Pet Parade 2010

Grammy, Logan and Mason (he's sort of hidden) waited for the Pet Parade to begin!  Logan woke up so excited this morning...

Parade participant...a goat

Another parade participant...miniature horse

Mya and I watching all the animals parade mby...She barked at most of the animals going by!

The parade also featured lots of dogs dressed up in various costumes...

The kids had a ton of fun yesterday at the Silverton Pet Parade.  I was pleasantly surprised because when Logan was about the age of Mason and Mya, he cried LOUDLY every time ANY animal walked by (including even the smallest of poodles).  As you could imagine, we had to watch most of the parade from a distance.  This year all the kiddos had a great time...we took the wagon, watched the parade and grabbed some lunch on our way back to Grammy's house. 

So I have to explain the pet parade those of you who are staring confusedly at the computer.  The pet parade simply features pets.  Not particularly extraordinary pets nor pets that do extraordinary tricks...just kiddos (and parentals) and  pets of all types.  I have to admit that the first year I attended (probably 5 years ago) I was confused when I saw a child walking by pulling a wagon loaded with a small, orange goldfish. Since then I have come to appreciate the simplicity and joy of a town gathered together for a pet parade. 

In anticipation, Logan popped out of bed this morning talking to anyone who would listen about all the fun that was ahead for the day.  He doesn't have any pets yet, but he really wants to pull Mason and Mya in a wagon next year in the pet parade.  He does call Mya his 'kitty' and Mason his 'Mas-dawg'.  For now, they are the closest things to pets he is going to get.  We will have to negotiate this when it gets closer to next year.  For now, we will settle with being spectators!

Kind of random, but it works...

I have spent some time over the last few weeks trying to find a nice way to organize my headbands and hairbows.  I LOVE buying them and wearing them, but as a result they are filling up my the top of my dresser and jewelry box.  I was trying to find a 'chic' way to store them (and still be able to see them) that didn't have princess stuff all over it. Most of the 'holders' and organizers are designed for little girls and all their 'little girl stuff'.  I found this idea online and gave it a try.   I wrapped a roll of paper towels with fabric, tucked the fabric into the end of the paper towel tube and PRESTO...a simple way to store my headbands and hairbows!

Mason and daddy!

Mason got to spend an afternoon working with Ryan.  It was so sweet and special because with Logan around, Mason doesn't typically get much alone time with his daddy....especially 'work time'.  How fun!

Mason LOVES to ride on the gator.

Before the day was done, the rest of the kiddos got a chance to spend some time with daddy too.

The last couple of weeks...

My very best friend in the world had a baby...welcome Axsel John Kroeger.  I got to be with Denee' throughout the whole delivery and I will never forget the time we shared! 

Next I've been gardening away.  I have really loved planting flowers, shopping for them (surprise, surprise) and watching them grow.  My amazingly sweet husband installed a drip system for my hanging baskets so I don't have to water them!  It's awesome....I love it!

 Our Mother's Day was super low key! It was great...we spent the morning together and had a great lunch with Ryan's parents.  Nana put a pool up with corn in it for the kiddos to play in on the deck...

Nice weather brought fun times with the cousins....

The kids and I planted strawberry pots so we can watch them grow this summer. 

Pretty much every afternoon the kids play outside, eat lunch out on the patio, play some more, and eat dinner out on the patio.  Logan even got his first bee sting ever!

Working woman...

Working....9 to 5....Tryin' to make a livin'....barely gettin' by....okay most of that is a stretch and I don't sound much like Dolly Parton but I I do feel like an invigorated woman holding her head high. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel or how the kiddos would react to me working, but so far it has been wonderful. I leave home at 7:15 and my mini-van pulls back into the driveway promptly at 11:30. I am able to have lunch with the kiddos and have some time to play outside for a couple hours before we take our ever-shortening afternoon nap and get on with the rest of the day. I have limited myself to the 'hours of the job' (other than one, two-hour weekend session each week, to plan and prepare for the school week ahead). The cool thing about the 'weekend session' is that I can take the kiddos with me to the classroom to listen to books on tape, play in the kitchen and build stuff with blocks. During the work week, I get up earlier than the rest of the clan, get ready, get out, accomplish just enough to remind me that I am indeed a competant adult, and return home to be mommy. On Monday the kiddos spend the morning with my mom (which they do regardless of whether or not I'm working), on Tuesday the kiddos spend the morning with Nana (which they do regardless of whether or not I'm working) and Wed-Fri. I have a gal come to our house in the morning. It is actually a college gal who was in my small group at church when she was a middle schooler and I was a college student. How random is that? It is working out SOOOOO nicely. I won't lie, I came into a difficult situation (classroom wise) for a sundry of reasons but I feel as though it is going great. I still 'got it' (lol...but that is how I feel sort of). There are definitely days that I don't feel like going to work, but there are lots of days I have to leave the classroom before I'm ready to also. Sorry that it took me so long to update you all, but blogging and facebooking and two of the things I have trimmed back to make room for some new things in my schedule!

Gardening Update!

 

Update on my gardening adventures: Well I did indeed plant the whiskey barrels in the backyard and also some pots in the front of the house.  I actually loved doing it.  I realized that my real aversion to gardening is getting dirty.  With closed toed shoes and some gloves...it's kind of a kick!   The kiddos helped me and we had a great time.  I used small starters in the pots (because they were a steal of a deal at Fred Meyer...2/$1) so I will post some  pictures of them once they get to growing a bit. 

Saturday morning, my mom and I took the kids to Fessler's Nursery to get hanging baskets and some other plants.  A friend just told me about Fessler's (thank you Joy) and I was so thankful.  They have a huge selection and awesome prices.  The kiddos loved the wagon too (imagine that!).  Cheers to spring flowers!