Little Boys

What are little boys made of?
What are little boys made of?

SNAKES and snails
and puppy dogs' tails.

Of course, when they see a snake down by the lake, our little boys have to bring it home.
And, of course, their scared mama worried they had brought home a venomous Copperhead Snake.

Thankfully, after spending some time searching identification guides, we are fairly confident this find was  NOT a Copperhead, merely a Northern Water Snake or a Corn Snake.  

It was a good learning opportunity.
Fun, right?

(the snake was released)

Backyard Camping

A perfect way to celebrate Father's Day weekend: backyard camping with the boys!

Mike and a good friend endured the June heat to give their boys a very special outdoor adventure . . . 

all in our very own backyard. 

Our camping veterans were thrilled to show their friend a spectacular first-time experience.  

They set up tents in the yard, cooked their food over a fire, and explored the great outdoors. 

It was a hot night, but the boys toughed it out and had a marvelous time.
(and were rewarded with a special "surprise" Father's Day lunch!)

  Another story to add to the vault:

Tesfaye got a deer!

During their backyard adventure, boys spotted a mama deer with two fawns in our yard.

Tesfaye quickly stalked them into the woods, and caught a fawn, scooping it up in his arms.
"I just sneak on it.  I just made myself small and I just be very quiet and I just carried him his belly" 

After proudly showing off his prize catch and allowing the kids to admire the little docile beauty, 

she was gently released at the edge of our yard, where she awkwardly stepped into the woods.  

Fortunately mama was quick to return and help her babe to safety.

What an experience!

We are thankful for the nature we get to enjoy in our very own backyard.

We worked hard to ensure they had "boy time": the boys stayed outside, the girls stayed inside : )   

Inside, the little girls set the schedule: 

tea party, necklace making, dance party, and home-made blackberry ice cream.

Fun times were had by all!

And We're Off!

We pray for a successful court hearing and look forward to sharing pictures upon our return.

Museum Quality

Hendrick wanted to know if they could hang their art in a museum...
he wants to take these paintings to the Cincinnati Art Museum.
I think they would be beautiful additions to any museum! (I am a little biased!)

Fair February

It's hard to believe that just after enjoying our modest snow fall...we have 75 degree weather! The boys had so much fun running around with the wind.
Although, we did lose Burke's shoe - never a dull moment! (Burke is our barefoot boy...it is very hard to keep shoes on him. His left shoe is now somewhere in the backyard - I'm sure it will make a fabulous home for some creature.)

Snow...real Snow!!!

We have SNOW!!!!

Sledding...without Snow

What three boys do in January, with no snow, and 50 degree weather? They go "sledding"!
They take turns sending each other down a hill on a fast moving "big wheel" - Whee!

Knock-Knock

"Knock-Knock" outside: can you find our friendly yard woodpecker?"Knock-Knock" inside: two bitty boys with casts..."Knock-Knock" from our three boys:

Our Lake

We love spending time outside...we are so blessed to have a lake in our backyard and thankful for the warmer weather. Today, Hendrick had fun fishing from the boat while Davis and Burke waved from shore and ate sand - yuck!

Parents with little boys will know this song...

Whee!

We are so ready for Spring! We loved having 70+ degree weather over the weekend and took full advantage of our neighborhood playground. Davis has turned into a little daredevil - he was the first one up and the first one down each slide. Surprisingly, Burke was unfazed by the big slides and happily slid on his belly. Hendrick was our Superhero: helping Burke down the slide, racing Davis, and "flying!"

Bouncy Baby

All of the children in our house LOVE the bouncy seat...sorry boys, only Maegli can fit!

Bath and Bed Time

Wagon Ride

We have been having so much fun with the boys...

baby #4 has three wonderful big brothers. We are very blessed.

(And, Burke, Hendrick and Davis are super cute in their winter hats!).

Christmas (Cookie) Cheer

The boys let their creative juices flow as we made and decorated Amy's family's traditional Christmas Cookies! Hendrick did a great job decorating...Davis and Burke had fun eating. We love the rule: if you break it, you eat it...although, were those cookies broken on purpose? Yummy!!!!

Dear Santa

The boys had an opportunity to visit with Santa - very exciting! Davis enjoyed seeing Santa from a distance, Burke was very curious and Hendrick was giddy with joy! He informed the man-in-red he would like a rocket this Christmas...hmmm...
They were all thrilled to receive candy canes - what a treat!!!

Adjustment

Burke is doing wonderfully well adjusting to his new life in the USA. We have kept him at home the whole time and he has quickly adapted to his new schedule (two two-hour naps every day plus eleven hours of sleep every night!). He loves playing with his big brothers and smiles when he sees them after nap time.

The Happy Brothers

Can you believe Davis is now a big brother? Hard to imagine after him being our baby for 18 months.

Halloween

Happy Halloween!

The boys (Davis Frog and Hendrick Dinosaur) had so much fun carving the pumpkin, dressing up in their costumes and visiting our neighbors.

Trick-or-Treat!

Rainy Day Play

Indoor forts can be absolutely magical on rainy days.