Pumpkin Patch

This year it happened at Jones Farm.

Aidan the scarecrow.

"This way to the hay rides dad!"

Sweet corn.

Mom and lad.

"Can we go now?"

Kite Master

Easter 2009, Kyle and I decided to try something new with the boys. We woke up to a cool not quite that cold yet windy day. While sipping coffee I looked out our kitchen window and said, "it's perfect weather to fly a kite". Sometimes I think out loud and Kyle makes my thoughts happen by rallying the kids in the car to the nearest shop where kites can be purchased :)

Aidan was really good to keep away from the trees. I wish I took a close up of his perma-smile as he flew his kite.


Doesn't Ethan make it look effortless? As soon as we assembled the kite and attached the string, the wind picked it up and off to the sky flew Spiderman and Mickey Mouse.

Blue Power

BLUE POWER:Ethan's special way of learning his right from his left. This story started when Aidan was two years and two months old. We were pregnant with Ethan who was due in any day. I wanted to teach Aidan his right from his left so he can be a better helper. Aidan's ribbon was yellow. He learned this concept in two and half weeks.
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We took Ethan to the ribbon store and he picked out blue ribbon. I am sure Aidan had a big influence by shouting "pick blue, pick blue".

Ethan having his way with the entire spool.

Entertainment for 30 minutes.

Silly Days

Dear Silly Days,

We hope you never end.

Sincerely,
Aidan and Ethan

Ethan hosts a play date

Ethan hosts a play date for Olivia, Liam and Ryan. Play dates are a wonderful opportunity to learn patience and hoan out manners. Ethan I might add is excellent at saying his "peas" and "dank coo". Sometimes "dank coo" is followed by "now" which to Ethan has the same meaning. We are working on that...

I baked a lemon cake for the occasion. Ethan picked out this little guy to put on the cake stand instead of the spider which he threw on some lemons then ran off giggling. (as if he got away with something)

Simply precious.

Once all the friends left Ethan and I buckled down to a few chores. I threw this pile of laundry from the dryer on our coach to use the bathroom. Look who crawled on top and fell asleep? I must have been home for a minute.

Great Harvest

Call it beginners luck that we had such a great harvest this year. It was so fun to deliver these produce gift baskets to our friends and neighbors. We had a few good laughs coming up with combinations of herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables for each family we shared our harvest with. Aidan had a hard time deciding which zucchini to keep and which to give away. He would sometimes protest that he did not want "yuckie ties" ( my signature colored raffia) tied on the herbs. Some of our friends received one sunflower while others received a whole bouquet. My favorite part of growing a garden this year was to watch Aidan stand tall and proud when he announced that the gifts were from his and Ethan's garden. So nice of him to include Ethan who spent many laborious afternoons watering the plants.

This is the most fruitful pear tree ever and it thrives in our backyard! Last winter after coming home from a fruit pruning class from my Master Gardener course, I broke out the clippers and pruned with confidence. Then in the early spring after the the flowering period when the pears showed, I thinned out the clusters of fruit. The result is a pear tree to share with the entire neighborhood!

Aidan and Ethan where given a couple packs of sunflower seeds. I let them go to town and plant what we call a secret garden.

Nice work boys!

This picture makes me swoon!

We have already picked eight peppers from this plant and it's still going.

We share a lot of the crop with the birds this year. Yellow cherry tomato's were more popular with them than the red variety. Also as soon as the Aidanberries and Ethanberries from the two blue berry bushes we planted in honor our boys started to turn a hint of blue, the birds flocked to them before we could.

Some of what we grew was for show to see how big they would get. We found large zuchini's are best grated and put into pasta sauce... with meat balls. Yum!

GOAL!!!

Bears (silver) vs. Robots (blue)

Aidan plays soccer through AYSO. I was really impressed on how well the game was organized for four year olds. These mini athlete's took all the drills seriously and applied what they learned right away. The first half an hour on the field is practice and the second half hour they play three on three without a goal keeper.

All the practice drills from last Saturday were done in pirate terms. This drill was called stopping the sail.
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It's game time.

Look at them GO!

Everyone on the field had a special job.

Ethan the water boy.

Daddy the trainer. Mom - being a paparazzi parent.

Aidan tried to shoot a goal three times. On the third try he did it!!! I was too busy cheering him on to take pictures. Aidan turned to where Kyle and I were standing and flashed us this look with his arms out like he was flying and shouted" Mom did you see THAT".

Another parent gives Aidan a high five as he rotated off the field. I thought that was so nice!

Everyone wins in AYSO soccer because they do not keep score.

GO BEARS!!!!