The chicklets met a leopard

Lunch.
Seany and Ryan at play.

Gorillas

Alex.
Andrew.
Ryan.
Sean.

We didn't actually get to see the gorillas -- they were in their inside space and it was so stinky at the doorway that Alex refused point blank to enter.

Zoo Zoo Zoo

Alex and Andrew earned a free day at the Hogle Zoo by walking/running 26.2 miles (a marathon) over 3 months. Actually, they did it in less than a month because we go for a walk everyday.

I wanted to get a snap of Alex and Andrew together in their t-shirts. The twix obviously assumed they should be in the shots as well and spent the entire time disrupting my attempts to get a good picture.

This post courtesy of Penny

Jazmine up front, Josh in the inflatible, Alex walking in back.

Alex and Jazmine.

Andrew's ear.

Auntie Erin, Andrew, and Josh (across from him).

Alex and Andrew went up to the creek for the Devlin 4th of July weekend celebrations. Penny emailed me the following. Anyone else with pictures of my oldest chicklets, please pass 'um on. I'd love them!

I think they had a good time. They were very polite to
everyone. Andrew shared his potato chips with me. He'd give me a
couple, then when I ate them ask if I wanted more. He'd ask "do you want
more?" and I'd say "yes, please" and he'd hand them to me and I'd say "thank
you" and he'd always say "you're welcome."

For our anniversary, some reasons why I love Mark

He's makes me laugh. Even when I'm mad at him, he can make me laugh. Its very frustrating to want to throttle the guy at the same time he's forcing me to smile.

He's a great dad to our boys.

He will occasionally help with chores around the house without being asked.

He's a wonderful husband and lover.

He usually does what I ask when I ask. Although sometimes I have asked five or six times.

He wants to provide for us, even when he got laid off he took whatever job he could find until he could get back into his professional career.

He makes time for me to read everyday.

Thank you, sweetie.

Tucano's

Mark's grandma and dad took us ALL out to dinner Saturday night for our wedding anniversary, Tuesday July 15.

Grandma really wanted to go to the place where they had the 'swords' complete with swishing motion through the air. It was place Grandpa Jim had really enjoyed and hoped to come back too.

So off we went. Delish. Delish. Delish. I've never seen such a tiny woman put away so much food. Even Seany ate like there was no tomorrow. Seany even ate 4 bowls of cantelope/strawberry salad.

Thank you, Great-Grandma.

Music at the Park

Payson is great! We're so happy we moved to an actual city with stuff happening.

Last night (Sunday, no less), we walked to Memorial Park (1 mile away) and while the kids played we got to listen to the Payson City Band play some well know pieces.

Alex climbed, slide and climbed some more. Sean & Ryan did a bit of this and a bit of that. While Andrew, found friends and together they collected beetles. At the end of the night, he and his friends made plans to meet up again next Sunday night.

Loose teeth and ice cream

The first of the uppers to vanish.
Its in his belly.

We had ice cream for dessert with Great-Grandma and Papa Pat. All of a sudden Alex's mouth was bleeding and he was in a panic. NO tooth! The tooth fairy requires a tooth in exchange for a sparkling dollar bill! (Yes, tooth fairy dollars sparkle in this house.)

We wrote her a note:

Dear T-Fairy,
My tooth is in my belly. Hope you have better luck at the
next kid's house.
(Heart), Alex
PS Please kiss my little brother, Andrew.
PPS Papa Pat didn't get anything when his last baby tooth fell out at
age 55, please compensate him.

Yes, I helped compose the note.

"T-Fairy" came through with a buck for Alex and nothing for the Papa. After all the drama the night before, Alex didn't even mention his dollar. I had to ask and got a fleeting, "Yep, I got a dollar."

Sticker fiend

Ryan has a certain fondness for stickers. He loves to peel back the slick paper and put the sticky back against something. This day, he moved stickers around his legs for hours.


Once he knew he wasn't in trouble, the 'cheesing' began.

Mark's 3 day weekend was spent...

Painting the garage.

The walls.

And the floor.

Good job, Sweetie.

Braver Soul than I....

Two nights ago, we went for our usual family walk to the three parks along the half-mile trail by our house.

Ryan pooped at park #2. He had no replacement diaper as we ALL walked. I took off the offensive diap and walked it to the garbage can. Ryan remained diaperless.

On the way home, he got very tired. Mark decided to carry him. Mark carried him on his shoulders, in typical Daddy and son bonding. Had I carried RyGuy, he'd have his back against my chest with mini-wiener pointed out and away from me.

I reminded Mark that the boy had no diap. Mark replied, "I trust my son."

And guess what RyGuy didn't pee on his Daddy's neck. Good boy...

My wedding band

I have a wedding set -- engagement ring and wedding band -- very beautiful. The most beautiful ring in the world.

I also have a plain wedding band to wear when being housewife/mom of tots. My plain band went missing when I found Seany sitting on my dresser.

I searched high and low. I grilled him. I emptied out the garbage, I refused to vacuum. I did not find my missing band.

Seany ate a very messy peanut butter & jelly sandwich. I stripped him. As he's shorts came off, out of his pocket came my ring. He laughed hysterically.

In the days of the twix...

Everyday sort of blends into the next, especially when its 100 degrees outside.

Last night the twix went 'swimming' in their blow up pool.

Today they had playgroup. At playgroup, they decided to impress -- Seany said words like 'shicker (sticker),' 'tacker (cracker),' etc. Ryan colored his 'ish (fish)' bowl like a true professional and even asked for 'more shickers.'

I realize it doesn't sound much but for these two chicklets it was quite a successful day!

Happy 4th!

My favorite of the twix pictures thus far this year -- Seany on the left, RyGuy on the right.

Two happy campers looking at me.

Seany at the computer desk.

Ryan at our bed. I know they are ugly sheets but their so cool in the hottest bits of the summer.

Dirt comes in

Load #1.

Yeah, the bobcat did that.

Load #2.

Pictures of regraded backyard coming soon!

After rock removal

My hat's cooler than your hat...

Seany.

RyGuy who spent lots of time putting all the "dars" on his hat and then showed Mark where each and every "dar" was.

I like my youngest youngest...

Sir Ry.

GIFTS for the TWIX

They're very own picnic table! We're looking at Seany.

And now, we're looking at RyGuy.

And the twix got their own car. Seany is filling it up.

And neatly puts away the gas hose thingy.

Toy Car

Saturday, we had a neighborhood yard sale -- I made $65! I spent $5 on a red and yellow coupe for the twix to play with.

Nona and Papa related the information to Alex and Andrew.

Papa: "Mommy & Daddy got a little pedal car for Sean & Ryan at a yard sale."

Andrew: "Just 1 car?"

Papa: "Yes."

Andrew: "Well, they're gonna fight about that!"