Take A Hike

One thing is for sure - you won't ever hear me complain about this amazing weather.  Getting the boys outside makes me realize how cooped up we've been, so we're soaking up the sun every chance we can get.

Yesterday afternoon we hit up Stroud Preserve to throw rocks in the river and hike around the park.  We made lots of new dog friends and discovered that the maximum attention span for a hike is about 5 minutes.  Noted.

This is where I accidentally dropped Dean's sippy cup into the river below.  As you can see, the boys were totally fascinated with the fact that I did something I wasn't supposed to.  They're still talking about it today. 

Warming Up

It's not easy to survive the Northeast winters. Forget the snow and ice - the worst of it is being trapped inside with 4 energetic boys.

Now that the sun is shining and the weather is warming up, we get out and about whenever we can.

Thankfully there's a park just a few blocks from our house. Around this time the trees are all in bloom and it's absolutely beautiful. Just like Phil and me.

Here's a pic from Ry when he was one and also from a few weeks ago. As you can see, not much has changed.

Another advantage of getting outside - so many interesting options for Time Out. Here Charlie takes it like a man (even with his thumb in his mouth). Ah, sweet springtime.

Sunshine On My Shoulders Makes Me Happy

Today was Mother's Day and it was filled with it's share of ups and downs.

Down: Phil had to work.

Up: He didn't start until 10 am so he got to hang out this morning. Before he left he took this pic of my boys on the front porch with the flowering bush in full bloom. Happiness.


Down: He called about 5 minutes after he left to let me know that his car died, it needed to get towed, and I'd have to drive him to work. In the city. With 4 antsy kids. And the potential thought of having to buy a new car.


Up: We picked Phil up from work and had dinner at Ruby's Diner. On the way home we stopped at the Brandywine Battlefield to watch the sunset. Wrapped up in a blanket with my boys on a bench watching the sun go down...a spontaneous moment remembered for a lifetime.

Love You-Ou

Our fantastic friends came down from upstate New York for a weekend of fun. Friday night we walked into town for pizza and the boys talked us into shoulder rides. Luckily there was a nice flowery backdrop to take my mind off the sharp pains shooting down my shoulders.

We came home for a group bath. No words needed, just take it all in.

The next morning was Cole's first day of T-Ball. The kid's got a great arm, unfortunately he sometimes wears his glove on the wrong hand. Give him time.

While Phil took Cole to his game, the rest of the gang went to the library. Jim found this puppet and chaos ensued.

Last stop on our adventure was The Please Touch Museum. By this time, Graham had totally gotten the hang of the Kerper boys and dove right in.

Charlie stopped to take in the sights...

...and we found this adorable little baby in the faux Children's Hospital.

Everyone passed out on the ride home - three cheers for a job well done. We miss our buds already.

They're. Stir. Crazy. Get. Me. Out. Of. Here.

Is it Spring yet?

These boys have officially lost their minds. They're itching to run around - fortunately (or unfortunately, I'm not sure) our house is a big circle, so sometimes they just end up chasing each other around and around. And around.

Part of Stir Craziness 2011 involves Ry handing me the camera every night and asking me to take pictures of him. He could use some help as Art Director, but right now I'm just letting him do his thing.

So tonight they were playing Sheriff Woody and poor Charlie got caught in the crossfires. I didn't know whether to laugh (Ry and Cole) or cry (Cha) so I just kept snapping.

The countdown to Spring is on.