Boys will be boys

As long as the weather's been nice, we've continued on our "house projects", especially the outdoor ones. The boys are usually quite content playing outside with their swingset and sandbox. Yesterday started no differently, except that Logan had a nuclear meltdown when Carter dumped out the water from their water toy. Apparently there's a water shortage that I'm unaware of. So, I told Logan he could fill up one bucket of water and refill the water toy. I then walked away to do other things in the garage (I know...I may have a master's degree, but I'm not too bright!). About 10 minutes later, I peeked over the fence to see them backing up their dump truck, wheelbarrow and four buckets...all in line to be filled up with water. By bedtime, they were soaked from the waist down and we had a small lake in our back yard.

Making mud.

So when they had to come in, Ryan picked each one of them up and I stripped off their pants and threw them into the laundry room sink. After doing laundry this morning, I discovered a small treasure in my washing machine, courtesty of Carter's obsession:

Washed rocks, anyone?

I decided they must get their love for water from their Daddy. He does his fair share of laundry, vacuuming and cleaning the counters, but I don't believe he's ever scrubbed a toilet. However, he will spend hours power washing the driveway. I don't try to make sense of it...maybe if someone invented a power dustcloth...

"Don't walk on the driveway; I just washed it."

Earning our keep

Another week gone by and my to-do list continues to grow. I have to say my biggest frustration with motherhood is never being able to start AND FINISH anything. So, as Ryan and I are trying to finish up things on our house, my parents took the boys last Saturday so I could work uninterrupted.

I brought the boys over to their house at 7:30 and my parents returned them at about 7:30. I had my running list of things I had been wanting to tackle, but Ryan had also asked me to pick up rocks and rake a little so we could plant the front lawn. So, rock picking began at about 9:00. 20 minutes and 50 rocks later, it didn't look like I had removed a single rock. So I began raking up the rocks...and proceeded to do the entire yard for the next 5 hours. Every now and then I'd stop and look at the lake and remind myself that I do like living in Alaska. The constant paranoia of a bear mauling or moose trampling aside, it is peaceful here. It's actually possible to get to where you can hear no signs of civilization and I love that.

Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God..."

So upon completion of my yardwork, I learned that dirt actually can look nice with all those little rake marks. I also learned that there are certain muscles affected by a ceserean that haven't recovered in almost three years! I was a wee bit sore the next day.

I raked from the fence on the left, in front of the house...

..and along the left side of the driveway.

Lastly, our boys are learning importance of saving. We've been using a reward system at night for almost a year now. They have the opportunity to earn dimes for good behavior. Carter doesn't really get the concept (although he does understand "Mommy is keeping this dime.")Logan, however, seems to do well with the concept. We actually got the idea from a book I read and I talked with a co-worker of mine and he was using it with his kids. It just goes along with the idea that MOST of us would not show up to work as often as we do, for as long as we do if there were not that thing called a PAYCHECK at the end of the two weeks. Same concept for kids; they need incentive. So, each night the boys earn their dimes and put them into their "store savings", "bank savings" or "Sunday School money" based on their behavior for the day (not arguing, sharing toys, etc.)

Anyway...we bumped it up a level after realizing Logan really liked riding the kid's four-wheeler our babysitter had. So, we decided to show it to the boys at the store and told them they could earn it if they worked around the house and saved up their dollars. As it turns out, they decided they like the Jeep better than the four-wheeler. So, they have begun to clean the table, feed the dog, help with laundry, etc. for dollars. Logan's definitely more into this than Carter. They're even watering Grandma's flowers while she's on vacation. In fact, we were out for a walk the other night and our neighbor jokingly said "I've got some work for you" (he was cleaning his screens). So, Logan proceeded to "help", expecting a dollar at the end. Somehow, both he & Carter managed to leave our neighbor's yard with a dollar each! Logan even told me yesterday that he prayed to God for ideas on how he can earn more dollars. So far, the little buggers have earned about $35 in a week!

Happy Belated Mother's Day!

So this past week has been my first official week of "retirement" (as so many are calling it). So far, things don't really feel all that differently to me. I am definitely tired at the end of the day, but we kept pretty busy this week. I even managed to keep track of what day it was (although I don't expect this to last).

On Friday, we made gifts for the Alaskan grandmas...an envelope "basket" filled with artificial flowers (hand decorated, of course). We also made flowers from styrofoam cups by cutting strips towards the base and then baking them for 10 seconds; the boys LOVED watching them curl up.

Decorating the baskets.

Concentrate, concentrate.

Making styrofoam flowers for Mother's Day.

On Saturday, the boys, Grandma Rita and I went to the Kenai Air Show. Carter mostly walked around and looked at the planes, but would only go into one of them. Logan, however, spent a LOT of time in each plane. Naturally, being a type A first-born child, he had to ask what each and every button was for on the control panel. Thankfully, Grandma Rita got "stuck" with Logan and I ran around with Carter, so I was spared the aviation lesson.

Hopefully this is the only time Logan will ever be in a rescue basket.



Balloon man.


Carter on the summit of the "mountain".

The highlight of the whole airshow...playing in the dirt.

Rule #1: Be specific when instructing your children...I had asked him to "finish your hotdog." As a result, he DID....all in one bite!

Logan launching his rocket. He remembered this from last year , so it was a good thing they were doing it again.

Before & After Pics (it's tough playing so hard):

We've also been finishing up some things on our house...windowsills downstairs, trim, staining the fence, etc. The boys LOOOOOVE to "help" Daddy.

Daddy got a new sprayer for staining our fence. Naturally, we have to pump it up and try it out... on our face.

Finally, Sunday was Mother's Day. After church, we went to my parents' house and Rita joined us as Jim was working on the slope. The boys took a long nap. (Translation: all the Moms and Dads got to eat in peace!)

Aaah, yes. I am not the only one with the occassional urge to choke him!

Grandma Rita modeling her styrofoam corsage. Very stylish.

The boys proudly giving the grandmas their gifts.

It seems odd, but it was 5 years ago on Mother's Day that Ryan and I found out we were pregnant. How time flies...and how I am learning that my children bring out my strengths and weaknesses. I don't know what the next five years will bring, but I know I have a very understanding, loving and patient husband as well as two healthy and energetic boys. I am very blessed.

Happy Mother's Day!

An Alaskan Spring???

Imagine, if you will, that you are sound asleep under the covers, dreaming about your "happy place." You awaken to "MOM! I wanna go outside." You look at the clock...6:04. Aaaaaah, the reality of living with two little boys. For the last three days, this is how my day has started. They don't seem to care that it's only 40 degrees outside...or that there's still snow on the ground. They just want to be out of the house. So, out of the house they go. However, it takes a little more preparation than when we were in Arizona last month. We dig out the winter jackets and boots that I was hoping to shove into the crawlspace and bundle them up in everything but snowpants. I fill my pockets with a fistful of kleenex (clean ones in the right pocket, used in the left).

On Saturday, they had played on the swings and slide, gone for a wagon ride and Logan had dug halfway to China with his excavator...all by the time I left for bible study at 8:45. Thankfully, we fenced in our backyard last summer, so it is possible for them to be outside for a few minutes by themselves without too much worry of moose or bear.

Just a swingin'

You never know when they're might be a shovel shortage, so hold on tightly!

Good thing he doesn't really have to see to go down the slide...gravity works.

So after freezing a few fingers, they were finally bribed into coming indoors to make a watermelon cookie...sugar cookie with frosting (and chocolate chips for "seeds"). Here's to summer!