See, my boys really don't need toys...

Once again, my boys were found entertaining themselves with only imaginations (and all my linens). I heard squeals of laughter and calls for "Mommy". I knew something was up. At first, I was annoyed, but they were so cute and proud of themselves that I knew I needed to grab the camera.

The mess - luckily for them, cleaning the closet had been on my list of things to do. So, I just used the next 30 minutes to put everything back in order.

Mr. Independent

Ok, most of you usually hear me "discuss" my struggles with Matthew. He is a challenge because he is super-independent and super-opinionated. That is just not an easy combination for a parent to deal with, especially from the 4th child. He doesn't like to go with the flow. He wants to be in charge and do his own thing.

But, today, I took a moment to see those traits in all their glory. He wanted to button his pants, but after unsuccessfully trying and trying, he requested his church shirt (aka button down shirt) that he could button. He spent literally 20 minutes working on those buttons and wanted no help from me. Then, he unbuttoned to try it again! I know that determination like that will come in very handy as he gets older and I realize that his personality may mean big things for him in his life. So, while he is a challenging 3-year old at times, today I let myself enjoy and reflect on the future fruits of my labor. I was just thankful we had nowhere to be!

Why my boys don't need toys

Too wet to go outside - pillow football!

How to entertain a boy for hours...

buy a big pile of dirt!

3 days of digging up grass and spreading mulch was just pure fun for Matthew. He kept telling me when needed to go work on the mulch. I wish I could just buy a big pile to permanently leave in the backyard!

I guess that all that work really wore out Zack, though. He fell fast asleep watching Dave play Monkey Island, even with a lollipop in his mouth.

From the mouth of babes

I have to say that absolutely adore my Zack. He has such a sweet little heart. He is so sensitive and gets so worried about being away from me. He asked me tonight if he was going to be living in a different house when he was 21. I said "yes" (here's hoping, right?). He asked me (with the saddest expression on his face) if I was going to get rid of my kids now and get new kids. Of course, I explained that I wasn't going to and that he would always be my son. I reminded him that I still talk to and see Grammy even though we don't live together. He told me that I can't ever change my phone number because then he might not remember it. It's just one of those times that you want to hug them stronger and more deeply than possible. If you have kids, you understand that feeling.

Zack just has a wonderful soul. I love him dearly. In talking about death (which really comes up an unnatural amount in my family), Zack has proclaimed that he wants to die with me because he doesn't ever want to be without me. I think this was actually expressed that he wants me to die with him because even in heaven, he would be too sad without me. How can you not love that?

Great Wolf Lodge

The kids had a day off from school, so we headed to Great Wolf Lodge thanks to and with Grammy and Papa. We had a great time. Dave made sure that we took full advantage of the time we were allowed to be there. We all came home exhausted. I guess that's a sign of a great mini-vacation.

They had a little trick-or-treat trail. In retrospect, we probably should have skipped this, but the kids enjoyed putting on their Halloween costumes early.
We played a LOT of Magiquest. We've played a few time in Myrtle. It's a different experience there. We like it better there, but you have to pay for time and sometimes stuff is hard to find or it is crowded so you have to wait. At Great Wolf, you can play as much as you want for 4 days, and it's simple to find everything. Not as much fun in the hunt, but you're able to get through a lot more. All the kids became Master Magi, and we were finally able to beat the Dragon (a few times even).


The kids really enjoyed the waterpark as well. Everyone was brave (except maybe Grammy). Matthew's favorite was the tunnel slide once it got dark. Dave said you couldn't see a thing in there.


Dave tries out the surfing. He, Alex and Rachel all said that it was hard and a little painful.

The big bucket of water was a favorite among many of us. Everyone crowds around as the warning bell chimes.

Papa gave us a nice laugh when he donned Rachel's wig. We decided he would not make a pretty woman.

Thanks Grammy and Papa. We all enjoyed it.

My new hobby

I'm creating a flower bed all around our deck using the lasagna method. Basically, you just create your own compost with layer upon layer of yard waste. As it sits through the winter, it breaks down to kill the grass and provide soil perfect for planting. I hope it works because it is taking up a lot of time. The problem is...the space is enormous, and I don't have enough yard waste from just our own yard work. I've tried to put the word out that I need yard waste, but in the end, I have had to resort to dumpster diving, of sorts. I head out on the night before trash day to see what I can find. I load up the car with bags of leaves or cut grass. I try to go in the dark to avoid being seen going through people's garbage, but occasionally I get noticed - no questions yet. Last night, I hit the motherload, so I filled the car to capacity with all this "trash". I'm hoping that I am now done.