Bringing up Boys...

This is what I deal with when raising boys...
They're on the deck playing (well) together, and I look out and see this:

Yep, it is what it looks like!!!

Playdates and Water...

We went to Cathy's house for a fun morning of playing in the water...
Jake, obviously, was one of the first to go down the slip-n-slide... Sam took awhile of watching the others before he ventured down - but once he did, he loved it!

Do I see l-o-v-e in Macey's eyes???

The three amigos... Sam, Kaden and Riley!

We might have to buy the Pipers a couple squares of sod by the end of summer!!!

The infamous tricycle...

Just a bit after this picture was taken, Jake decided to drive the tricycle down the hill that the slip-n-slide was on! Needless to say - it didn't end well! He ATE it... LITERALLY! When I got to him, he was spitting mud out of his mouth; I had to clean it out of his EYES and his NOSE! He scraped his face a bit, but it was so minor that if I had taken a picture of it, it wouldn't have shown up! He cried for quite awhile, and even sat in my lap for a bit... if that tells you AT ALL how it must have hurt... and scared him!!! Nothing a cookie couldn't cure though... thank goodness! I hear the tricycle didn't fare as well... the handle bars need a bit of a readjustment! I'm just thankful that he fell into the grass and not on the sidewalk!!!

4th of July

We had a fairly relaxing weekend.... aside from me having quite a bit of work to do!
On a whim Sunday evening, we decided to 'run over' to the Mall of GA for the fireworks. Sooo, at what should have been bedtime, we loaded the kids up and went. Getting there - not a problem!!! We found a spot and made ourselves right at home!The kids were entertained in the back of the truck for about two minutes...Flashlights lasted about another two minutes...

Being silly for the camera may have taken up about five minutes...

Running around occupied the other hour and a half!

Watching airplanes...

Is that Pop Pop? Uncle Bo???

Silly time again...

And there was wrestling... OH! You thought that once they were out of the car that they stayed that way!? HAHA!!! Heck no!!!

What did that picture look like Mommy? Is it getting darker yet?

Finally... they should be starting any minute now!!!!

YAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!

We love fireworks!!!!

What? They're over already????

Next came the 1 hour ride home that should have taken 15 minutes! The kids loved the fireworks, though! They got in bed close to midnight and still woke up at 6:30 AM (Sam) and 7:30 AM (Jake)! Yep.... since I'm not too sleepy right now, and they are napping.... I'll say that it was totally worth it!

Happy 4th of July!

Funnies and Pictures...

I have a few 'funnies' saved up:

• Sam, Jake and I were discussing a balloon that had recently left us (and by that, I mean Jake let it go and it flew away... and it was devastating... and it still 'bothers' him over a month later). They have agreed that it went to heaven. Sam was trying to decide how long it has taken the balloon to get there, and he said, "It's a long way up to the Stair Palace." Awwwww....
• Many mornings on the way to church, we play the quiet game. Jake TOTALLY gets the object of the game, but NEVER complies. In his constant babbling, BJ started talking to me and he yells, "Daddy LOST!!!!!"
• Sam splashed some water out of the tub one night at bath time. BJ started drying it up and talking to Sam about how sad it makes Mommy and Daddy when he makes a mess. Sam looked at him and said, "Please just dry it up. Mommy doesn't have to know about it this time!"
• Mosquitoes seem to be a bit more of an issue this year!? Sam has had quite a few bites here lately. He scratches, needs medicine, etc. Somehow one got in the house and he and Jake were 'running' from it. Sam looked at me and said, "It's OK mommy. When Daddy gets home, he can shoot it with his gun and kill it." Thanks buddy....
• Jake got the hand towel from the guest bathroom (which is navy blue with a row of red stars - we're festive around here) and wrapped it around his shoulders. He came swinging into the kitchen to me saying, "Look at me Mommy. I a black boy!" I don't make these things up, folks!
• Sam was playing with a particular toy that we only have one of (this is rare that we only have one, and you're about to see why). Jake decided he wanted to play with it too. This then involves me refereeing to make sure that each child gets a fair turn. When I told Sam it was his turn to share it with Jake, Sam looked at me and said, "Well.... OK... here's the deal: I'll just put it there (high on the counter) and that way no one can get it right now."
• While in the office, I hear Sam yelling, "Jake dumped the crayons!!!" Me: "Please clean them up. I don't want to come in there and see a big mess!" Sam: "Then you just don't come in here if you don't want to see a big mess!" Jake: "I not did it! Sam did it!" I just didn't go in this time....
• Sam and Jake got their little round chairs and put them on the floor upside down. Sam started saying (and Jake started repeating), "I'm driving a meaty van (mini van)!" I don't know where this came from... I don't drive a meaty OR a mini van!!!!!
• I typically put Jake to bed at night while BJ puts Sam to bed... I pray with him, read him a story, then rock him for a few minutes... then he always wants some water. A while back I forgot his water cup downstairs, so I hollered for "BBBB JJJJJ" to get it for me. Jake found this amusing and started yelling for "BBBB JJJJ" too (BJ didn't find this as amusing and Jake and I did!?). Last night, I was rocking him, he pulled his paci out of his mouth, grinned at me and said, "I think I need water... BBBBB JJJJJ!!!!!!" It was hysterical... especially since it has been a few weeks since that 'incident!' He totally just wanted me to laugh at him ---- it worked!!!!

That's all of those for now... onto some pictures!

Sam crawling around the ENTIRE pool! He has SOOOO amazed me at his adventurous attitude at the pool now! He has an inner tube that he jumps in and goes anywhere!

A particularly chilly day at the pool...

Water day in the driveway while Daddy mowed the grass...

We discovered Jake's 'swimsoup' was a bit large still... Sam set these up one morning on my side of the bed.... that night, I stumbled over them in the middle of the night getting up for/with one of the kids. Sam rebuilt them and then came to me and said, "Mommy, I would like to remind you to get up on the other side of the bed next time!"

Jake's pb&j face... lunch at the pool!

Sam got himself dressed....

My cuties.... they came to the park while I had a photo shoot (for the record, Jen met us there and babysat while I worked!!!)

But it was a cool picture of MY boys nonetheless!!!!!

While Mommy Works...

Well, first of all... Jake got his long-awaited trip to Mimi and Pop Pop's too!!!!! It was much shorter because of reasons beyond our control, but he enjoyed every minute with them! And I don't think he even cried when he left me this time!?

Shower time... his favorite!!!!!Pop Pop came to assist and offer technical support for a photo shoot (i.e. got the tractor set up for me to use as a prop... and brought lunch.... and babysat!), so he brought Jake back and Sam was actually my little helper on the first leg of my photo shoot!

Then, while I went to my next shoot, Uncle Bo and Pop watched the boys... the pool has a leak, so the water level is the perfect height for two little boys of the approximate ages of 2.5 and 4!

And yes... they were naked (sorry about the weird coloration... camera phone!)

MAYBE I should mention that they were naked in the pool because they had just gotten back from a 4-wheeler ride and a romp in the creek that had left them soaking wet and DIRTY! So the clothes were in the dryer while they 'rinsed off.' Ahhhhhh..... life at the farm!!!!! Every boys' dream!!!