Daddy tricked them: Does Beamer have BLUE eyes, too?

What color eyes does Beamer have? As the boys were getting ready for bed, Silas started talking about what color eyes everyone had. Mike asked  "I wonder what color eyes Beamer has?"

The boys immediately ran over to check.

"BROWN!" they both yell in unison.

Mike grins. "Are you sure?"

They both look closer. "Yep! BROWN!"

"I think they look BLUE if you get close enough"

As they go in for a closer look, Beamer's tongue is within kissable distance and we all know that this dog can NOT hold her licker! (The boys giggle when her tongue comes out to slurp.)

GIFT FROM THE HEART: Guard FARM and fencing

Nana and Papa brought THE GUARD FARM to the heart of the midwest, crossing the mighty Mississippi to enter the rolling hills of eastern Iowa. They started their gift out with farm animals. Next, each boy got their own set of fencing to corral their livestock collection(s). After that, while they were busy playing, Papa snuck down with THE BARN.

Papa drafted plans and built this barn these past few months. (He also built all of the fencing!) He was proud to tell us that it is sturdy enough for the boys to STAND on the barn. He did NOT, however, expect to hear a few short days later (4/28/14) that they boys tried to GO INSIDE the barn!

As for the picture of Mike wearing my polka dot rainboots, he was busy working on landscaping the backyard the day that Nana & Papa came to visit. (Guess WHO is getting his own rain boots for Father's Day?!?!?) Neighbor Dave noticed Mike working in the yard, gave his head a nod and announced "Nice boots!" For the record, they ARE super cute boots! :)

BAT-season

Silas woke us in the middle of the night Friday-into-Saturday a few times.

The first, he appeared next to Mommy's bedside, announcing "Mommy, I love you!"

"I love you, too, Buddy. Go back to bed! Good night!"

• • •

Later, he woke Mike, announcing "I don't love you. I love Mommy!"

"I love YOU, Silas!" Daddy announced.

Then, Silas announced "Grandpa said it is BAT season!"

Silas went back to bed. Mike eventually followed down the hall, en route to the bathroom. Silas had put himself back to bed (AGAIN).

• • •

Starting to think, securing the babygate might be a friendly reminder for him to STAY IN HIS OWN BED!!! (It is getting tiring being woken night-after-night with his proclamations of I LOVE YOU! Although, you really can't EVER tire from hearing those words from the mouth of babes.)

CATS: It's my birthday, I can do what I want to...

I keep finding part of the drain in strange places... on the kitchen floor... in the laundry pile... and didn't know WHO was to blame for it. Obviously, it is all the more reason NOT to have a clean kitchen/house... because they are LOOKING for something fun to do. (When the kitchen counters are clean, the cats tend to hop onto them... which they almost NEVER do ordinarily.)

This time, I caught my culprit! (However, it was the BIRTHDAY of Eddy and Otto today so, I couldn't hardly be mad at him!) NAUGHTY CAT!!!

NOTE: Eddy is the look-out. Otto is IN THE SINK!!!

GOT IT!

Where should I put it TODAY?

Right about... HERE!

AH, YES... PURRfect! :)

Just like that...

Oh, shoot! She just called my name! BUSTED!

At least it was a DIRTY LAUNDRY pile! (Kind of gross to think about all of the places he's batted it around the house... and how incredibly GROSS it is!!!) EEEW!!!!!

"I saw the glove in the road, too" he announces

April 13, 2014: Sinkhole in neighbor's front yard

The SINKHOLE is in the first section of grass, between the corner and their driveway. This house sits at the corner of Clarke Drive and Paul Street, with the house further from the actual corner. (The TAG marked A is our property.)

A busy Saturday and then, Spiderman stopped by the neighborhood

I had gotten a call from our neighbor, Bev, saying that Spiderman was going to stop over to say HI to the boys. Sadly, Silas was napping (and Sydney was PRETENDING to nap). Naps were scheduled into our overly-busy Saturday for good reason.

10-10:30am Steel Drum Concert at the library.

A trip to the River Lights Book Store to say HELLO to our favorite pug, Lulu, as well as a special treat (Organic sucker) that they boys LOVE to get whenever they go down there.

LUNCH!

NAPS!

12:45 Mommy witnessed Spiderman helping Frank unload the lawn mower from the back of Frank's truck.

1:00pm Mommy witnessed Spiderman scare the mailman when he came out of Frank's house to get the mail from the unsuspecting mail carrier.

1:30pm Visit from Spiderman; Boys were SCARED!

2-4pm BRIDGES at the library. Watched an hour-long movie on bridges and then, BUILT bridges out of toothpicks and marshmallows as a family.

HOME FOR DINNER! (Boys requested to make PIZZA with Daddy... AGAIN this week!)

6:30pm Fill-up with gas, on the way out to Swiss Valley Nature Preserve

7pm Swiss Valley Nature Preserve OWL PROWL

Busy Day... Happy Family!

Spiderman helping Frank unload the lawn mower from the back of Frank's truck.

Spiderman knocked on our door, scaring Sydney. He stopped by to say HI and to tell us "Go see my new movie... Spider Man 2!" (We've never seen the first movie, but they did know who this super hero was.) They watched him run back to Frank & Bev's house and later saw Frank drive Spiderman away in the truck.

"For some reason, Frank and Bev must KNOW Spiderman." the boys announce.

PROUD: PTSA (PIZZA)

Sydney says "This is the pizza dough. The black circles are olives. The pink is sauce."

Sydney sounded out and spelled the word PIZZA... 

PTSA

Age 4... AWESOME JOB, SYDNEY!!!

Here are how the other classmates SPELL the word PIZZA:

Sophie is ALWAYS a very talented artist!!! WOW! (She JUST turned FIVE!)