Spring Sprang

I really wondered if I would ever update this ol' blog again.  I almost didn't.  But then I realized how much I enjoy rereading my last posts and how much my kids like it.  So, though I know blogs are so 2002 and I know that no one but me even reads this (I think I may have even lost my most loyal followers--the grandparents), I soldier on, updating the details of our lives.

Here is a look at our spring.  I loved looking at these photos and seeing the progression of late winter (dance parties and fort building inside) to early spring (bike rides and walks outside).

We are a family of serious dance parties.  My kids seriously demand "songs" every day.  And when Josh gets home from work, he always joins the parties.

After I go for my runs, Will is always stretching and sit-upping right along with me.  It cracks me up.  Above he is attempting a push-up.

Of course, winter time is game-playing time at our house, too.

After Will would come home from preschool and I fed the kids lunch, they would just play, play, play so well together for about forty-five minutes, before Lucy's nap.  And I love how much they like to play together and how well they play together (for the most part).  Here they are all ready to go in their backpacks and train hats.

Snuggling on the couch on a sunny Saturday morning.

Lucy and her obsession with dogs (and her crazy hair.  Sometimes I comb it.  Sometimes).

Will and his mama and his preschool's mother's day tea.  Love that kid.

Lucy loves her some spaghetti.

At the farm to see the baby animals.

Will and his dada a the Fathers and Sons camp out.

Any morning Will didn't have school, I could find the kiddos downstairs building forts.  Will loved him his forts and Lucy loved to play along.

And hooray!  Bike riding!  Outdoor playing!  How these kids love the outdoors.  Look at the lush green lawn.  You know it's spring when our lawn is green (may be the only time!).

Hooray for spring!

Just in case you forgot...

...how cute my kids are, here's a reminder:

Lucy giving Will "lip kisses"--the only kind of kisses she gives.  She demands a kiss smack on the lips, though here she missed Will's lips just a tad.

 Maybe someday I'll update my blog again (and, let's be honest, maybe someday someone will care if I update this blog--not sure anyone is still reading).  Maybe someday I'll untangle the mess of cords in the drawer, match the correct cords to the correct cameras and download the plethora of photos.  Maybe I'll sift through the photos, upload the cutest ones, extolling the adorableness of my two kids.  Maybe I'll detail our summer fun, thinking up clever titles and catchy descriptions.  Or maybe I'll just go enjoy the last few days of summer before my little boy, my best little pal, starts full day kindergarten next week.  Maybe I'll stop sobbing tears of sadness long enough to comfort my little girl who will be sobbing those same tears of sadness as we miss the boy who fills our day with laughter, wonderment and fun.  Maybe then I'll update the blog.  Maybe, just maybe.

The Double Buttoners

Way back in March, Will and I had a little mother/son date.  Since Will is an avid lover of the movie and music of Annie, we went to a little Annie production at a local elementary school.  As I'm sure you might imagine, little elementary kids traipsing across the stage dressed as Ms. Hannigan and Daddy Warbucks was a tad amusing while also delightfully entertaining.  The production itself was short and sweet (only forty minutes!) but Will and I shared a milkshake on the way home while singing "It's a Hard Knock Life" in full, off-key gusto the entire time.

I'd recently purchased a new coat and when Will saw it, he proclaimed, "It's a double-button coat--just like mine!"  And as such, Will insisted both he and I wear our "double-button" coats for the event.  So, clad in our double-button coats we were off for a night on the town.  And what did Will call us the entire night?  Why, the double-buttoners, of course.  He chanted the whole night long, "We're the double-buttoners!  We're the double-buttoners!"  He rotated this with, "The double-buttoners are getting a milkshake," and, "The double-buttoners are off to see Annie," and so on and so forth.  I doubt I could love this kid any more.  He's just pure entertainment.

And now, for your viewing pleasure:  The Double-Buttoners:

Winter Vacay

Back in February, we went on a little vacay to the great city of Spokane to visit the fam for a couple weeks.  I flew solo with the two kids and though my plane(s) were delayed, adding another 5 hours to my trip, I have to say the kids did great on the flights (all three of them).  The way home was another story but at least Josh was there to lend a hand.  

The kids and I hung out in Spokane for a week then Josh flew out and we picked him straight up from the airport and drove due east to Bozeman to visit our favorite Vermont Madsens (who are now our favorite Montana Madsens, I suppose). Then we drove back to Spokane for a couple days before we flew out as a family back to NY.

Whilst in Spokane, we played with cousins, saw old friends, had a girls' night to the movies, played games and just had a ball.  Plus my parents threw a b-day Pancake Pajama Party for all the February grandkids, which included Will.  He thought that was pretty grand.

Whilst in Bozeman, the big boys skied lots, while the rest of us skied a couple times and we played hard with our cousins and enjoyed exploring Bozeman.  Plus, we paid around $25 to rent Skyfall on three seperate occasions, though we never actually watched it, so that took up a lot of our time (ha!).  

Really, we had such fun on our trip.  Somehow, someway, someday we just need to get us out west so we can live closer to these crazy people we call family.  Here's to hoping!

Now the pictures are less than stellar seeing as I really only pulled out my camera a couple times.  But here's what I got. 

We went to the park and the kids had a ball.  It was like 47 degrees in February.  In Spokane!  That never happens.  We celebrated by playing outside lots all week.

Lucy and my sister.  My sister was so, so good to us (as was all my family).

Will and his cousins being crazy on the slide.

And here's the b-day boy, all ready for his Pancake Pajama Party that would be no true Spear-family b-day without a sign on the front of the house to celebrate.

Will with my parents (it was sooo sunny).

Will and his presents from Grammy and Pompa.  How they spoil us.

And the cousins having a show (terrible picture!!!).

Here's the ONE picture I took with the MT Madsens.  How sad is that?  We stayed up in a condo at Big Sky for the first couple nights.  It was gorgeous up there.  And the kids hot tubbed every day.  They would cool off by jumping in the snow then run back into the tub.  Crazy kids.

Well, there you have it.  I warned you of the lack of photos.  But don't let the pictures fool you:  we had a ball on our Winter vacay.

Snow Fort

Here it is:  the fort of all forts.  We got a decent amount of snow this winter (shout hooray!) so on this lovely snowy day, Josh took the rugs out to build this bad boy.  And the kids thought it was the coolest.  And they thought their dada was the coolest because he can make a fort.  And I thought their dada was the coolest because while he was making a fort I was getting something done inside.  Though once the fort was finished, I came and hung out with my cute family. Because, let's be honest--who would want to miss this:

 The rugs hangin' out in the vast fort.

 The fort itself.  Not bad, eh?

 Will posing with his saw that he insisted on using when helping compile said fort.

 Attempting to get a shot where--impossibly--both kids are looking at the camera.

 Here Lucy is shouting "eeeeeeeesssse" (meaning cheese).  I can just hear her saying it.  It's the cutest thing.

 Will's pirate face.

 And then there was some serious hat hair to be had.  I blame the ugly, tacky hat he got for free at his hockey class that he insists on wearing (instead of the darling, not-free hat I bought to go with his coat).