keeping out the bad guys...

so i'm blow-drying my new jennifer anniston haircut this morning...and i keep hearing all this clanketty clanking in the kitchen. i kept having to shut off the dryer to tell the boys to calm down... that's how loud it was, i could hear it over the roar of my ancient blow dryer!!!
anyway, when i finally enter the kitchen.. this is what i find...

all of my cabinets are "barred"

when i asked my little snot-noses what they did to my kitchen, they said they were

"keeping out the bad guys"

kinda like "duh, mom". i just laughed, i get the feeling that i really have nothing to fear for the rest of my days on this earth...atleast not with these little stinkers around to keep out the bad guys!!!

little stinkers

ps... a little later i caught them outside (yielding more of my kitchen utensils) ...they told me they were "duggin" in the red ant holes trying to "track" them???

ah...never, never a dull moment.

We have a walker...

sorry the video is so dark! it's been overcast and rainy here the last two days -boo!

Anyway, while the two eldest boys have been off having a fab time with the grandparents, rhoane has been at home practicing his walking skills...we can officially say he is a walker! he just practices and practices everyday, he's so determined! once this little man gets his sights set on something, he is dogged about it (like his mama in that way i guess)...

oh he's a climber too, absolutely fixated on the stairs...geez! it's all i can do to keep this kid in the same room, there are never enough baby gates! oh and toilets, trash cans, dog food dish and all things gross, if ever i have a question about where rhoane is...those are the first places i go searching -yuck!

he can now walk about ten to twelve steps before he wobbles and butt plants... aye-me, to say i have my hands full now is an understatement...

YAY for milestones! he's not even one yet (next month)

ps i began the twilight saga...and i'm already to the third book -whoa, i need to slow it down and drag it out a little longer, now more of this accidentally staying up till one in the am... i just think i'll cry if it's all over too soon :)

friday's inspired artists...

...concentration...

...it takes 2...

i think my over sized apple apron is what started it all ;)

they were so inspired...that they decided to help mom figure out what color to paint the covered deck out back...hmmm (i wasn't thrilled about this one...).

seriously though, this was tons of fun; very entertaining to see what they came up with. we ended up with some pretty fun and colorful pictures.

we will definitely be doing this again, sometime soon!!!

ps for mamas who are interested...great, inspiring ideas for little tot learning [okay, so my boys technically aren't "tots" anymore, but can i please, just for today, call them that? i miss that stage] found HERE

pss jared and i painted all weekend, and will continue to paint the entryway trim and dining room walls hopefully finishing it this week...YAHOO! more pictures to come.

and is anyone else as elated as i am that the world is in bloom?

skippety do dah!!!

Proof!!!

standin' up!

little blurry (had to hurry) but you get the idea, eh? (and that's chocolate on his pants, not poo. although it has been known to happen on occasion...)

"uh-oh"

sweet music

"hey mom, there's a song in my mouth, see...dun nah nah nah-nah..."

b-b-b-birthday boy...

today is leif's actual Birth Day ...but the shindig with the family isn't until this weekend. so, he's recieved some birthday cards, and now we're just palling around and making the best of today!

mom (me) made leif some apple cinnamon pancakes for breakfast (per request) and the boys and i will be attempting to marbleize paper as soon as they wake up from their naps...(wish us luck).

and dad's gonna take leif for some "guy time" as soon as he get's off work (will probably include bass pro shop and sportsman's warehouse) ...you can bet leif is excited about that

(it's all he and sam can talk about)...


~Happy 5th Birthday Buddy~

we love you

*

*

ps click here for more on paper marbleizing.

guess who?...

can say "Ma-Ma" and "Uh-Oh"

and stand (with no support) all by himself?!

...(until he realizes he's doing it, at which time he loses his balance and butt plants)...

*

but still!!!!

******

more pics to come...i've got to catch him in the act (or should i say film him in the act? -whatever)

!YAY!

golden boys...

we spent the early afternoon hours hard-fixed on a hole ruthie dug in the backyard. rather than get mad about the mess (eeekkk, i usually can't stand the thought of the dirt being all over everyone and everything), i just joined in. i grabbed up fistfuls of dirt and thoroughly enjoyed crumbling up the clods ...that is until leif curtly informed me that i was "messing up his cliffs"...oops! who knew?
it was so cute. you can tell by the pics, how intense this play really was. the only thing that brought leif up for air was the urge to love on his baby brother rhoane -i completely understand.
i also love how they use "pretend talk" ..you know, announce out loud what pretend action move their toy is doing...it's so funny (sam's the expert at this, i mean he is very thorough and detailed with his explanations).

they are so much fun to be around and sometimes i find myself wishing i was four again...
i enjoy being the mama of such fun, vivacious golden boys!

...

ps rhoane stayed pretty busy making important phone calls from his exersaucer with mom's cell...

lovin' for grandpa...

Grandpa's Birthday was on the 29th ...so the boys and i have been busy in the kitchen cooking up some little delights and creating artwork that puts picaso to shame...(merely teasing here, Picaso)

i snuck some sugar cookie dough at the grocery store (what i mean by "snuck" that is, i usually try to do things by scratch, but went with a premade pack at the store to save time and energy) and let the boys go to town with it. all the hearts were piled on one side of the cookie sheet and the sprinkles...well, see for yourself. ahhh, my inventive little decorators, i'd never thought of heaping the sprinkles in the middle....YUMM.

ps, we decided (due to the amount of sneezing, snorting, digging and licking of stirring utensils) that the cookies were only good for the contaminators mouths...

then we hitched up the wagon and headed one hour east to grandpa's office (always an adventure) and i forked over the red velvet cake that duncan hines, the boys' and i slaved over all morning (it's his absolute favorite cake of all time, huh dad!)...i'm so sad i forgot the camera, so i didn't snatch a pic of my dad's saucer-sized eyes upon seeing said cake...

Happy Birthday to the jolliest, funniest, kindest, bestest Grandpa/Dad in the world!!!

we love you!!!

to coincide...

i'm cleaning the dreaded toilets today --and wishing my little men had better aim...

my crack-ups

certainly getting our use out of this years costumes

the extent mic will go to to keep grubby brother hands off of his coco-puffs

~

fact: mic always has to empty his needy bowels in the a.m.

and he is always making sure mom doesn't allow leif to "get" his food while he's emptying.

well, this morn was a treat -"coco-puffs" are a first-timer at the hurst house (thanks to brother hurst) so extra precautions were in order...

~

ps the red rocket-ship "tattoo" on samuel's arm is courtesy of brother hurst as well, only after being informed that that is the only thing remotely close to a tattoo that he will ever get in his life!

oh so cute manipulations...

jared jared jared -using the baby? ruthless...

guys, this is pretty funny and incredibly adorable. isn't he the best daddy? jared is so cute when it comes to his babies...he also knows how to use them to his advantage. be sure to pause the music and Listen closely...

ps he hasn't a clue i'm posting this...sorry Red, I just couldn't resist.

blown away...

tuesday night is "pirate ship park night" with dad (don't worry i'll post pics of this park, it's truly amazing). anyway, i usually stay home (enjoying the quiet) and chef up a gourmet meal. well, last night when the boys got home, leif came bounding into the kitchen, his little hand hidden behind his back...

"Mmmaa-om, I've got something ffooorrr you"

Me: "Oh, I'm excited, what ever could it be?" (you know, the whole enthusiastic mom, but secretly grimacing because last time this happened it was a frog!)

Leif: " sseeee, it's a flower and...she's got a baby in her tummy"

Me: eh? *blank stare*

but sure enough...


okay seriously guys, i love this kid's brain, don't you? he says stuff like this all the time; I'm constantly blown away, and he is mine. i've got so much to look forward to!!!
(incase you can't quite tell, that is a bud under the flower...)

oh to be a kid again.

Leif and Sam wake up every morning, and within minutes are charging the door to get outside.

Why you ask? Well, to check and see if the air conditioning unit is on of course, so batman's and superman's capes will flap in the wind, duh!!! (added bonus: the boys hair also sticks up on end).

I know I've said it before, but I'm gonna say it again "I just love their imaginations".

2.5 months and somethin' else...

“I’ma okie bread biggin’ ya’ll”.

At my two month appt I weighed in at a whopping 14 lbs. chee-hee!!! My ma sure breaks a sweat trying to lug me around and I’m still not as huge as either of my brothers were at my age (hard to believe, but its true).
I love to grin. I giggled at my silly mama for the first time just the other day; she pretty much melted.
I’m still quite the eater but have decided to lay off on snackin’ so much at night (much to the delight of my poor exhausted ma). I keep up on the ol’ poopy diaper quota though ;)
My bro leif keeps me entertained most of the time, so I return the favor; it’s totally easy to send him and sam into gigglin’ fits…all I really have to do is “fart and grin” and they go into hysteria; easy, like Sunday mornin’ (although not according to mom, she always looks like she’s going to tear her hair out trying to get us ready for church on Sunday…*shrug*).
Anyway, my daddy is a riot; I just love to chat him up. He’s pretty much the only one I chatter to... (sorry ma, dad just understands guy stuff). He likes to smell my breath and is always trying to get me to chomp on his nasty ol’ nose; I’m not sure why, but he thinks my expressions (usually of disgust) upon tasting said nose, are hilarious…yuck dad.
I’m a mover, sit me on the floor and I’ll get to kickin’ and a-punchin’ clear ‘til supper time, good stuff.
Well I suppose there’s not much else to report. I’ve got a bald spot and the rest of my hair is surely soon to follow. Oh and uh, I seriously detest anything even slightly chilly touching my behind and I’ll be sure to let you know about it (mom, get a wipe-warmer already, sheesh).

Did I mention I’m adored?

gettin' crafty

mama-red, leif -brown (mama &) sam -green
leif's purple giraffe
sam's (& moms) bumble bee, leif's snowman
"making writing fun" pencil toppers
worm, pencil topper, flower w/ no petals, flower w/ petals, and all the rest...


Fun Craft Friday:
the boys and i do "fun craft friday" every friday (within reason), and this one in particular was a blast...mainly because i actually let them do the creative thinking and glue-ing on their own, and yes i removed every article of their clothing (with the exception of underpants)... no, i do not even want play clothes covered with glue in my washing machine

ahem, neurotic yes, but also clean...

anyway, we have been trying to think of fun ways to occupy the boys time and energy over the summer. so...collectively, we decided (after a looonngg debate at Target) that we would raise and release butterflies. our larvae should be coming in the mail soon and we will keep you posted on the progress after the long (lazy, fattening, fabulous) holiday weekend.

anxiously await our return...