Christmas Crazies

Eli and Ezra have been eagerly awaiting Christmas since at least the week before Thanksgiving. It was intoxicating - it made them just a little bit crazy and it made us a lot crazy. By Christmas Eve, they were like little teapots jiggling as they came to a boil.

All is calm...because they weren't in here yet....

Do you think Ezra is the only 4-year old in America who received a real ladder, a real tool belt packed with mini-size real tools like an adjustable square, channel locks, and c-clamps? Santa made up with this untraditional-ness with the super-traditional train set for Eli.

Eli and Ezra were up at 5am. Forced to wait until at least 5:30. 

The conquerors then left the vanquished field of gifts by 6:30 am - notice it is still dark!

But were all those gifts really necessary? They just want to fly to Mars. And all you need to fly to Mars is a rocket and that can easily be made with two chairs....  

The boys flip the ignition sequence switches... 

And communicate their success with mission control...

Happy New Year!!

Busy Boys!

Eli and Ezra are very busy - always! Eli is generally busy with a new idea (he has about 300 of them every day). This idea is a satellite plan. He's going to build it. Chris was impressed with his understanding of electrical wiring - notice how each dish is connected to a separate cable that comes together in a main cable. Also notice the solar panels extending to the sides.

     

Ezra is usually busy building something. He was so overcome with the need to build yesterday morning that he was outdoors in 40-degree weather in his pajamas at 8:30am. Let's examine the full outfit....worker's tool vest loaded with every tool imaginable - check!.....ball cap and safety goggles - check!....boots - check!.....one arm out of his pj top, because workers don't wear their shirts - check!

Happy Halloween!

Here are our little solar system and construction worker - we're so proud!

The boys were beyond excited about Halloween this year - Ezra in particular. He had it all planned out weeks ago: trick-or-treat then eat candy and watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The only problem was he couldn't make up his mind whether to watch the movie or run answer the door for trick-or-treaters.

Pumpkin Patch 2015

We tried a new pumpkin patch in Wytheville (Williams Orchard) this year. It was better simply because it was simpler. There were no overwhelming bounce houses the size of a barn, there were no animals to pet, there just plenty of pumpkins, a hayride, kettle corn, and more reasonable prices!

Pumpkins 4 Sale it says - yep, there's a couple I'd sell real cheap!

Eli was determined to find the biggest pumpkin they had - I think he came pretty darn close to success.

He rolls his prize along.

Ezra tries desperately to move the wheelbarrow with 50lbs of pumpkins - and sort of succeeds.

The hay bale slide was a huge hit. Did you all know that Eli dislocated and broke his elbow about 4 weeks ago? Had surgery about 2 weeks before this photo? It didn't matter to Eli in the least. To get on the slide, you were supposed to climb up the round bales on either side (see bottom corner). So Eli's strategy was to back up about 30 feet, run at top speed, and fling himself onto the hay bale catching the back side with his good arm to pull himself up. Harrowing to watch, but he had a ball!

Eli is 7!

Eli turned 7 this week, here's a look back....

and now...

We celebrated the heck out of Eli's birthday this year. First we had a picnic with the grandparents at Little River. Ezra having a rare quiet moment fishing.

A heavenly appeal - necessary? Probably.

 Three hunters on the hunt (crawdad hunt that is)

Assume the position

It is a recurrent theme

Success!

We did not invite the crawdad for cake.

So after all that fun we had a pool party with Eli's friends here! I think we know a few of those kids...

I'm sure that's Chris and Ezra is there in the flame orange.

Picnic

Glen Alton is one of our favorite picnic spots. If it had trucks, hammers, and robots it would have literally everything the boys like. There is fishing, a wading creek, a sand pile, and their new favorite creature: crayfish. Ever tried explaining why we call them "crawdads?" I invite you to try.

A case of the sillies!

But crawdad hunting is serious business!

Serious fun!

If I can't take this wonderful, best-stick-I-ever-found home I'm really going to cry!

1st Grade....Day 1....August 11

Here we go!

Here we are!

Summer!

Has it really been 3 months since I posted!? The summer has truly flown by and school will start next week - yikes! They say time flies when you are having fun, so that must have been what we were doing. Here's a recap....

Our vacation to Colonial Beach was very nice and almost qualified as relaxing. The boys loved to be able to play in the calm water of the bay.

 We had the place nearly to ourselves for most of the trip unless you count the ducks.

 The cliffs overlooking the Potomac are really dramatic and Westmoreland State Park was really interesting. We found a couple of fossilized shark's teeth, which Eli thought was pretty awesome.

 He also thought these little guys were pretty awesome. Do you see him? These tiny frogs were everywhere on our hike.

"Grandma Camp" is always a big hit with Eli and Ezra and this year was especially fun because the farmer that rents the land at Grandma and Grandpa's house was putting up the hay (so entertaining!). And he kindly let the boys help. They each got to load a bale of hay onto the wagon using the lift. You can't really see Ezra's face, but he is grinning from ear to ear!

Both boys landed their first fish at the pond as well (catch and release of course). Eli was so excited when he got a bite that he threw his pole down and ran up the hill to Grandma and Grandpa's house to announce his success before he even had the fish reeled in! Chris said he was like a little blonde blur. Then he ran back to check on the fish. Then he ran back up the hill again to get everyone to come see it.

 The fish were loving' those grasshoppers!

Happy Mother's Day

Me 'n our boys....Happy Mother's Day!

Tree house Trees and Lily Pads

We pulled into the farm week before last.

Ezra said "Yay! And I know to watch out and not to step on the lily pads!"

Well, glad that's taken care of.

Here the boys are in one of the five or six trees they selected to hold a tree house. If you are wondering, Ezra was as good as his word and didn't step in a single cow patty!

Ezra is 4!

As if there was any doubt that this 40lb person was no longer a baby, Ezra turned 4 yesterday. He is a real charmer with crazy curls and cuddly ways. He is absolutely passionate about hammers and tools of all kinds. The other day on the way to school Eli said, "I love electronics, I want an electric car when I grow up." Ezra piped up, "I want a truck with tools on the back and a ladder, and I'll build things!" There you go...

A few of Ezra's favorite things to eat are 1. cake icing (maybe with some cake) 2. chocolate 3. mac-n-cheese 4. pineapple 5. pizza with pineapple 6) hot dogs. Yesterday he had 1, 4, and 6 so it was a good day.

Joy! Cake!! Get ready to blow....

Flashback time. Then...

 And Now...