Dedicated to my SISTERS!

Day in the Life of Kindergartner

Every year on St. Patrick's Day "Lucky the Leprechaun" visits our house, does some naughty things, and leaves a treat for the kids. This year, Johnny got the best teacher! She does so many projects while still incorporating all the state standards and challenging the kids. (Not an easy task to do as a teacher these days, compared to when we were younger!) Johnny was so excited for the latest project...a Leprechaun Trap! He had to build the trap first, and then make a "How To" book with drawings and in detailed sentences explaining how he made it. Right up a 6 year old's alley!

The finished product

Johnny thinks the leprechaun will smell the Lucky Charms bar, and see the "fools gold" on the sticky mouse trap. He then will slide down the "slide" to get it, and stick to the trap. Johnny did this 100% on his own, even spray painting the box and paper towel roll by himself in the woods. The only thing I did, was I wanted to put the trap in the box so he didn't touch it and get stuck. With that said, it shouldn't have surprised me last night when I was putting him to bed and he was quietly trying to hide something from me under the covers. I asked him what was wrong and he pulled out his hands and had the sticky trap ALL over himself. It was also stuck everywhere he touched! One our garbage can lids was covered, the handle of the kitchen sink, the paper towel dispenser, door knobs, banister of the stairs, etc. Textbook case of "Boys will be Boys!" Mom told him "Don't touch the trap" and he made it five whole days without doing it, but just couldn't resist any longer.

Although the trap never did catch that pesky little leprechaun, it was a lot of fun and quite the learning experience making it!

Johnny's has also been begging to have a garden. We told him this year we would plan and prepare for one. We started reading about them, and bought all the seeds and were mapping it out when we came upon a MAJOR road block...our home association does NOT allow for gardens! So, we started with a few pots on the deck this year, and if it works we'll add some more pots next year. Strawberries are coming up GREAT and the boys are loving every day when they can walk out and grab one or two for breakfast!

Johnny planted 5 herbs and they are all starting to sprout and come up as well.

Finally, with all the trees in bloom, and plants coming up, it's my favorite time of the year...NOT! Thankful that there is allergy medicine readily available as our counts are at record numbers this year! (This pic was taken the day after I power washed all the deck furniture!)

Spring Time

We'll, it's spring again, and that means lots of fun visitors in the south. Here are two un-welcomed visitors I saw on the sidewalk during my bike ride the other day. UGH...
It also means the start of spring sports. The older boys are playing baseball and having fun. Johnny was so pumped to be on the "Braves" this year just like one of his favorite baseball players, Tony Mueller.

This goofball spends half his day like this!

Curt-Dog seems SO old to me!

And Bubba is FINALLY old enough for soccer at the YMCA. He's been begging me for about a year, and I've put it off as long as I could. He was in heaven during his first clinic yesterday!

My Big Baby

Ever since Andy could talk, I always teased him about having another baby. At one years old he would yell, "NO!" At two he would say, "No, I Da Baby!"

Here's his latest reaction at three years old, and I thought it was too funny not to share.

US National Whitewater Center 2012

Friday was a teacher work day, so we went up the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte with friends. Andy (The artist formally known as BUBBA) played on the rocks, and in the dirt with his monster truck for 4 hours. He was in heaven!

The big boys did some rock climbing.

Adventure Ropes Courses.

The mom's took turns going on the courses with the kids and watching the little ones.

(For the record, I HATE this pic...I think the helmet is even worse than my Q-Tip looking band hat from high school! I posted it so my sister Ann Marie, and Uncle Greg could get a chuckle out of it!)

Johnny and his friend climbing up the Climb2 Zip line.

Getting ready to make the jump!

The ropes course.

Curtis on the right, and Johnny on the left.

Johnny on the right.

This is Johnny on his first ever zip line.

This is Curtis on the MEGA ZIP. You have to be over 80lbs to do it. So Johnny and others couldn't do it.

This is Johnny doing the MEGA DROP. He is free falling 3.5 stories, and a fan catches his line. He was scared the first time he went up there and came down by me. Saw his little friend do it, and started to throw a fit b/c she did it and he didn't. So, they let him skip in line to go back up there and face his fears. He did it! Was SO proud of him! I did this and it's honestly the scariest thing I've ever done. Doesn't look bad from the ground...but from up on the platform, it is a LONG way down trusting that the fan/cord will catch you!

With a year pass to this place, a lot more adventures are sure to come!

Texting

Last night I was texting a friend and the two older boys were looking over my shoulder. Johnny asked, "Mom, what does BTW mean?" I told him it meant "By The Way." Then he said, "Oh yea, just like LOL means Laugh Out Loud." I replied, "Yep, and like TTYL means Talk To You Later." He thought for a minute and said back to me, "And, don't forget BOC....Body Of Christ!"

Pretty sure I've ever used that abbreviation in a text message!

Basketball

I finally had a game where I wasn't coaching at the same time as Johnny's team was playing. Took my new camera to the game to capture a few shots. Still learning settings and how to use it, but thought I'd post a few pics anyway even if they aren't the best,

Bends his knees like his father on defense! (:

Here he is suppose to lining up against the person he was guarding at half court. He was acting like a goofball, and I'm quite certain the kid was afraid of him! He gets this from his father too.

Entertaining the kids on the other team with a trick!

(Again, another trait from his father!)

Gotta love Kindergarten hoops!

Lefty making a shot with a few seconds left on the clock. Now THIS is what he got from his Mama! (: