Spring is in the Air

The other day, after we got back from McTeacher Night at the kid's school, they were just dying to play outside. It was still pretty nice, so we did. I let them soak up all the nice spring warmness until it began to get dark and chilly. I think they are as ready as I am for a weather change. I could tell they were relishing every minute of their outdoor fun.

You'll Never Guess What We Have....

I bet you probably can guess since I should quit dedicating time to my family on this blog and keep space solely for rodents. That's right, folks...we have more gerbils! Poor Blaster, may he rest in peace, did not make it. He makes the list for the shortest lived rodent so far. We may have had him for the shortest amount of time, but Chance loved that little guy. It definitely made an impact on him when he died. I wasn't here (thankfully) but he came out of his room carrying him in his hands and CRYING. So very sad. I got all of these details via text message and knew we were going to be in for a long night. By the time I made it home, Chance was coping okay. We promised him that he could get two this time...a "back-up" gerbil, if you will. They were purchased the very next day. For those of you who are dying to know, the new little friends are Squirt and Speedy. As Chance likes to point out, they are twins. (They also happened to be the only gerbils in the store that day...so it is what we were destined to be stuck with, regardless.) That's right, double the trouble and double the mess. Yay, me! However, Chance is happy and that makes the whole thing worthwhile. He began playing with them right away. As I've said before (I know my blog readers know WAY more about rodents than they ever wanted to know), gerbils are much friendlier that hamsters. So stay tuned for gerbil mayhem...I'm sure it's on the way.

Fun in the Fort

Well, we (by we, I mean Brian) put the fort up for the kids the other day. Ava was trapped in the house due to her sickness and she was going stir-crazy. Brian had mercy on poor Ava and gave in to her eternal pleas. This fort is such a pain...definitely a mistake on Santa's part. Please remind me to have a talk with him to ensure no further "mistakes" are made. It takes an eternity to put together and fills up our entire living room once its assembled. Not to mention, it is the most flimsy thing in the universe and only stays completely in tact for 1.5 seconds. That may seem like an acceptable amount of time for some, but when it takes at least 15 MINUTES to put together...well, you see my point. Lets just say if Ava hadn't been sick and cute, this never would have happened.

The fort always starts out by looking fun and exciting. Look, the kids are having so much fun...

It's a wonder I had any time to take pictures at all, because 1.5 seconds later, it looks like this...
AHHH, the joys of the fort! Daddy said it was the "fort farewell tour"...we'll see how that all pans out. :)

How Sad Is This?!?

...well, sad and cute at the same time. Poor Ava was so sick a couple weeks ago. There were really no symptoms except a really high fever for an ENTIRE week. I went through a whole bottle of Tylenol and Motrin. The trick part was that she seemed fine as long as I could keep her fever down. When it went back up, this is what she did. She would just pass out. She missed almost a whole week of school. There were a couple days that I sent her, thinking she was better, but then she would come home with a fever, AGAIN! Needless to say, I am so glad this nasty bug is over. She is back to her cute, hyper self. :) YAY!

Heaven...That's All I Have to Say

Okay, I know you will never believe this, but I have never had a HOT Krispy Kreme donut. There, you know my secret. Never had one, that is, til the other day. My sweet husband took Chance to the dentist and followed that up with a trip to the donut shop (that's what all good dads do, right?!?) Did I specifically tell him not to bring me back a donut? Why, YES I did. Weight Watchers doesn't exactly condone a donut first thing in the morning...or rather, I don't because then I have no points the rest of the day. So, guess who shows up at my door with a donut anyway?!? You guessed it. He justified his actions by telling me that it was hot and free, so he HAD to bring it back. He then left it on the counter and told me that I didn't have to eat it if I didn't want to. Does the man know who he is talking to??? UGH! Yes, I ate the stupid donut and it was AMAZING. Why in the world did I have to wait til I was on a diet to discover HOT Krispy Kreme donuts?? That is just my luck. I'm proud to say that I had that ONE, but no more...I promise. You should also know that Ava wore that crazy hat until all her donut holes were gone. Too funny.

Fun Times!

I took this picture of Ava and Brian snuggled up on the couch the other day. I thought it was really cute. Although, the poses always change a little from the time I realize it's cute until I actually get my camera. One thing is for sure...she loves her Daddy.While Ava and Daddy were on the couch, Chance was very busy reading his Percy Jackson book (The Lightning Thief). (Please excuse the lack of pants....this is typical Chance attire when he is at home...lol). Not to be a proud Mommy or anything, but I have been really impressed with Chance and these books. He has yet to tackle a book that is this long and with so many words on a page, until this...that is! He blew through the first book in less than two weeks...AND he made a 100% on his AR test at school! He is already finished with the second book and on to the third. He is trying to read the four books that he has before school is out so he can check out the fifth one from the school library (still only in hardback). I am super amazed with his awesome reading skills. I know both Mommy and Daddy are glad that Chance loves to read so much!

How Old Am I Again?

Brian always goes all out for my birthday. This year, he threw me a surprise party on Valentine's Day of all days. I didn't see that one coming. After church, a group of my friends met us at Primo's for lunch. I forgot to take pictures, but I had lots of fun. I appreciate all my friends putting their Valentine's plans on hold to spend time with me. I'm very blessed to have a great group of friends (and of course, a wonderful husband!) :)

Brian feels very strongly that even though I have a party, we must still do something on my actual birthday. Every year, I tell him that's not necessary....and every year, he refuses to listen. So, needless to say, Brian and the kids took me to Cheddar's on my actual birthday. I love that place and it was a very fun birthday. I had to beg him not to do anything else for me because he also got me tickets to see Norah Jones the first weekend in March. I'm so excited. I've seen her once before and she is one of those rare performers who sound even better in person! Better yet, the concert is in Tulsa and that means an overnight outing. We haven't done that in awhile, so it will be fun to get away. Thank you to my sweet husband for taking such good care of me on my birthday, and always. :)