The Little Rascals ...

We weren't sure if we were going to make it to Montana. Joshua got sick. Eli got sick. Ben got sick. But with hours to go before our flight out ... we decided to stick with our plans and get out of the heat!! The laundry was done, the suitcases were packed and we hadn't seen our friends in years ...

The trip out was a bit hairy. A delayed flight. A super quick connection. No dinner. A late arrival in Spokane. A lost suitcase. A 9pm trip to McDonalds where Joshua demanded to know why the playground was closed ... a 10pm trip to Walmart to get pjs for the kids (it was their suitcase that was lost), a three hour drive to Missoula and a 2am arrival.

But when everyone woke up the next day ... there was fun to be had!!!Crazy, non-stop fun that only four boys ... four and under can create! Joshua (3), Matthew (4), Andrew (2) and Eli (1) ... and not a single one of them got the mellow gene!

How started with some drum tunes ... my favorite toy too since it has a VOLUME control!!

Then we moved outdoors ... for a leisurely swim! Or in Andrew's case ... full on belly flops!How didn't miss a beat ...

Eli ... well, he stayed out of the swimming chaos and found his "happy place" ... doing yoga moves in the rocks.

Then the older boys played ... and played ... and played. Matthew pulled them around the yard while Joshua and Andrew jumped out.

And if this picture doesn't just remind you of The Little Rascals ...

By 5pm, Amy and I were exhausted. We has lasted 10 hours with all four kiddos and it was time for some VIDEO "baby-sitting!!" Which lasted just the tiniest slice of the evening ... because dinner was up next ... and then ...

ICE CREAM!

Which would be oh so much less messy if this crazy didn't eat the bottom of his cone first!

And then ... this arrived. The boy's suitcase. Thank you, Southwest for losing (and then so quickly finding) the boy's bag and not mine. You see, I had boy's clothes to borrow (just so happened that we're staying in a house FULL of them) and I spent the $50 you're re-paying me 0n new winter clothes for them. And even more fun than that ... MT has no sales tax!!! I might really learn to love it here!!!

Boys Will Be Boys ...

It's in their gene pool.  I'm convinced.  Because if you know me ... you know I've never made mention of the words:  sword fighting.  But should I really be surprised that I found my children doing this the other day?

Sword fighting.  With YARD STICKS?

Me:  What are you doing boys?

J:  Oh, just sword fighting.

Me:  Oh yeah.  You know those are yard sticks?  You use those to measure things.

E:  No, Mommy.  Swords.

J:  Could you please leave.  This is dangerous.  (Seriously?  Did he just ask me to leave the room because of his yard stick duel??)

Me:  Sure, How.  Maybe I'll just watch from the hallway.  

And I'm glad I stuck around because seconds later ... Eli blurts out in a low voice, "You got me.  Got me."  Where, oh where is the video camera when you need it?  
And the prize yard stick sword fighter ... REIGNS supreme ... until the rematch!

And in other news ... Ben had Joshua work on his casting the other day.  Nope.  We don't have lakefront property.  Or even a puddle to speak of ... but How was a most excellent student of the "10 and 2" fly fisherman mantra ... 

So it's a good thing we're trekking out of here to Montana.  Where ... I do believe these skills might actually come in handy.  Just as long as I'm the one capturing all the fish catching on film and not touching all that fabulous wildlife ... Montana and I will get along just great.

Problem.

I guess Eli got tired of Joshua taking his toys and decided that some things were just going to be HIS and ONLY HIS around this joint ...
So Mr. Creative came up with a secret stashing spot :)
Which only created one problem ...

It's kind of a bummer the toy you're trying to hide .... in turn ... gets a little bit lost :)

Mr. Preschool

Joshua has been talking about this day for months and months ...
When he woke up this morning he announced that he was READY FOR PRESCHOOL! Oh ... and that he was going to learn his letters ... and his numbers ... and EVERYTHING!
He also told me ... "You can take my picture. You can take lots of pictures!"
And then Mr. Grown-up decided he wanted to make his own breakfast. Milky eggs and cheese (known to the rest of the world as scrambled eggs!)
Then it was outside for a "pre-school" pose ...
And of course ... a shot of the fabulous crocodile backpack!
Then it was off to school ... and a phone call to Dada ... to fill him in on the important things like ... what shoes he decided to wear. "Oh, I'm just wearing my skater shoes."
And as soon as I unbuckled him ... he BOLTED across the parking lot ... gave Miles a quick hug and ran into the arms of Miss Chrissy. I think he was just a little bit excited???
How and Miles posed for a picture ... or maybe it was more like Miles posed and Joshua tried every possible way to wrangle his way out of it ... but still ...
Welcome to preschool, How!
Finding the perfect spot for the crocodile backpack ...
And then ... it was time for me to go. Joshua was not the slightest bit nervous ... until about 5 minutes before I needed to leave. "Don't leave me. I need you to stay with me ..." His eyes started to water and my heart started to melt. I did have a few tears in the car ... and wondered how in the world I went from cuddling my little guy in the tiniest of clothes to preschool ... in WARP SPEED?
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He had the best day. He sang a crazy apple song. "We sang about apples, Mom. But not bananas. Apples because today was "A" day. And I made a project. I used all the colors and I patted my brush on the napkin to keep it clean. And I had an apple snack." I think he's going to do just fine!

A Push Up. A Push Up. And Open House.

I talk a big exercise talk. But rarely ... do I ever actually exert my sweet muscles to perform any other task than marching up and down the stairs .... 8 zillion times a day ... chasing after the crazies. I collect workout DVDs and have a really fancy pair of practically unused tennis shoes. I claim to have played tennis once (okay ... I was on the Varsity tennis team in high school. Ranked 14th out of 15 players! Nice!) So ... it's no wonder when I mentioned the word PUSH UP last week ... my children were confused.

To try and rid them of their confusion ... I went for the hands-on teaching approach.

First, the traditional push-up. Or this nifty contraption that swivels and swirls and makes your head spin but apparently (if actually used and not stored under the bed as is evidenced by the dust marks) gives you awesome arm definition! I should try to use them sometime.

And second ... an 80's staple ... filled to the brim with every type of food coloring imaginable ... the PUSH UP pop!

Enjoyed equally ... and eaten from either end.

And after the bundles of sugar was consumed ... they invented a new kind of push up ... I think this kind was the favorite!

And on Thursday ... we went to the OPEN HOUSE for J. How's preschool. Joshua and Miles (who will be in the same class) could hardly wait to get out the door.

And I guess the same went for this one ... who helped bust every toy out of captivity. Do you think Ms. Krissy would notice if I dropped him off too?

Here's Mr. Preschool showing off his counting skills. All the way to twenty.

How and Miss Krissy.

These boys can't wait until tomorrow ... the first day. Sniff. Sniff. (Okay ... I'm not really sniffling. I'm more of less planning all the things I'm going to be able to accomplish when it's just ME and E ... for 2 1/2 hours .... 2 times a week. YIPPIEE!)
*update ... I might need to learn to spell Miss Chrissy's ... Krissy's ...name???

Rockin' The Eighties

It is a very good thing that I didn't know how to control my excessively large golden locks in the 80's or else ... my bathroom counter might have looked like this: 

$1.77 hair gel, Rave hairspray, scrunchies ... all made their appearance on Saturday because we were heading to an 80's SURPRISE party for our neighbor, Chris. 

Even the boys got into the action ... with lots of gel and mohawks!  I made sure we were very clear on one thing ... they were never to pull their socks up to the knees .... AGAIN ... unless they were invited to another 80's party.  

How and Ava.  She said she was going to marry Joshua the other day.  So I must continue to take pictures for their wedding video!

The best dressed family ... love that their son came as Pacman!

Shelly got Chris to her parent's house by telling him one of the toilets was overflowing and in true Chris style ... he cruised to the other side of the neighborhood, shirtless ... with a plunger to add the an extra special touch.  Um ... SURPRISE! 

Eli and his favorite KO

Then it was time for dessert ... 

And some of us ate a bit too much ... 

And got a little bit crazy ... crawling into concrete planters and such.  That wild kid!

Me and my hunk of an 80's husband.  Walmart ... thank you for carrying such a great selection of 80's clothing that you are trying to pass off on the teenagers of today as ... current.  You greatly assisted me in my costume hunt.  The smiley face shirt is something I haven't seen since 7th grade.  When I owned one.  And wore it the second it was washed.  EVERY WEEK!

Is it strange that I actually bought those leggings to go with another dress.  Not sure I can pull it off now that I've worn them for a costume??

Some of our most FAVORITE Mayberry people ... 

There was a camera ... an open street ... it just screamed the need for me to do my 80's fashion walk ... 

Some of the Mayberry gals ...

And finally ... J. How.  Busting an 80's move.  When we got home later, he declared that he really didn't like SMASHING the 80's ... he liked his real clothes better.  I knew he'd feel that way.  He's my straight-laced kiddo ... the 80's are a bit hard for a kid like that to swallow.   And with that ... he quickly hopped in the shower and scrubbed the hair gel down the drain ... Eli, on the other hand ... has requested mohawks on a daily basis.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRIS!