"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans..."

Aint that the truth.  Life has been busy and happening all over the place over the last couple months.  Here is my best catch-up-nutshell version of our crazy life...

We survived yet another tax season.  Are they getting harder or are we just getting older?  Or both?  The good news is that I'm looking forward to that post-labor amnesia that should be kicking in any day now where looking back "it wasn't that bad...".  The GREAT news is that Brian really likes his job.  And, really, life is too short not to. 

Blake earned his yellow belt in karate, way to go, Blake!

Of course now it's getting harder and he hasn't totally committed to practicing, but I'm hoping the hitting and kicking techniques will change his mind (so long as he doesn't practice those on his siblings).  When he's not going kung foo, Blake is putting his new pocket knife to use following his  recent Cub Scouts refresher on whittling.  He's so proud, what do you think of his fish?

Note: whittling a small bar of soap takes a lot of- okay, too much- focus and patience for a group of excited third grade boys.

We also learned how to ski Southern California style- on grass, of course! 

It actually turned out to be a really good team building exercise with Scouts that ended up being very akin to rowing.  And I'm happy to report that Blake seems to finally be doing much better in school...now that it's May.  No doubt he's looking forward to summer and more fort building (he actually builds rooms in his forts!).

Garrett has continued to amaze us with his unique and original Lego creations.

This is the "graveyard" he built complete with headstones, a "creepy" tree, spider web and spider.

Watching Garrett construct this sphinx was pretty amazing- he new exactly what piece needed and where to put it.  He built his in under 5 minutes.

It seems like daily that he comes up with something new.  I can't wait to see what he comes up with at Lego camp this summer...should be interesting.  While I'm still trying to wrap my brain around him turning eight, Garrett has managed to finagle three family birthday celebrations and a friend party next month.  This kid is going to be a millionaire someday...  These days he's added another Character Counts wristband to his collection after being rewarded at school for turning in money he found on the playground.

Does this nullify the Character Violation he got earlier that week? 

Chase is still a bigger version of his sweet and loving self.  He's become quite the talker these days and goes from 0 to frustrated in about .01 seconds...patience is not this child's virtue.  But, fortunately, being too darn cute is.  And so are compassion, affection and cuddling.  Yeah, he's pretty irresistible.  He's also become quite the little dancer/singer.  Here are his moves to Michael Jackson's "Beat It".

Otherwise, his biggest challenge right now is trying to be "one of the 'big' boys" when his body is only three (which doesn't help his frustration).

Ella got her first hair cut!  Yes, while Chase has had more than we can count, we've been holding out on getting Ella's haircut so she could have long hair.  And now that she does, she wants it cut "like a boy".  The compromise was just a trim, which turned out much better than I was anticipating considering that she was growling at the stylist the entire time. 

She even got a style (something I'm strictly prohibited from going).  In the end she walked away with a "Jedi" braid- the one and only time, I'm sure.

She has also become quite enthused with drawing.  Here is the first official drawing that is recognizable to others- can you guess what it is?

It's kind of hard to see, but according to Ella it's a spider.

Now if I could just harness that creativity exclusively to paper... 

And, of course, she is still dressing up (and undressing) Ella-style constantly.  

Here's one of the coolest things about preschool- the twins got to celebrate their "special day" at school, where they celebrate non-school birthdays.  They were super proud to have Aunt Renee come to read a few of their favorite books.

Aimee.  My updates are a little less exciting...I'm still running about 20 miles a week, which is good considering I discovered cake pops (and really wish I hadn't)! 

Other than keeping up with family, I've been working a little less and am promising myself I will make time to write more.  Summer is just around the corner and I'm ready- or at least armed- with workbooks, summer camps and sunscreen.

Easter was low-key this year.  Mostly because we had been too busy to plan much more than an egg hunt and a totally nontraditional (but easy) lasagna dinner.  I really need to talk to the Easter bunny about rescheduling Easter for AFTER tax season.  Just as well- we went light on the egg hunt too, since I had already eaten most of the candy. 

Mother's Day was also low-key (the theme around here when things get crazy).  And, you really can't go wrong with a massage to celebrate.

 

This was the Mother's Day Tea at the twin's preschool where the kids in the class created the menu for the moms.  This year it was chicken noodle soup, lemonade and chocolate ice cream.  Yum? What I love about that is that they are all comfort foods, which tells me the kids love the comfort of mom!

 

Then there was the hailstorm of '12.  We had a few days of cold rain and hail- so much so that it accumulated just enough to make ONE snow/iceball.  By the next weekend it was 80 degrees, so that was our winter and then we were into spring.  It was fun while it lasted.

One of the coolest things about San Diego is "Free Tuesdays" at Balboa Park.  On this day we went with Nana to the Natural History Museum to see the dinosaurs (of course) and then went to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center where the kids got to explore for hours.  A portion of the upstairs was dedicated to stick building- whatever you can imagine and build!  We all had fun building masterpieces (and learning about physics...).

Over Spring Break the kids and I got to visit with John, Jen, Patrick and Jessica, who we haven't seen in almost eight years!  What a great time (minus the stomach bug that knocked a few of us down), and how fun to be grown ups and reminisce about childhood!  It was especially fun getting to know Patrick and Jessica a little better- what sweet kids (which is strange to call them, since they are both taller than me and twice as big since the last time I saw them).

Speaking of family, we recently had the privilege of hosting a family of House Wrens in the birdhouse the boys made with Grandpa a few years back.  Blake was the first to notice it, but I was doubtful because I thought the hole was too small.  Turns out, it was just the right size for a small bird and perfect shelter for a nest!  

In fact, we've had quite a variety of birds hanging out at our house lately- a Scrub Jay that waits on our patio for bread crumbs, a Coopers Hawk and a Redtail Hawk that consider our yard prime hunting grounds, hummingbirds that keep checking back to see if we've refilled our feeders, and a woodpecker that can be heard and seen poking at the neighbors' trees.  Blake even did his school presentation on birds- and a special thanks to Aunt Nee Nee for helping him!

And in the midst of it all, we moved Penny/Grandma & David/Grandpa in early March to be closer to us.  The move was all that Penny had talked about wanting for years, and we were able to spend a little more time with her in the last month.  Sadly she passed away just a few weeks after moving here (more on that in another post) and we think about and miss her often.

The good news is that this summer is promising to be unforgettable!  The boys are really looking forward to fishing and bird watching with Grandpa, going to Lego, Lasertag and rock climbing camps, and hopefully spending most other days in their bathing suits (literally, not metaphorically, although nothing would surprise me in this house).  Chase & Ella will hopefully be taking swim lessons and tumbling.  And I'm just hoping to keep my sanity :)

Thank You. Sorry. I Love You So Badly.

This was the very thoughtful poster Blake surprised me with (also part of the message from church that weekend- another gift to know that they ARE listening, even when you think they aren't).

It's hard to read from the photograph, but it says "Thank you. Sorry. We love you so badly. Happy Mother's Day". You can't really see the drawing of me eating cookies saying "yummmm", but that's at the bottom right. Thanks to the twins for the beautiful coloring job.

Garrett was equally thoughtful and creative with his card.

His words of gratitude are very appreciated and I love that he calls me a "big pretty sunflower". But most of all I enjoy knowing that the reading time we spend together is as special to him as it is to me.

It really is true- mother's don't need gifts, we just need to know we are loved and appreciated!

But when we do get gifts, a flower in the form of Lego's is a perfect gift from my Lego-lover Garrett, and the "flower trophy" (as Ella named it) that Blake built is perfect from my son who loves to build and use tools.

A very special thank you to Brian for his shining example of unconditional love. How lucky am I?

By the way...I love you so badly too.

Legos: Love 'em & Hate 'em

**STREET SCENE UPDATE AT BOTTOM**

They get stepped on and tripped over. They stick together and get shatter apart. They get spilled on, washed with the laundry, consumed by the vacuum cleaner, and go airborne when kicked across the wood floor. They get buried in the carpet and in the smallest conceivable places. They reside in the couch, under the couch, behind the couch and most other pieces of furniture. The same goes for the car. They give puncture wounds on your feet and bruises on your knees when met with your full body weight. They get chewed on, spit out, swept in to small, irretrievable spaces. They get fought over, forgotten about, obsessed over and left teetering on the brink of their demise. They can be found in every nook and cranny in our house without much effort, despite my best attempts to contain them.

But they offer hours of endless (and maybe more importantly *quiet*) entertainment and every so often one of the kids builds something that just blows me away.

Here is Garrett's latest Lego "scene".

The details just astound me. Not only does this "painter" have his paintbrush in hand (and spare behind him) and is obviously painting the wall, but he stands elevated on scaffolding with guard rails, with spray paint nearby, assisted by a streetlight, and is under the watchful eye of a security camera. All this from a bunch of random pieces and the vivid imagination of a six year old!

I guess THIS is why I put up with Legos. It's a love-hate relationship, really...but today it's pure love and joy!

**STREET SCENE UPDATE**
What would a true city street scene be without music? Garrett added to his creation a couple musicians putting on a show to a crowd of people. There's the guy holding the microphone with his hat turned sideways (so Garrett)...

the guy standing on the box playing the horn...

check out the guy in the crowd holding the stereo. He even nailed the clothes.

If you look closely you'll notice that the painter is now tagging with his can of spray paint. Interesting imagination...what can I say, Garrett thinks of everything. And HE won't be going anywhere near spray paint any time soon! We'll stick with creative expression through Legos, thank you very much. And just one more reason to LOVE 'EM!

Garrett and the Grinch

This one really amazed me.

I still haven't decided if Garrett really captured the Grinch or if the Grinch embodies Garrett... Either way, pretty impressive for a five year old.

The Very Happy Caterpillar

From the moment he could hold a pen (without eating it) Garrett has loved drawing. And it's been especially fascinating to see the progression of his art with added detail and the design flair that is Garrett. It's hard not to love his "characters" made with such heart and intention...and given with love to me!

Here are some of his latest drawings.

Happy, smiling bugs put everything into perspective...at least for a moment.
And like any good artist, Garrett has a signature all his own.

Isn't five year old art work priceless?