Come on spring!

 When it's 65 degrees in Nebraska, you can't stay inside.  We enjoyed the whole afternoon in the sunshine!  I finally remembered to take some pictures as the sun started to set.

 While Andrew spent most of his time playing football & Teresa riding her bike, Rebecca used lots and LOTS of sidewalk chalk.

 "fishes swimming in the ocean with numbered bubbles"

"a flamingo"

& my favorite was "Fasx about Jesus", but that deserves it's own post.

Come on spring!

Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!

 Actually, it was jumping Rebecca & her doll Jessica.  Even Teresa's doll Caleb was invited along for a morning of fun.  Rebecca was just tickled pink at the idea of the dollies jumping with her.  "They" were out there for at least half an hour!

Hand-me downs

 One of the moms from our parish was cleaning house & offered this awesome Littlest Pet Shop set to us!  The girls (& Andrew) have had hours... & I mean HOURS... of fun with it already.

 They are hilarious to listen to while they play.  Whenever Teresa is a baby anything, she pulls out her high-pitched, squeaky voice.  Whenever Rebecca is a boy animal, she makes this goofy face while she's talking.  Crazy kids.

Thanks again, Kim!

Winter, spring, summer, or fall?

We're not really sure what season it is, but we're sure loving it!

Not quite yet. Keep dreamin', Tootsie.

The "Tower of Cold" created by Andrew & buddy Cadence

Saturday Funnies

Rebecca has a current fascination with what is healthy (for your body, for your skin, for your teeth, & more!) or what is not. She REALLY wants candy to be healthy. Here's a conversation from this morning.

Rebecca: Is frosting healthy for you?

Darren: Not really.

Rebecca: What IS healthy for your body?

Darren: Brussel sprouts.

Rebecca: Chocolate brussel sprouts???

***

Andrew & Rebecca were in one of those moods this morning when they could just play & play & play without a squabble. (If only that could last all day! or at least all morning...) At one point they were "wrestling" & tackling each other followed by growls & "I'm so tough" kind of comments. Teresa wanted to get in on the action, but didn't really know how. At one point the growls broke into uninhibited giggles as Teresa came out with a daring snarl on her face, but not armed appropriately.

Andrew: (giggle, giggle, giggle) Do you really think you're going to get us with a pillow & a tutu? (giggle, snort)

Let the sun shine

After a taste of snow that so quickly melted, we are eager to enjoy every chance at dry sunshine we can get. Rebecca may have taken it too far... Easter Bunny on a bike? Really?Andrew is excited to kick anything you put in front of him. This volleyball has become our norm for soccer... guess we could get a soccer ball? I can't believe that never crossed my mind until now.When did he get so HUGE? Because strolling with her puppy outside wasn't nearly thrilling enough, Teresa had to add a little roller skating action. She really only wiped out twice! However, I'M not planning to try it anytime soon. At 2 that girl has more coordination than I do at 32.

God's Beauty

We've been revelling in every single beautiful fall day that God is giving us! This day was just so gorgeous outside. We decided to relax in the backyard. But, Teresa being the workaholic that she is, decided to tend the garden. It got pretty intense... hence the helmet.

Gathered Goofiness

(Most of) Our GodTeens
I discovered last week that our backyard neighbors host the Freshmen youth group from their church every Wednesday evening... just like we have Sophomores every Wednesday. So, we decided to get them together for some fun & competition while the weather was still nice outside. We played some hilarious games & had a great time! It was a fabulous ecumenical kick-off for our year of basic apologetics. We didn't really do anything except play for half an hour & a quick prayer at the end, but they still were caught off guard. Afterwards they asked, "Do they not make the Sign of Cross? Why not? Why do we?" That was just too easy. Hello, Holy Spirit!

Cushy Combine

Flying high

Airshow 2011 Teresa made sure we saw EVERY pass of EVERY airplane; "Aiplane! Aiplane!" Repeat 400 times. Fat Albert flying low over the frozen lemonade stand

"Angel! Angel!" They were pretty incredible. The kids all loved it until they did a low flyover from behind us... then they were a little freaked out! To avoid some of the traffic we stuck around afterwards & jumped in the bounce houses. It was right up there with their favorites of the day. :P

Andrew left saying he definitely wants to fly a jet when he grows up...but maybe the Thunderbirds instead. He was also inspired by the parachuters!

Under construction

Andrew won this great prize through the Summer Math Program. For every 15 minutes of flashcards, they could throw their name in a raffle. He came away with this awesome construction set! The tools actually work & the "wood" is actually a kind a super tough foam.
We spent the first Husker game on the radio cheering on our team & constructing.
Rebecca was collecting random scraps to make her own creations. The final products: a fort & a jet. And there's still more "wood" left over!

Nesting

Imagination

Here is Dr. Andrew taking care of patient Rebecca's broken leg. He put it in a cast (made out of paper towels & tape) while she laid on the exam table (underneath the comforter it's the piano bench & ottoman). I think that Teresa is holding on to the piano upsidedown & not winding up to whack the other leg... but I can't be positive.Teresa decided to wear her long sleeve shirt around her waist for some kind of stylish scrubs, I guess. Maybe it will be the next hottest fad?

Baking up a storm

Playdough is one of the kids' favorite creative ventures. I'm all about it, too, as long as it's not the same day I already washed the floor! We whipped up two new batches as a combo Summer Math Program activity & refill the tubs project. Using the recipe from our preschool teacher makes it even more pleasant because it uses Kool-aid packets to add the color & actually pleasant smell! Highly recommended. Since it was still a little warm, I told Andrew he could stick it in the fridge for a minute so that the colors wouldn't just smoosh together. Teresa, of course, followed suit when I wasn't paying attention with her entire cookie sheet knocking over most everything on the top shelf of the fridge. :P Check out that "birthday cake". He's available for hire.

Park it