A crazy person shops the wine aisle at Walmart

Picking up some beer for our Independence Day party...

Scene: Shopping at Walmart with the boys when Sydney suddenly starts turning into a crazy person - looking like Seinfeld's Kramer being chased by a swarm of bees, being sucked up into a tornado and then, thrown across the floor where he's sliding across the aisle on his butt.

MOM: (calmly) Sydney, please control your body. I don't see any other people acting crazy like that while shopping.

SILAS: (points and yells) Look, Mom! A crazy person right there! (Pointing at a very normal looking woman in the wine aisle.)

RANDOM CUSTOMER: Well, I've been called A LOT of things, but CRAZY is NOT one of them!

MOM: Silas, (*I hope*) she's NOT a crazy person. (*blushing*) I am SO sorry! .... (trying to explain...)

CUSTOMER: (laughs) Don't worry about it. *It's kind of funny!

* Likely much funnier when it ISN'T YOUR KID!!!

Stormy day spent under the table

Since our DUO Tornado WARNINGS (complete with sirens and quality time spent in the basement) last Wednesday, Silas is fearful of "TOMATOES" and suddenly dislikes THUNDER and motorcycles. He spent a lot of time under our dining room table this morning, with his hands over his ears.

Our morning was as dark as night with storms rolling through the area this morning. This photo was a short while BEFORE they got here. Expecting more of the same weather for the next few days. (Computer will likely remained unplugged for MUCH of the day.)

Backyard Campout 2013

Making homemade ice cream. (Sydney requested CHOCOLATE.)

Backyard campout 2013.

(Thanks for taking our picture, Grandpa Lowell Guard

AND for providing the "campground" for us.)

Happy Father's Day MIKE!

2013 Galena Hot Air Balloon Races

2013: Mommy with Silas

Deja Vu
2011: Mommy with Baby Silas

Camping NOT scary. Sleep at Sam's Club.

We watched "Sid the Science Kid Backyard Camp-out" on PBS from the comfort of a blanket tent in the living room.

Later, I asked the boys "Are you excited to sleep outside in a tent?"

Silas informed us "Camping not scary. Sleep at Sam's Club."

We've admired a large tent that they have on display at Sam's Club and have commented on "Someday, we'll go camping and sleep in a tent." I guess he thought we'd use THAT ONE.

basement picnic from the tomato

We had a "picnic in the basement because of the tomato outside". Armed with flashlight, extra batteries, library books, drinks, food and 2 cats, we hung out in the basement at dinnertime. The weathermen suggested for small children to wear their bicycle helmets and our boys ran to get them. They did a great job consoling each other, too.

ROUND 2 - We were post-bath, getting Silas dressed in jammies and were ready to read bedtime stories. This time, we only found Otto to take with us. (Turns out, after-the-fact, that Eddy was hiding under the bedskirt on Silas's bed.) Sydney realized that we forgot the bike helmets so, I grabbed them.

"It was just (a/another) test one, mom." Sydney proclaimed when we got the all-clear. (Both times.)

Don't think I can handle that much excitement again tonight. Will keep our bag near the kitchen door - just in case. HOPING we're done for the night!

Our boys did AWESOME! Hoping they won't have nightmares from it tonight.

2013: What I know about my Dad

Thought it would be interesting to see what kind of answers the boys would give to this (yearly) questionnaire that I recently found online, thanks to Pinterest. 

While Silas napped, I quizzed Sydney. After Silas woke, I asked him.

"I don't know." was the most common answer for Silas. (I have to cut him a break... he JUST turned TWO and is QUITE the talker!) However, if I asked him again, he would come up with an answer.

Drinking coffee and beer were common themes; 

I guess that IS what you do when you get bigger.

Hopefully, Daddy won't be too offended by the AGE guessed. (Actual: 42.)

I'm also wondering if Sydney meant "Save BIG Money" instead of "spend a lot of money".

 I was a little offended that Sydney responded that Daddy cooks supper so much. (Mommy cooks, too!) We recently adopted a MENU CALENDAR to plan weeks worth of meals and menus at once, which is working out nicely. Plus, we can still take turns cooking meals. Win-Win!

I wondered what both of the boys would say about Daddy's hair. 

Silas said BLACK, but he doesn't REALLY grasp colors AT ALL. 

He used to count "1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - PURPLE!" 

Sydney said Daddy's hair is BROWN. 

The truth is, Daddy shaves his head every week, leaving him to look like Mr. Clean.

Here are the What I know About my Dad survey results:

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

P.S. Hope you LOVE your Mr. Potato Head card that Sydney picked out and Silas licked the envelope closed while we were shopping at Target one day. They picked it out JUST FOR YOU!

A recall = WIN for us!

Got a letter over the weekend that our latest vehicle repair ARE now (likely) a recall item! YAY! That means $500 back into our pocket! Have to fill out some paperwork and clear it with the dealership. Fingers are crossed that OUR REPAIR really DOES qualify.

NOW... if only the leaking moonroof and sunroof repair was a recall item... THAT would be FANTASTIC!

Toddler Logic on Christmas Gift

Earlier today, we were using a melon baller on a juicy watermelon. The boys took turns "helping" with that chore and took MANY samples along the way.

For some reason, I had left Silas in the kitchen and came back to find that he had a whole arsenal of kitchen gadgets in the works... a churchkey, a rubber spatula AND the fork-half of the salad tongs. He had put the (dirty) melon baller back into the kitchen drawer. (Awesome.)

After putting Silas down for his afternoon nap, Sydney continued to make balls and drink watermelon juice. Somehow, he dropped the fork-half of the salad tongs and it broke.

"Maybe Dad can fix it. He's good at fixing stuff." Sydney immediately proclaimed.

"I don't know, buddy. It's probably garbage now."

"But the spoon part of it will still work." he explained.

"Well...." thinking of it as a serving spoon "maybe as a spoon, but NOT as a tongs."

"Yeah, it will still be a good spoon. Just THIS fork-part is garbage."

"That's kind of a bummer. I can't remember for sure, but I got that for a Christmas present a couple of years ago because I really wanted a salad tongs. I don't remember if I got it from Santa Claus or from Daddy."

"I'm pretty sure you got it from Daddy. Santa just brings toys or coal."

Laughing, I exclaim "Just toys and coal?"

"Yep, toys and coal. You had to get it from Dad."