John Deere Green as interpreted by Gavin

Round two!

And now, it is Noah's turn to have his very own seat!

 

 

 

 

A flashback...2009 Gavin, 6 months old...

Approximately two years ago, Pop had a grand idea... a spacesaver highchair strapped onto the seat of the Gator. This resulted in a hands-free perch for Gavin.

 

 

 

 

You too?!?

A few months ago. Gavin was my little chocolate bandit. Looks to me like we have an accomplice in the making! This is my leftover plate of chocolate-peanut butter swirled brownies! He pulled the plate to him, took off the foil, and picked up a brownie!

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Daddy

The big 3-0. Daddy turned thirty. Do you want to know how old you really are? Half your age and if you consider that to be old, then you are old. In Daddy's case? 15. He still has a few years.

Mmmm...I made chicken piccata, a ginormous salad, broccoli and for dessert chocolate-peanut butter swirled brownies with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and hot chocolate sauce coating all of it. So good!

 

Oooey gooey goodness!

 

Noah takes a shot blowing out candles

 

Gavin's turn...

Gertrude and Rose Marie

I know, I know. We are committed to becoming the Clampetts. Yes, those are chickens. Yes, we named them. Yes, we used Easter as an excuse: "Wouldn't it be neat if we had baby chicks in the Easter baskets for the boys?" Pfft- Gavin helped pick them out a week before Easter and we never put them in the baskets. That was a complete justification. Anyway, meet Gertrude (the smaller one, I know counter intuitive) and Rose Marie (the big one). They run around our yard, our porch, and sometimes our house (which is NOT allowed). And, they can swim (don't ask).

 

 

 

Noah EATS!

All the experts say to introduce a single grain cereal to an infant in approximately 1 tablespoon amount. They tell you to not expect the infant to consume even half that tablespoon amount. They tell you this time is more for practicing the actions of eating solids, rather than for nutrition. Yup, that is what they say...

Noah, on the other hand, is not the subject of what the "experts" prepared for. No, siree. He ate that tablespoon, smacked his lips, and cried until I made more. He ate FIVE times the "recommended amount." Excuse me while I lament my future grocery budget...

 

 

 

 

Noah starts cereal!

Azaleas, azaleas, everywhere!

Ohhh, it is that time of year! Our one week of Spring that will fade into the blazing, ten month summer abyss. All the countryside is aflame with azaleas. Mom and Pop have so many, very large bushes in so many, varied colors. And just like all things great and wonderful, appreciate them in the moment, because in a blink, it, too, will be gone.

Our Pattycake

Her name was born from the endless requests of "Pattycake, pattycake, baker's men..." Grandma is so impersonal now, so it seems. Something so formal amid summer days picking blueberries, winter days and a bucketful of oranges, pointing out vents at local grocery stores, a dog named Spot and his many colors, careening through the house as a toddler screams "RUN, Pattycake, RUN!". 'Grandma' is reserved for those gentle souls that toddle babies on thier knees and aptly offer up children that need to be changed. Not Pattycakes, though. Pattycakes are full of quest and curiousity, always side with the babies, and delight in a child's heart. In this house full of rukus, we need Pattycakes!

Happy Easter!

We celebrated Easter in true Florida fashion, 87 degrees and sunny, sunny, sunny! If I hadn't birthed a very large baby approximately 5 months ago, I would have been in a bathing suit for the Easter egg hunt... okay, okay, it was not my judgement that kept me out of a bathing suit, but that of my family. I tend to have poor insight on proper clothing at certain events. Oh well, I guess that is why God gave me boys. Hard to go wrong with pants or shorts.

Back to Easter festivities...First, Matt woke at the break of dawn for turkey hunting. And he sorta shot one. And by sorta, I mean, he was in the vicinity when someone else shot it and felt entitled to take pictures with the dead bird. No, I am NOT going to post those pictures. First, Matt did not pull the trigger and second, this is a happy, little blog. No dead bird pictures.

Sorry, again, back to the Easter festivites...Mom, Pop, Poppa, Patty Cake, Sissy, Gilly, and Chad celebrated Easter dinner and the hunting and gathering of eggs at our house. So much food: ham x2, deviled eggs (irony, heh heh), asparagus, green bean casserole, broccoli, scalloped potatoes, banana pudding, and strawberry cake. Delicious! Matt and Gilly, er, I mean the Easter bunny hid over 50 eggs and Gavin found every last one (with some direction).

Our very good Easter pictures...