What the toys are doing

Big Dogs train was on a "diplomatic mission" when it was falsely detained by the evil mommy empire. Red Five you are the only one who can save it.

Our life in sketches

Big Dog is feeling better

He's been watching football....
and making daring escapes.

Buffalo wings are the perfect game day treat

Big Dog spells

We're just keepin' it real

Big Dog is feeling a bit better. He was trying to rollerskate around the house.

I loved this picture of GH.

It's good, it's good to hear the rain

Mama's little firemen

Big Dog's First Day of Preschool

He was really excited to go to school:)

Big Dog works on his fine motor skills

I know he doesn't look super happy in these pictures but he really does enjoy these activities. I love the game in the first picture. You have to hold the game pieces the same way you would hold a pencil with your fingers. So its great practice.

Big Dog spells a bunch of "et" words

Big Dog didn't write all these words at one time. He wrote these words throughout the morning. He started by spelling Brett (his legal name:)) with Upword tiles. He loves the Upword game that I picked up at the thrift store. Who could dislike stackable letters?


He made this series of words on the refrigerator with Leap Frog letters.

Magic Marker Monday-- featured artist Big Dog

this is artistic genious at work:)

Our life in sketches---The boys

GH threw his toy submarine in the toilet after his bath tonight. I think this sketch captures my desperation in the moments before "the incident":D

The next incident happened a few days ago. We had some store bought cookies that were fantastic. Big Dog wanted to make sure he got more than his fair share. He created and implemented a pretty good plan considering the fact that he is only three years old.

Presto's visit

Cousin Presto came to visit us today. It was great to see him and we had a really good time. We walked to a nearby park. We were the only ones there, so that was a bit disappointing. There wasn't a ton of stuff for kids Presto's age. But, I think he made the best of it.

GH always loves playing on the fire truck at this park. GH LOVES fire trucks. So he had no trouble being entertained.


The kids played on the slides. Presto was nice enough to take GH down a big kid slide. Presto also wiped down all the slides so there were no wet tushies today:)

I love this photo. Rooster followed Presto like this all day long.

I like this photo also. Aren't they sweet?

Later we played outside. The kids thought Presto was the coolest. And who could blame them.....

Obviously Big Dog was trying to do what Presto was doing too. I guess older cousins are the coolest:)

After Presto and Aunt Crys had dinner they had to go home. As their car pulled away Rooster told me "I'm sad. I miss Preston"

The boys are psyched about the new trampoline

The Rosary with Mother Angelica

I have tried introducing my kids to the rosary a few times. Saying it by ourselves seems to lose their attention pretty quickly and has led to outbursts. One day Rooster was so mad at me that she took her rosary and threw it across the room saying "I don't want to say the rosary". (I was pretty shocked. The day before when we were at the Catholic bookstore she had her face pressed up against on of the glass displays. She saying how beautiful all the rosaries were. What a change of attitude.) Anyway, we also tried The Rosary for Kids. But, honestly the sound quality of that cartoon is terrible. And, I think it's a bit creepy. So when I flipped to EWTN and Mother Angelica was on I thought we would listen. Big Dog loved it:)

Big Dog at the Park

Someone has been using my camera

tired little cowboy

GH's early harvest and other outdoor adventures

GH can't wait for the tomatoes to turn red. He has decided that the tomatoes need to be picked now and he is the man for the job. I should be discouraging him more than I am. But, I figure I'm a really bad gardener. The chances that these tomatoes will survive until they turn red is pretty slim anyway:D And in all honesty I just want the kids to have the experience of playing in a garden. (Not a perfect garden....just a garden)

Big Dog loves playing in the garden. He loves to dig, use his little rake, and pull weeds. You heard that right. He loves to pull weeds. What a good little man. My grandmother would have loved him:) I should put him to work more often. It would be good for him and for me;D
GH has a really good relationship with Trouble. This is a picture of GH throwing Trouble's dog food into her water. Trouble loved it and gobbled up all the food GH tossed into her water.