H.A.M.S.

After a sleepover and a big breakfast of cinnamon rolls, french toast sticks, bacon, eggs and diced potatoes, the boys wanted to take Caroline, Evan and I over to their newly discovered territory, "H.A.M.S." (They named it after themselves, Henry, Alex, Matthew and Seth, and it is conveniently located behind our house.)
They were excellent tour guides.

They explained to a very curious Evan all the sights and wonders along the way.

Matthew gave a detailed explanation of all the fun you can have with "exploding cat tails".

They brought all of the proper equipment we needed, including walkie-talkies.

So much beauty to see!

Here's our youngest hiker trying to keep up with our oldest!

Evan definitely kept up, and then some!
We crossed streams.

We posed for pictures.

We had a fabulous adventure with good friends!

That was a Saturday morning well-spent.

There is something that is 4 MILLION YEARS OLD in my kitchen.

I have two things to say about this post title:

1. I am NOT exaggerating.

2. And no, I did not find said item in my refrigerator.

Any guesses?

You are spot on! We have a 4 million year old proboscidian tooth in our kitchen! Of course, right?!
Uncle Gary brought this massive molar to show to the kids today. He found it on one of his trips to Mexico, and brought it to the Field Museum to find out what it was and how old it is. For those of you who don't know, the proboscidean family includes modern-day elephants, mammoths, mastadons, and their ancestors.
The kids were fascinated! We all agreed that we have never touched anything THAT old.

Caroline, who was just visited by the tooth fairy because she just lost her first tooth, wondered what would happen if she put THIS tooth under her pillow. Henry said that she might have a hard time sleeping with a huge, hard FOSSIL there, and Seth said that it might be a little hard for the tooth fairy to carry. :) They theorized that they might get a little more from the tooth fairy than their usual two dollars.

They all agreed that this particular proboscidean needed to brush better and see his dentist more often. They thought that he might have had a cavity.

Of course, we now have a research assignment tonight. All three of the kids want to share the tooth with their classes, and we need to know what we're talking about. :) The traveling tooth exhibit tentatively takes place tomorrow. (That was a pretty good alliteration, if I do say so myself!)

Daily baths are a very good thing...

...especially at this time of the year! Washing machines are also very good. Chalk is MESSY!

We are LOVING this beautiful weather, and living outside as much as possible. Besides playing with a lot of chalk, Evan, Caroline, Jane and I went to the nursery today, picking out some beautiful flowers to plant. Another very dirty activity.

Baths are well-deserved tonight. :)

We've been framed.

Yesterday, Dave and Uncle Gary finished framing the basement. Woo-hoo! Uncle Gary and the electrician will be working on wiring today.

Evan is really enjoying "Uncle Barry," as he calls him ;). But what's not to like? He works with power tools, has ladders that Evan can climb, and is very funny and playful to boot. Evan is a big fan.

Note: He snuck down to the basement without his shoes on after his nap yesterday. I let him climb the ladder a few times (he looks so proud of himelf in this picture) before I scooted him upstairs to get his shoes on. Shoes would be a necessity in a construction zone. :)

I am not a night person.

Never have been. However, ever since we've had kids, this trait of mine has been even more pronounced.

I have tried to fight it. Evening after the kids are in bed seem like an opportune time to catch up, relax with a t.v. show or blogging, whatever. That time can be so peaceful after a full day, I sometimes don't want it to end, and wind up staying up much too late. The next day is tough, and caffeine is a necessity.

I am finding, however, that resistance is futile. My body wants to go to sleep when the kids do. I am a lot like my dad in that way. I can remember that when he would read to us at night, he would often fall asleep mid-sentence. That's me too. I get ready for bed when the kids do, knowing that when I finally read with our oldest, I will more than likely fall asleep before he does. :)

Last night (as well as many other nights this week), I fell asleep reading with Henry before 9. I woke up at 4:30, feeling well-rested and ready for the day. So I got up, and enjoyed the early morning peace before the kids wake up.

I am ready for the day today.

She's a happy girl.

Caroline asked me at the end of last week to schedule a playdate with her friend, Jane. Soon after that request, Jane's mom called me. Her regular babysitter just had a baby, so she was wondering if we could watch Jane for her Monday-Friday. When I told Caroline about our plans, she was beyond excited. She said, "You mean I get to have a playdate with Jane EVERY DAY?!"

Yup, I thought, your mom can deliver. I scored major mom points with that one.

Here's Caroline, Jane and Evan at our picnic at the park today...

Puppy Preview

Our life is crazy busy...4 kids, schoolwork, scouts, swimming, CCD, playdates, sleepovers, finishing a basement, housework and laundry...why in the world are we adding a puppy to the mix in a month and a half?

Because we need more smiles like this one...
When Seth and I were out running errands yesterday, we dropped in to a pet store. They had a 9 week old Wheaten Terrier there. Our puppy will be about the same age when we get it. Seth thought that was pretty cool! :)

As promised...

What a busy, BUSY, exciting week! (And, I might add, exhausting as well!) The combination of catching up from Easter, starting work on the basement, taxes, school work, and playing outside a lot has wiped us out. That would explain my not blogging the past couple of nights. ;)
The basement work is going very well! New walls have been constructed and existing walls have been studded. Next week the electrical work is being done as well as the start of hanging the drywall. Uncle Gary and Dave are a great team! Without further ado, here's a little clip of their progress...

Untitled from Sarah Nosek on Vimeo.