Ice Cream

So today I had 4 kids under 4 yrs old under my "lone supervision" for about 4 hours - 444 is the new sign of the devil...haha No, they were actually all great! No meltdowns, brawls or bitings to speak of - even on a good day I can't claim that with just my two!

But it was like "Playing Olympics" here - we ate lunch, played Chutes & Ladders, on the swing set, Super Heroes, with the rocket launcher, in the sand box, had CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM, played inside with all our toys...WOW...I should've had kids in my 20's for the energy they require! Anyways, here are some funny pics of (mainly Jake) savoring every drop of his ice cream, well, all except that which got on his face, shirt, pants, on his hands and hair.




















Jake wouldn't let me clean him off so he played in the sand box with sand-covered chocolate hands and face. Who knows, maybe he'll find a career as a circus clown and choose this photo to send in with his resume!


I really wish I had a good explanation for the last 2 photos but I don't...my best guess is that Jake was trying to suck every last morsel from the cup on the left.

And for the below photo, when I first saw him in the sand box he was laying on his back with his hands behind his head. Unfortunately he would not reinnact the position so this is what we got instead...him curled up, face down in the tiny sand box looking half-dead!

So the boys loved their Valentine goodies. Funny thing was the first thing they went for and were so excited over were the balloons...cheap, easy-to-pop, tiny, balloons! Goes to show once again, it doesn't take much to make kids happy!

HELP WE HAVE A PRINCESS ON OUR HANDS!

Not much to report but I did want to share some pics...Luke has been in a "dress"-up stage for a while now. Even, I, his own mother, found this "get-up" a bit disturbing which he borrowed while playing with my neighbor's grand daughter. I have to admit I think Luke is an adorable boy but maybe not the cutest "girl". Wait til we whip these pictures out when he starts dating...women hopefully!
VALENTINE'S HIKE IN SANTA BARBARA
Once you've caught your breath...here are a couple other pics of our
Valentine's day activity - in the morning we went to Santa Barbara to
see the monarchs in Ellwood Grove. The boys were troopers!

Happy Valentine's Day - 2009!

Brad has to travel all week so we celebrated Valentine's or Valentime's (per Luke) a day early this year. Luke, Jake & I decorated heart-shaped cookies for Brad with food coloring pens. Funny thing is when Brad called home yesterday Luke spilled the beans and said, "Hi Dad, ahhh, we aren't making anything!" and then asked me if he could tell him that we WERE making something special. Luke was excited to give Brad the cookies but not without an ulterior motive...he wanted Brad to share the edible Valentines with him and Jake.

My darling boys decorated sweet cards for me, bought me my favorite chocolates, as well as a beautiful bouquet of flowers AND a cool running outfit to wear to work off the chocolate!

I bought Jake and Luke each a big, soft, floppy doggy stuffed animal. But when I showed the dogs to Brad he looked disappointed. I asked what was wrong and he told me he bought the boys doggy stuffed animals too however, his easily fit into the palm of your hand. We laughed; I didn't mean to take the wind out of his sail. Actually it's perfect; now the bigger dogs each have a puppy to take care of!

These dogs'll be waiting for the boys in the morning!
I would have added the "puppies" in the pic but the boys are sleeping with them tonight!!!