take the circus to town for soccer in a bit.