The Birds are Chirping

It's spring around here, finally!  We had a really nice week, then it got cold again, and next week should be great again.  I hear the birds chirping, and I can't wait to get my hands in the dirt and start planting things!  Of course, those poor things will most likely die because I don't know what I'm doing, but I'll try again nonetheless.

The kids have gotten to play outside, and everybody is loving it.  Grace is the little mommy:

She loves taking care of everybody and everything.  Every day she makes lists, organizes, and keeps things running.  She's going to run the world someday.  Here she is giving Matt a push.

Matt tried to return the favor, but all it did was make them giggle.

I had the camera out, and the boys wanted a picture.  Why do they never want to cooperate when I want to take pictures?

Matt has been sick for a week and a half.  I knew he had a miserable cold, but his eyes started swelling after a week or so.  I knew it wasn't pink eye, because his eyes were still white.  I took him in to check for a sinus infection, and sure enough, that's what he had.  But I also found out that he had a double ear infection.  He never once told us that his ears hurt.  He just doesn't feel pain like normal humans.  But all is well now, after I had to bribe him to take his medicine for 5 days.  "As soon as you take your medicine, you can play with your letters."  We should have named him Stubborn.

He's also been really interested in dogs lately.  He asks 20 times every day if Mojo (Sam's dog) can sleep in his room.  Then when I tell him that Mojo is with Sam, he asks if Shoji can sleep in his room.  He talks about them so much that he started calling Shoji "Moji" because he's getting their names combined.  He also loves to flick Shoji's ear the same way he does his blanky ("Dee Dee").  So Shoji has become his replacement comfort item.  Poor dog.  Good thing she loves him, and she's such a good dog.  She sleeps in his room now, and it stinks like dog (not that it didn't before).

Parades are Fun

Today was the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade downtown.  And, since we love all things Irish, away we went!  We got there early, so we walked through the Celtic Festival first.  As we rounded the first corner, there was a vagabond bleeding profusely from his face.  What a way to start your day!

We grabbed some hot dogs (you can get a hot dog, chips, and a drink for $2.00, so it was perfect).  We found our regular spot -- same exact place we were last year!  It was a little chilly, but as soon as the action started and the candy was flying, we all had a blast.  There was a ton of people there.  Matt especially enjoyed digging candy out of the gutter.  He danced to the drummers, ran out in the street when the horses came by, and got really tired by the end.  He was so tired that he mistook another woman for me.  She was about my size, and was blond with sunglasses on.  He followed her a little ways down the street, grabbed her leg, and then put his arms out for her to pick him up.  The whole time, I was following him saying, "Matt!  Matt!"  But he was too tired to bother listening.  The other lady was laughing hysterically (so was her husband).  I finally grabbed him and he figured it out.  Then he fell asleep on the way back home.

Another successful day.

Cowboys

A couple of days ago, Matt was throwing a big fit after waking up from a late nap (he doesn't take naps anymore for that very reason).  Mommy was gone, so Daddy called Uncle Sam to see if Mojo could come over for a "sleepover".  Matthew perked right up, and waited by the door.  As soon as he came (after all the excitement wore off), Matt made a bed in his room, locked Mojo in with him, and there they slept all night.  Poor Mojo.  But Matt was happy about it.

My kids have re-discovered their cowboy hats, chaps, boots, and ropes.  I have been giving them roping lessons, and my banister is about to fall down from being roped (Joey keep saying "whipped").  I need a steer head and a bale of straw, pronto.