Staples, bikes, and Memorial Day…

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

We always knew that James would be the first of the kids to get stitches.  Instead he became the first of the kids to get staples.  He was climbing on something he shouldn’t have at school and fell backwards, hitting his head on a toy when he landed.  Off to the urgent care he went where he received 3 staples and a popsicle.  He didn’t even cry when the staples went in.  That’s a good thing, because I expect many more staples in James’ future.

We have a new set of ducklings at the pond and we thought it would be a good idea to take the kids out to see them.  We also hoped it would work off some energy in order to give us a little peace at quiet/nap time.  I’m sorry to say we failed in achieving either of our goals.  The ducks were nowhere to be found and we found no peace back at the house.  Oh well, maybe next weekend.

No Memorial Day weekend would be complete without swimming and hot dogs.  And bubbles, you can’t forget bubbles.  We enjoyed all these things at Nina’s and Papa’s on Sunday.  We weren’t planning on going swimming because of James’ staples but once we were there we didn’t have a choice.  The kids went in with the clothes they had on and ate dinner in towels while their clothes dried.

Even though we had fun this weekend we still want to keep the purpose of the day in mind.  It’s a heavy thing to explain to a 6 and 3 year old, but we’ll keep explaining it to them every year until they understand.

"On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set today a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

A kindergarten graduate and a police station…

"My heroes are those who risk their lives every day to protect our world and make it a better place."
-Sidney Sheldon

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Ashlyn is already wrapping up her Kindergarten year.  It seems like such a short time ago when we watched her walk into school for the first time with her backpack that was larger than she was.  And yet she got up on the stage, said what her favorite part of Kindergarten was (It was “being a leader and not a follower”), and then sang along with other kids in her class as they wrapped up the school year.  Congrats Ashlyn, you survived your first year!

The Bedford Police Department had an open house this weekend and we thought it would be fun to support our boys in blue while showing the kids what the inside of a police station looks like.  They got to see police cars, SWAT trucks, and even spent a few minutes getting a feel for what it feels like to be in jail.  Hopefully they’ll remember this experience when they’re making choices in High School.

After a brief nap it was time for dinner with the Wolfe’s for a belated Mother’s Day gathering.  The kids played games, picked blackberries, and ate more dessert than dinner.

As an afterthought, here are some pictures of Ashlyn at a splash pad birthday party.  The park they went to was impressive, it even had a zip line and plenty of space for a water balloon fight.  Ashlyn was happiest about her large bag of candy, which is just what we needed at our house.  More sugar.

Gardening and snakes…

"Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!"
-Sitting Bull

Grandma has been a big help this past week by picking up the kids while Mom was recovering.  She even took the time this week to show the kids a new game.  Naturally, Ashlyn won.

When it was time to put straw down on the garden we had two willing volunteers to help spread it around.  After they were finished with their work we had to go save the poor plants who were completely covered.  It was worth it though considering how much fun the kids had.

The blackberry vines decided to fruit this year and the first harvest of blackberries received two thumbs up from the critics.  That’s a good thing as these vines could be producing blackberries for years to come.

After all the gardening work it was time for some fun and relaxation amongst the siblings.  These are our favorite times, simply watching the brother and sisters making up their own games and the pure joy that comes from it.  I hope they continue to have these moments for the rest of their lives.

And then there are moments like these, when two snakes found in the garden become temporary pets.  You win some, you lose some I suppose.

Mother’s Day 2016!

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."
-Abraham Lincoln

This was a more abbreviated Mother’s Day than most thanks to a grumpy appendix that decided it wanted to be taken out a few days before.  That didn’t stop the kids from making picture frames for the mothers.  It didn’t stop them from making a mess of themselves either.

It also didn’t stop them from making Mother’s Day breakfast for our recovering patient.  French toast, orange juice, strawberries, and two freshly cut flowers rounded out the meal.

The kids then made a bunch of arts and crafts which they proceeded to give Mom throughout the day.  Some of the gifts were suspiciously similar to things previously laying around the book/toy room but others were freshly made and happily received.

Later in the afternoon we traveled to Aunt Lisa and Uncle Jeff’s house for a Mother’s Day celebration with Nina and the Early’s.  The kids had a great time playing with their cousin and they were so worn out that they were asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.

Happy Mother’s Day to all those wonderful, amazing mothers out there!  We love you!

Teeth, cakes, and watermelon…

"Perhaps no mightier conflict of mind occurs ever again in a lifetime than that first decision to unseat one's own tooth."
-Gene Fowler

The tooth fairy visited our house again this week, this time for one of the front teeth.  That one had been bugging Ashlyn for weeks and it finally decided to come out after the kids were in bed for the night.  At first I thought something was wrong when Ashlyn came running out of her room at full speed but when she smiled her toothless grin I instantly knew what happened.

While I was out running errands on Saturday the kids decided it would be fun to throw a Daddy’s Day feast.  While I’d like to think it was because I’m a great father and they wanted to reward me for all the life lessons, they really just wanted an excuse to smear white icing on everything they could get their hands on.

Watermelon season is coming again and that means messy faces and rinds all over the yard.  Oh well, it gets the kids outside more often and we have no problems with that.  Watermelon, coming up.