May

Here’s a bit of what we were up to the rest of May.

There were a number of hikes and bike rides
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Avery had an “acting” role in his Back to the 50’s school musical, as a mini Chuck Berry. He loved dancing around on with a real guitar on stage with his friends. Not the greatest picture, but he’s up there, third from the left.
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Roasting s’mores
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Jonathan took the boys to Bellevue Park one weekend. They happened upon an event with Seahawks defensive lineman, Michael Bennett. (He’s the one who hopped on the police bike and rode it around the field after winning the playoff game that sent them to the Superbowl last year).
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Pizza, anyone?
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Caterpillar season!
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Don’t laugh, this is genius! Silas loves the long bike rides, but sometimes the final push up the parkway is just too much. This solution makes everyone happy!
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One of my favorite things to do with these little guys. It’s so fun when they all pitch in together.
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Play date at the park with Bode
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And here the are back at the house watching the garbage man (that’s Bode’s little bro, Deacon, on the left).
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Silas is becoming quite the little (race car) driver. Sometimes he returns from the top of the cul de sac with this little cute, Nathalie!
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This was a big day for the boys. Avery read in one of his Minecraft tutorial books that there is a way to play the game together from two devices. So he sat Jonathan down, showed him the instructions, and voila! Now he and Kieron can play together. They love it, and I think they would play forever if we let them.
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The boys opened up their lemonade stand at the community garage sale. Despite the fact that they consumed much of their product, they made $17 in one afternoon! Each boy has their own talent. Avery is the business man. He manages the money and most of the pouring. Kieron is the salesman, and is a real go-getter. Silas is the entertainer, and uses his charm to attract customers. They make a good team!
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Baking cinnamon rolls!
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Mother’s Day

I enjoyed a fun Mother’s Day with my boys this year. The Friday before, there was a party at the farm school. The weather was beautiful, and we had a great time doing crafts together and playing with the animals. On Mother’s Day, I was served biscuits and gravy in bed, followed by some time to myself, followed by family time. Overall, a wonderful day!

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Here’s the boys making a lavender sugar scrub for me. (Later in the week, we all tried it out together and made the tub very slippery!)
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Saying “hello” to the bunnies
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Wilbur has grown! Can you believe he used to fit in the chicken coop and steal eggs?
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Love these!
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Our attempt at a Mother’s Day selfie:
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And thanks to Jonathan for taking this one! I am so lucky to have these boys!
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Kieron Turns Five!

Our little Kieron turned five this Cinco de Mayo. I can’t believe he’s graduating from pre-k this year and will move on to elementary school. I wish he would slow down!

At five, Kieron is such a sweetie pie, and very sensitive and emotional. He is sharp, witty, has a healthy sense of humor, and likes to get silly. He loves the color pink, having his toenails painted, playing with trucks and in the mud, and enjoys playing Legos and going hiking. He is his big brother’s right-hand man, and is into anything Avery is into. He has a freakishly good memory, an extensive vocabulary, and loves to listen to stories.

A picky eater since birth, Kieron really turned a corner in the food department this year. He added rice, chicken, steak, some fish, celery, yellow peppers, and lots of salad to his menu this year (and those are just the things I can think of off the top of my head)! Not that he was ever small to begin with, but it is no surprise that he came in at 90% for both height and weight at the doctor’s office. (That’s 45.25″ tall and 48.5 lbs).

We celebrated Kieron’s birthday with a party at our local bounce house, and invited a few of his nearest and dearest friends from the neighborhood and school. Everyone had a terrific time, and the boys all had red faces and sweaty hair by the end of the party. I’d say it was a success!

Here he is on his last night as a four-year-old
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Baking cupcakes!
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Minions
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At Kidz Bounce
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Silas was out of control, all over the place – a bouncing fiend
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Bode
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Cupcake time – Kieron wasn’t so comfortable being the center of attention
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“Maybe if I close my eyes they won’t be able to see me.”
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The king on his throne
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Here he is with Liam
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And with Gaby
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8 Years, 3 Boys, 1 Stitch

We had a good run, but we knew it was only a matter of time before one of our boys got stitches. It comes as no surprise to us that our little daredevil, Silas, was the one it happened to. What was more shocking was that he got it doing something as mundane as walking. So here’s the story:

The boys and I had driven to Monroe to see my girlfriend, Laura, and her family. They had stopped to visit family and friends on their cross-country move from Maryland to California. The kids played outside while we caught up on the patio. About an hour into our gab fest, Avery came from around the corner, “Mo-om?” I could tell from the worried sound of his voice that something had happened. I sprang up, rushed toward him, and then saw Silas, who at this point had been bleeding from his forehead for probably 15-20 seconds, had touched it, and had blood all down the front of his face and on his hand.

I have to laugh now at my response – I kind of freaked. Not bad, but I definitely yelped/gasped/screamed. I’m not totally sure, but thank goodness Laura was there, she grew calm and gave me a look that said “take a breath,” which I did. So we scooped Silas up, took him inside, cleaned him up, and examined him. It was a small wound, but deep. He would definitely benefit from a stitch, but it could wait a little. So I slapped a bandaid on him, and we finished up our visit. Avery and Kieron were so good! They patiently sat in silence together on the patio waiting for news on their little brother. And Laura’s daughter, Calista, got right to work on a Get Well card for Silas.

In case you’re wondering how it happened, according to Avery, who saw it all, Silas was walking, and tripped on a landscaping boulder, then hit his forehead on another one.

Jonathan met us at Urgent Care in Redmond. He brought with him the essentials that would get us through the wait: iPads and Silas’ stuffed gorilla.
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Silas was in good spirits, and I think enjoyed being the center of attention
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Jonathan and I took turns holding the numbing solution on his cut for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Silas held some on his gorilla’s forehead.
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Silas was a great sport. He didn’t like it when they washed out his cut with “spicy water” though, and cried. We were so worried about how he would do when he got the stitch, but he closed his eyes and held absolutely still. That part was easy-peasy. Here he is after the ordeal.
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Earlier in the day, Laura and me, friends since 7th grade!
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Update: Silas had to have his suture removed a few days later. Jonathan was out of town for work by then, and we really didn’t want to pay the bill for one little snip. So squeamish though I am, I discovered I am quite good at removing stitches!

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Springtime Happenings

Here are a few pics of what we’ve been up to so far this spring.

Grammy came to visit in April. We had a great time! Here’s us on one of our many walks together.
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She watched the boys one morning while Jonathan and I hiked Mt. Si.
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The wildlife loves me!
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Here’s Silas building one of his marble run creations
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Over spring break, Avery and Kieron participated in a UK Elite soccer camp. (They’re in the back in the grey and yellow jackets). They had fun, but I don’t think either of them care too much for soccer!
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Heres Silas taking Kieron for a ride. He’s really improved his driving skills. The tires are getting pretty bare though, and he likes to slide into turns, which can be a bit unnerving to watch.
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Avery and Kieron working on a book together. Check out that bed head!
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The boys watching the trees come down where their new school will be built. I’ve never been so happy to see trees come down!
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Avery posing in front of the grounds
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My flower child. This boy always makes sure I have a flower!
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And this boy… when I snapped this picture, he was saying, “Mommy, look at my penis!”
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