…FRIENDS. In the truest form. The kind you can see only every few years and still feel like you hang out all the time. The kind that drives north to visit even when the temperature in Minnesota changes from 91* to 54* in a 24 hour period. The kind that doesn't care if the house is spotless or if the guest room bed is a little slanted (so sorry about that!) Zach was so happy to have Ashley play baseball and still laughs with Emma about the "ragged prince", Emma was so happy to have girls to play dress-ups with, Nate was so happy for an xbox rematch from the Philly days, and I was so happy to have a friend who is friend enough to stay up WAY later than normal and just hang out. (The babies were just happy to be outside when it wasn't raining.) Thanks so much for making the trek, guys – we had SO MUCH FUN!
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No one appreciates it like a Minnesotan.
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Too much info, perhaps. But 91* is a record for anytime in April in these parts in the history of recorded weather, so I had to record it. And of course we had to get wet. Emma and Carter got in the backyard pool this afternoon, Carter loved it so much I didn't have the heart to pry him away to go get the camera. Imagine two soaking, shivering, happy kids. And their sweaty mom. :)
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I had these at a shower hosted by my cute friend and they were like a little piece of heaven. I finally asked her how to make them and she sent me here and Emma and I had ourselves a fun afternoon. Mine weren't nearly as cute (in fact most of them turned out as cake balls) but they tasted just as yummy… and I'm sure we'll get better next time (oh yes, there will be many next times.)
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It seems like spring here always waits for Nate's parents to come. Regardless of when they come, it is the first beautiful weather of the season! We celebrated their visit (and spring!) with a Twins game (of course), a home improvement project (hooray for a bathroom that looks nothing like the one we moved into!), bike riding, games with Grandma,swimming at their hotel, and having fun. Thanks for the visit, thanks for the help with the projects, and thanks for bringing spring!
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I had four things I was going to write and in the days since I meant to I've forgotten two of them. So before I forget the rest…FROM OUR KITCHEN:
Emma (upon being discovered with scissors and a cut-open bag of hershey's kisses that we were saving to fill eggs with): "I opened the hershey kisses by accident, Mom!"
Zach (on Carter's birthday): "Mom, you're just going to have to get used to it – your baby is growing up." (I was thinking he was talking about himself… he WAS just a baby, right?… then he finished): "he's one today." You mean I have to get used to EVERYONE growing up! -
I still get sad thinking about that story… I remember reading it as a kid and feeling devastated that the kid had to get rid of his favorite rabbit… and even now, when the toys aren't mine, and they aren't played with, I still get sad to get rid of them. Nevertheless, feeling inundated with toys and running out of space, I finally convinced Zach (and me) to pass along some of the toys he hasn't used in ages.
It was a set of construction things he got just before he turned two… that he played with and played with and played with and played with. I can't tell you how many nights I spent looking for "shovel guy pointing straight down" or "shovel guy pointing straight out" (Zach was always very careful with his toys and would always notice when one TINY – like one inch tall – guy was missing.)
I had to take pictures before I boxed them up and almost got teary handing the box over to a friend who has a boy Carter's age and a house full of tiaras from her two older girls. She may have thought I was crazy. It was nice of her not to say so.
Talking with Nate about giving them away (he KNOWS I'm crazy and loves me anyways) I decided one of the reasons it was so sad to give them away was because I played with them so much with Zach. It was a simpler time – where all I had to do was play. (Lucky first child.) I treasure those memories of jackhammering real rocks brought in from the courtyard and building construction sites with those barricades that would NEVER stay up on the carpet and having so much fun with my little round-faced boy… I remember playing one day and he wanted me to put a hard hat on and I did, not thinking much of it – and remember that night in his prayers it was the thing he was thankful for. (Yes, me putting on the hard hat.)I guess I can let the toys go – if I can keep the memories. -
The mess is worth it. I have held to this philosophy with several messes over the years (including hammering nails into styrofoam which was about 10 times as messy but it bought me an hour…) My latest is letting Carter have at the bottom side shelf in the fridge.
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