Best Friends

This is Tim.

Well, actually this is Graham and Tim being Graham and Tim.

If you have talked to Graham in the past few months, you have probably heard about Legos. And Tim. But definitely Legos.

Tim is Graham's best friend, and I am pretty sure the feeling is mutual. Tim also comes with a twin brother, Sam, and although I have actually seen Graham run past Sam with acknowledging him just to get to Tim, I know Sam is part of the reason Graham loves these boys so much.

I can always be assured that if Sam and Tim are there, both of my boys will be exhausted when we get home and probably for the next day as well. The four of them (as they are so sweet to include Evan in all of their adventures) go from the minute we get out of the car until it is time to head home. It is pure boy heaven.

And it is a good think I like their mom a little, too.

And this is sweet Evan P at the children's museum putting on "boots like Daddy."

Spring in the strawberry patch

One of my favorite parts of springtime here is the strawberry patch just a few minutes down the road. There is nothing quite like eating the warm strawberries right off of the plant.

I think my favorite part is watching Grady smile every time he finds another perfect strawberry. the boys and I work quickly for quantity, while Grady wanders through a few rows looking for the most glorious specimens of strawberry goodness he can find.

money well spent...

The boys have been lusting after a baby pool for a while now. And after the hot spell we had a few weeks ago, I had to give in. Probably the best ten bucks I will spend all summer!

And look at this sweet, cold face when the sun started fading!

Did I mention we have a four year old now?

Graham B turned four a few weeks ago. Four. We didn't go through terrible twos with him. We blew right through the threes with a smile. And then we hit four. And I just don't know where this new attitude has come from. He is no longer the very pliable baby of the past few years. But he has opinions. And wants. And a desperate whiny voice.

But he is still our sweet Graham. He is starting to get excited about the new baby, loving on me and my baby belly a couple of times of day. He protects Evan with the fierceness of a lion... don't even let Ev look at the street or Graham will tackle him into the grass. He's helpful and caring and full of energy. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful kid in our lives!

at least he followed the directions...

Yesterday, after the boys got soaked playing in the yard, I told them they had to have at least underwear and shorts on if they were going to keep playing outside.

Evan did just as I asked.

I need to learn to be more specific.

Cherry Blossom Festival

We moved to the east coast in 2004 (has it been six years, already??), and every year since, we have tried to go to see the cherry blossoms in DC. And every year, something has been in the way. You know, things like Graham being born, or Grady being overseas. Little things.

But the stars aligned this year, and we were able to make the trip up. Apparently, however, the stars aligned for everyone else in America as well, and the place was mobbed. (Of course we didn't consider this when planning the trip!) Regardless, we had a great time.

I guess we've kind of started a tradition of taking a long weekend trip with just Grady, the kids and I in the spring and fall, and I'm really loving it. We spend so much of our vacations traveling back home to reconnect with grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins, it is nice to take a few days and just reconnect with each other. So we go. We eat good food at kid-friendly places. We visit something we've had on our list for a while. And although it is usually only a three day trip, it takes me two weeks to get the bags unpacked and the car unloaded...

We started our weekend at the Air and Space Museum. Graham has been interested in space ships and Star Wars and the such for a while now, and since it was the weekend before his birthday we billed it as part of his birthday celebration. We didn't expect both boys to be so excited. In some ways Evan is so grown up, but in others we still think he might act a little like the one-year-old that he is.

And look at that spike hair. He is constantly putting things in his hair as we get ready in the morning. You know, things like hand lotion, tooth paste, face wash. Anything he can get his grubby little hands on. So this day, we just fixed the greasy, lotioned hair... and he was so proud, looking in the mirror every chance he got!

After a wholesome McDonalds lunch (I told you we eat good on our trips!), we headed outside to the blossoms. As you can see, the boys could hardly contain their excitement.

And they were so excited that we took them out of the stroller and drug them through the crowds to the water. (And yep, Ev still fits, and sleeps, in the sling. The thing is worth it's weight in gold!)

We also headed out to Dulles Airport to the other Air and Space Museum the next day, and if you haven't gone, you should. It is great! So great that I took one whole picture the whole time we were there.


And that was that. On the way home we had to stop and pick up birthday surprise balloons for Graham, but we wanted them to stay a surprise. So while Grady brought them out the the car and stowed them in the back, Graham wore this:

And after his mother's heart, he did it happily so he could have a surprise the next day!

Really, it's been four months??

I was shocked when I uploaded the pictures from the camera and found that I hadn't done it since NOVEMBER. Really? Time is flying right now. Seriously though. I can't even remember what we've done since then. So we'll just skip December through March. We celebrated. We skiied. We visited with plenty of friends. And now we're here.