Sunflower Update, The Afterlife.

So our cool neighbors gave the boys a sunflower head to take home. 

They were pretty excited to get some seeds out of it and spent a good amount of time bending it and picking at those white nubbins. They ended up with three soft little things that just kind of fell apart. 

Then it dawned on us that perhaps they need to be dried out. 

Guess we will be boiling them in salt water and drying them. Hopefully we will have ourselves a tasty little snack soon.

Thanks neighbor!

Good Wish...

Colyer's The Big 5!

The lil' boy is 5 today. 

This little mop-headed kid keeps this household so entertained that I don't know what we are gonna do in two weeks when school starts. He has us laughing daily. And ungracefully yelling ridiculous things like, "Colyer! Stop yelling stop!" 

Life is certainly never dull with him around.

Some Other Colyer Contradictions-

-He was born beautifully and gently into warm water yet for his first two years HATED the bath.

-He's constantly arguing with big brother to get his fair share but when apart, say at the grocery store and the nice cashier offers him a treat, he ALWAYS makes sure to get an extra for Sully, always.

-He hates the camera and is always wiggling and putting hands or feet in the way or sticking his tongue out, but his attempts are futile. I can not get a bad shot of that boy. I call him "Beau Handsome" and he gets really mad.

Things I Will Miss Because He Keeps Growing Up-

-A very subtle stutter which has almost disappeared. I will never forget "Wuv you, you, you too."

-Little knock-knees that caused the poor kid to trip on air. "I'm O.K. I just tripped on air again!"

-Sleepwalking into bed with us just before dawn every morning. That bed-head has to have broken some records. He wants to cut it today and have it shorter like Sully. I will really miss that crazy hair.

-Being the loudest kid in the room. I have always taken a quiet pride in that:) He is still very loud but more controlled. I guess that is what 5 does to you.

So tonight at our Big 5 pizza party,  5 year old Colyer will be at the head of the table with a big kid haircut and big kid bike (with hand brakes!) waiting back at home. 

I will be quietly looking on and remembering him on his first tricycle, trying to keep up with Sully. I will be remembering the feel of that fuzzy, wet little brand-newborn head and the excitement of finding out we had another boy. We had our Colyer.

What a great boy he is. 

Happy Birthday Cauley!

Well, I Tried...

We made a pizza cake!

It isn't exactly what I had pictured in my over-confident mind but both boys agree it's still a pretty good pizza-lookin' cake. (Thanks guys.) I am not sure how the flavor combo of butter cream, strawberry jelly and coconut is going to go over though...

I will fill you in on the reviews tomorrow after we wish my Colyer a Happy, Happy Birthday!

5 years old, holy-cow! 

Camping again? No, No...

It may look like my boys are sleeping under the stars up at the lake, but no! They are sleeping under the big sky we have right here in our own backyard. It is one of the simple pleasures around here. Sully and Cauley beg all year to sleep outside and as soon as warm weather hits, it is taken full advantage of. 

The stars seem so close and with no street lights for miles and miles, every single one gets a chance to really shine. These nights spent safe tucked in with Dad, just outside the front door may be remembered even more than our "real" camping trips. I love that because it is proof that there is value in enjoying what you got and relishing simplicity. 

Nothing more simple than grabbing your stuffed shark or raccoon (whichever the case may be) and walking out the back door.

After we roll up the sleeping bag we are gonna start baking a cake for a certain birthday boy. (Colyer's birthday is tomorrow!) We are having a pizza party and to stick with the theme the cake will hopefully look like a pizza too. 

We shall see, wish me luck and enjoy your Sunday afternoon!

Sundown On The Sunflowers And A Twilight Ride.

Sully stated as we were clearing the dinner table, 

"I think this would be a wonderful time for a twilight ride."

By all means my boy...

Breaching The Lines of The Man-Cave.

Alert Alert! Something little and cute with pink toenails (yes, I painted her toes) has infiltrated the "Man-Cave"! 
Almost everyday the boys, big and small come out of that thing with a plane that really flies made from scrap wood or something else equally neat. Well now the little trailer that somehow holds all of the tools, workbenches, wood and RC paraphernalia that used to be housed in a two car garage, needs an extra stool. Minna can be spotted tinkering and poking around in there too! 

It isn't as though the boys have made girls feel unwelcome in the past. Supposedly there is even chair set out just for me somewhere. I have just always loved that the little boys and their Dad had a special place to be together and brainstorm and build. What I love even more is that little sis can watch her Daddy build little motors and paint and glue and dig around in the scrap bin alongside her three favorite boys. 

Can't wait for the day she bursts through the screen door with something she worked really hard on in her hands, just dying to show me how it works.

Guess I can't call it the "man-cave" or "man-trailer" anymore. "The Workshop" perhaps? Maybe just "The Trailer" will stick. Either way, I am glad the boys AND girl, have it around.