Behind the Wheel

After a lot of instruction and some tandem mowing with Jason, Conrad was ready for the real thing. He actually mowed part of our yard by himself! Surprisingly there were very few long blades of grass left when he was done. We knew he would make himself useful one day! ;)

Uncle Paul and Aunt Diane

We were delighted to have some time with Paul and Diane last week. Paul got here on Saturday and spent the entire week with us and mom. We went to the North Market, played the Wii, played baseball, went to Conrad's art show, and did a lot of catching up. The boys were thrilled to spend so much time with their Uncle Paul!! Conrad was especially happy to have someone who was just as eager to play the Wii as himself.

Unfortunately Diane wasn't able to get as much time off, so we only had a little bit of time with her Friday morning. She did get to see Conrad before he left for school, and then we headed back to mom's house for sausage gravy. Mmmmmm.... As we put our forks down, Rylan grabbed Diane and demanded 100% of her attention for the next few hours until she had to leave. I don't think she minded too much though. He is awfully cute you know!

Ready, set, play!

Two years ago for Conrad's birthday we got him one of those big swing sets from Sam's Club. Knowing we were going to be building a house next to Mom, we didn't want to put it up at our house on Quailview and then have to take it apart and move it 6 months later. We opted to build it at Mom's house with the plan to move it once our house was done. It never happened in the fall, and this spring it has been too wet to even consider. Yesterday Jason looked out and decided it was time. Rylan was taking his nap and I was working, so he left on his own to see if he could figure out how to move it. Good thing Paul is in town! Before long I saw them carrying the climbing wall, the stairs, and the other smaller parts. Then they disappeared for at least an hour. I was sure they would have to wait until someone else was there to get the big part. You can imagine my shock when I saw Mom's van drive by pulling the playhouse. Jason and Paul had built a sort of sled and were dragging it effortlessly through the yard. Now my job is to go get sand today and figure out a way to cover it so the stray cats don't, um, well....you know.

Jason Visits the Big Island

Jason had an opportunity to visit Hawaii this week with his dad. His dad (Fuzzy) will be there for the entire month of April living on a farm in a 3-sided shack. The accommodations aren't much, but he did call and assure me that he has found paradise. Frankly I will be surprised if he ever makes it back to Minnesota. If you are going to live without electricity or running water, why not do it in the most beautiful place on earth?

Since Jason's arrival last week they have stayed in a variety of locations: his dad's shack, a tent on the side of a volcano, and the $500 per night Hilton (thank you reward points!) They have been busy exploring, camping, fishing, snorkeling and diving. What I am most jealous of is a trip to dive with Manta. I think they are fascinating and would love the chance to get up and personal. Below are a few of Jason's photos...enjoy!

Prairie Oaks

We are pretty lucky to have a Metro Park (Prairie Oaks) really close to our house. When the weather is nice we can be found there pretty often. After Conrad got home from school yesterday we drove over there for a hike before dinner. We had a very pleasant walk, and we even got hot because I had insisted on us all wearing a jacket. Afterwards we drove over to the play area so the boys could play on the playground. Have I mentioned that I love spring?

Rylan at the park

Rylan and I hit the park today for the first time this spring. Boy was it crowded!! Rylan pushed his way through the mob of children and had a fabulous time. His favorite was most definitely the slide. He even went down on his bottom instead of his belly (like he usually does).

What's wrong with these pictures?

Wait, hold the phone. This can't be right. There isn't any rain. We aren't wearing heavy coats. It isn't yucky and miserable outside. Are you sure these aren't last year's photos...

You never know what to expect in Ohio. One day it snows, the next day it is 70 degrees. So when you get a warm day in April, you take advantage! Conrad and I spent the afternoon by ourselves at COSI looking at all of the exhibits and watching Sea Monsters 3D on their super huge screen. When we got home it was still warm, so after dinner we all went outside to play. How wonderful to finally get outside, if only for an hour. I have my fingers crossed that tomorrow will be the same.

Do you like Rylan's giant yellow boots? He has some that fit, but insists on wearing these which are twice the size of his foot. Silly boy!

Ensquito Bite

Poor Rylan had it rough with the mosquitoes this past summer. I guess because he has relatively new skin, he was swarmed every time we went outside. One finally got him right next to his eye, and it was practically swollen shut! It didn't seem to phase him though, as you can see from the photos.