Holey Marker Mayhem, Batman!

Preface to the following: everyone survived.

The setting: Ma was blowdrying her hair. The boys were playing with Play-Doh.

Then they found some markers.

Then one of the boys said something like, "Hey, did you ever notice that these markers have a sharp, pointy end?"

The wall (and couch) was bad enough but this really hurt. Yes, those are punctures.
Now, multiply this by four since that's how many chairs they aerated before they were discovered.

I am grateful for the patience I'm learning. Of course, this isn't the first furniture damaging episode the boys have been involved in. Ma is considering shaving her head so that she doesn't have to leave them unsupervised for that extra 5 minutes.

Water Boys

After watching the ducks splash around in the water the boys decided to join them. Grant started out with just his pants rolled up. That didn't last long. Nor did that. And I suppose this was inevitable. Note the Lightning McQueen "Big Boy" pull-ups. He has practically potty trained himself during the last week. Cole accepted a dare to go out a touch this post sticking out of the water. It was a wee bit chilly. But he got used to it. Of course that left him a little saggy.

Duck!

One thing about having toddlers around, when you find yourself at a duck pond, you can almost guarantee that there will be something in the car that you can feed to the ducks. Pretzels probably weren't their first choice but they ate 'em anyway. They're looking dapper (and dry) in their Oaki Zip Rain Boots.

Misty, Moisty Morning

Next to a mysterious dense fog settling over the ground, my other favorite weather is the "mist." Tiny particles of water just fill the air, and it feels so good to breath it in. (Hey, maybe we could name our baby "Misty!") But since I was too busy working on my YW lesson this morning, my 3 boys had to enjoy it without me.
And they enjoyed our next door neighbor's berry bramble while they were at it.
"Mmmmmmm.

Sand Boxing

Here's the sand our neighbors got to install a patio. They are evil, evil people. They didn't install it right away, of course, they just left this overwhelming temptation sitting there for days, right by our property line. Nothing but (in)house arrest could have kept the boys away from it, and my pleas, threats, punishments, and promises of rewards fell on very deaf ears (just like a lot of things I say) but I believe they were actually incapable of removing themselves. We had to make a choice: get rid of the boys, or get our own sand.
So the boys went with Pop, and judging by their expressions, we are BAD parents for not thinking of this much sooner.
Pop tilled and leveled the ground...
which tilling caused a couple of snakes to come shooting out of the ground (and here Cole is trying to secure them both - one for each hand)...
then Pop built a box, Cole sprayed it down...
and I had forgotten (from my own youthful years) how many hours could be spent contemplating all that sand can do,
and all the places you can put it.
Next step: enclosing with wire fencing, a spring-shut door, and roof on top (no cats, no cats, and a rain cover to maximize the sandbox season.)

All Natural - No Artificial Ingredients

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted kids so I could show them the incredible natural world. My dream has come true! Nothing fills my heart (other than watching them get excited about Nephi and the Liahona in our board book) like watching their amazement as this world unfolds before their eyes.
Just minutes after Pop caught the first crawdad, Cole wanted to hold it, got pinched, shook it off his finger, and was ready for more. After that display, Grant pretty much lost interest in getting within 10 ft of the next catch.
Cole just tried a more cautious approach on the second one, and he felt in complete control. Then we decided to let the poor thing breath again, so after following the little guy around for awhile in the water, Cole finally moved on to running around.
Then a couple days later Pop found this praying mantis while mowing the field (and about 100 more, but he only brought one back.) This thing was HUGE!

He also survived all the love we could give, and was finally liberated after donating 30 min. to the "betterment of boys" cause. And a noble cause it is.

...Like Missionaries Do

We got the boys their first ties. They were so excited to wear their "missionary ties" when we went to church today, although by the third hour they both wanted them off. And by "both" I mean all three of us. Fortunately we got a picture before church.

Cole MacGyver

Well, it looks like yet another child proofing device has proven obsolete for our little magic fingers boy wonder.


Suddenly, chocolate chips were being distributed to an anxious partner in crime (Grant) from a large opened Costco bag. Of course, with such incentive waiting inside, I should have known he'd make a priority of cracking the code eventually. There just aren't enough high places for everything.
He also discovered he actually is strong enough to pull the fridge open. So yesterday he was jumping wildly on the couch with an insanely evil laugh, and an egg in one hand. While I tried to gently talk him down (law enforcement style) he suddenly chucked it across the room, and I watched it bounce three or four times before crashing into the wall and oozing onto the carpet.

This is the real reason Outdoor Adventure Kid Co. was founded - the Crunchers have less of a negative impact on the natural environment than they do in the house.

Making Holes in Wood

I was talking to a co-worker a couple of years ago when his phone rang. It was his son asking how to make a hole in wood. My co-worker immediately started explaining that he could use a hammer and nail or a drill, depending on what kind of hole was needed. Then he stopped in mid sentence as he realized what the question really meant and asked why he needed to make a hole and exactly what wood he was referring to. Right then I swore that my sons would never call asking how to make a hole in wood. They would call asking how to fill a hole in wood, or how to remove a nail from a foot.

We started off with the hammer. Grant looks very natural with a hammer in his hand. Cole demonstrates good form, although he gets a point deduction for the lack of footwear. Next we moved on to the cordless drill. They need to be proficient from both the squat and bent over position. Yes, that's a duct tape band-aid on the Cole's back. Next week: the skill saw. Better keep that band-aid handy...

Clean Hands (and pure hearts)

I filled up with gas a week ago, and realized the pointer was still above the F. While that's great for conserving fuel, it also indicates that we needed to GET OUT! (I mean, beyond our neighborhood.) So we went to the zoo in Portland.
The boys especially love the petting zoo part, and I think we spent most of our time there. They pet the animals for a few minutes, then washed their hands (as recommended) but for at least 30 min. I'm not sure why I didn't take a picture of that. I guess I didn't realize it was interesting until it was over and it was time to go home.
We brought our friends with us, so Cole and Drew drove the tractor in between hand washes. Grant ate way to many cheese crackers, my friend nursed her baby, and I was just happy to be sitting still since this baby is really starting to weigh me down.
And to close our busy day, a few books by Pop - and while it's no Volkswagon Bug, how many boys can you fit into a firetruck bed?