Southern Boys in the Deep Deep South

Yowzers. Art was horrified by these pictures - he said they look too much like rednecks! What he doesn't know is that we were on our way to pick up Art/DaU at work, and they did not want to wear shirts in the car either. I didn't care, and would have let them go like that, but lucky for not-so-easily-embarassed Art, they changed their minds.

This was before Wyatt had his accident in the window. Now, nothing hangs in the window (you can see the red beaded culprit in these pictures), and noone is allowed in the window.

Climbing into the window

Attempting to smile for the camera - Zach squints and Wyatt says "mile"

More posing

Post jump onto the chair

Fun Birthday Party for K.D.

Zachary and Wyatt got invited to their friend K.'s 3rd bday party.  What a fun idea.  K.'s mom arranged for a local firehouse to give a tour of the firetrucks/ambulance/gear room etc.  It was a bit amusing, because the fireman's spiel was aimed at a bit older audience, but K., E., Zach and Wyatt listened intently and did not goof off!
Some cute pictures:

Zachary, Evie, Kale listening to the lecture - Kale brought his fireman hat, and Zach is wearing his firetruck shirt

Wyatt, Evie, Kale, and Zachary getting a tad tired of the hoses portion of the tour

Finally!  Bday boy gets to drive the firetruck!

As does a happy Zachary

Zach driving with an unidentifiable look on his face

Cutie Wyatt driving the firetruck

Wyatt loving it!

After the firehouse tour we headed over to the playground nearby to, in the words of Zach, pay pay pay.  We also got treated with yummy ice cream cake!  Too bad the weather was just a "BIT" windy!

Wyatt had a blast at the playground, not playing with others, or swinging, or his normal activities, but throwing tennis balls back over the fence gate to the players that accidentally hit them over.  He thought that was just grand.

Fun time had by all!  Happy birthday K.D.!

Random Zachary Stuff from Feb & Mar

Random pics of Zachary that don't really fit into their own blog posts.

One of Zach's favorite tattoos: Snot Rod, a character from the movie Cars.  He wanted it high up on his arm (instead of his usual spot on his hand) because he wanted to be like JS, the guy of the couple that we mentor.

Zach asking me to take pictures of him - here he is posing

And now smiling, just so he can see if the pictures turn out well

Uh oh - Zachary's hair getting too long - check out the ponytail

Ponytail I put in his hair which Art abhored.

Easter fun comes early

Since we would all be back in Evanston for Easter, Poppi and Mema wanted to do some early Easter activities so they too could enjoy it.  Yesterday, MeMa boiled about 2 dozen eggs.  Today was time to dye and decorate them.  Art is still at his conference in Portland, OR, so it's just the 5 of us...the boys still in their jammies!

Poppi helping Zachary and Wyatt put eggs into mugs

Wyatt waiting patiently for his turn with the stickers

After a bit of time for the eggs to dry and the boys to get some clothes on to go outside, it is time for an Easter Egg hunt!

Wy going to his fav place - the birdbath - to look for eggs

Zachary w/ his basket looking hard for his eggs

What good Easter egg hunt isn't followed up with a bouncing session in an inflatable castle??  Nana and MeMa funded a trip to the consignment sale the night the before and we stumbled upon this for only $8.  It had 2 holes in it that were patched up by duct tape. 

Inflatable bouncy castle - $8 at a consignment sale

Unfortunately the patches didn't hold so well, and all the air in the center part - where they jump - leaked out.  Once the patches are fixed though, I bet it will be lots of fun for them!

Later, after MeMa and Nana were done at work, they got to take part in another egg hunt.  We had no fewer than 6 hunts over the next few days.

Breaking Child Labor Laws??

Not sure if any child labor laws are being broken here, but Zachary sure does love it, and has since he was little little.

Zachary and Poppi preparing to mow the lawn

Zach looks very cool in his sunglasses.  He generally hates to wear them, but he was told that he MUST wear safety glasses if he was going to help, so he aquiesed.

Zachary doing most of the driving!

Just another fun activity to do while staying and Poppi & MeMa's house in Georgia!

Wyatt, on the other hand, usually our daredevil wanted NOTHING to do with the lawn mower.  He kept hiding in my arms then finally said he wanted to go inside.  So odd for him.

Another Drummer??? Sigh!

Zachary has been a fan of drums for a long long (comparatively to his life) time.  He got REAL drumsticks for his 3rd birthday.  No drums yet...we're putting that off for as long as possible.  Enter Wyatt, who also thinks drumming is GREAT!  They both like to watch the drums at church, and both like identifying the drums in songs they listen to.

Wyatt has now taken the drumming love to a new level.  He has a drum outfit: the pearl necklace.  He has a drumming seat: he takes the cover off the turtle stool.  He has a specific drum: the sofa in the playroom.  This whole set-up is the only way he will drum.  Can't find the pearl necklace?  Then no drumming!

Tonight, Art decided he would take Zach to Awana and enjoy an hour at Caribou Coffee, so I was at home with Wyatt.  These pictures represent most of the evening after dinner and prior bedtime.  He's a character, our Wyatt!

Posing prior to his show

Singing a bit too

Explaining his actions

Hard core drumming

Our little stinker!

Oddly, Zachary seems to have given up his love of drumming.  He still enjoys watching the guys at church, and listening to it, but it is rare to see him using his drumsticks. 

Ode to Spring

Ok, not an ode really, but more of a "sigh - I wish spring was here already".  In the car on the way home from the River Trail Nature Center this morning (several from Zach's preschool class went since there was no school for the MWF kids today), Zach asked if we could have a picnic at the playground today.  I said no, since there is SNOW ON THE GROUND.  So then he asked if just mommy, Zachy, & Wyatt could go to a restaurant for lunch.  I said "hmmm, we've never done that before.  Maybe, If I can find something that looks good" Then Zach followed with "I don't WANT to go home, I want to eat OUTSIDE".  So today, I brought back an old favorite - Picnic in the Front Room

We put down a blanket over the rug in the front room and had ourselves a nice little picnic.  Well...nice until Wyatt put a damper on it w/ some serious bad attitude that ended with him sitting alone in the dining room in his highchair screaming.  Lovely.  But it was sure nice while it lasted, and Zachary loved it.