Weekend

We spent Memorial weekend at the farm. 

We went up to get some things done around the house. Trimming bushes, powerwashing front and back decks, siding, gutters, ceilings, etc.  Hopefully it will help it sell and all needed to get done.

Parts of the land keeps getting sold off and someone just bought the 60 acres across the street.  They plan on building a house in the same spot my parents always talked of building and putting cattle on the land.  If the farm hasn't completely sold by the time its done it will seem strange to look across and see animals but would be fun for the kids.

The rocks are where the old wagon road used to go and grandma used to swim in the yucky water when she was little. 

Contract

When you get fed up with playing video games with your brother you make him sign a contract. 

Two weeks of playing by Colin's rules...Joel signed it so he can't complain. Brent didn't think it was fair but I think Joel might learn a lesson from signing something he might not be able to do. 

I posted it above their wii - it might be a very interesting summer 

Sweet and sassy

There's a lot of sweet in this girl. 

"Mommy we are best friends forever" and she will take my hand and sing "best friends forever" I soak it all up because one day she might not want me to be her best friend.

There is also a lot of sass in her

And that comes out frequently. She has perfected the nose in the air, hands on her hip when she doesn't like what we say or when she doesn't get what she wants.

The other night she couldn't get dessert (which she calls ba-sert) because she didn't eat her dinner. So she matter of factly told us she wanted a new family. But she wasn't leaving. We could stay until Christmas and then her new family would be moving in. 

Double Digits

We are now the proud parents of a 10 year old 

He made me a mother and I couldn't be prouder of him and so thankful the Lord entrusted Colin to us

He has been waiting weeks to wear this shirt

We enjoyed celebrating our cinco de mayo boy

Ma-Ma-Maa and Grandpa came over for a Mexican dinner and we opened presents. 

Then on Friday we left after school and dropped off Joel and Norah with Ant Ant and took our double digit boy to Baltimore for the weekend.  He picked that over having a friend party and Brent and I were very excited to get to spend a whole weekend focusing on just Colin. 

 Its bittersweet each year when they turn older because I have loved almost all their ages. Yet at the same time it keeps getting better. Colin likes to remind me he has 8 more years at home and I just cant even begin to think about all that.  I think we were so excited to get away with Colin and spend time with him that it was more exciting than sad.  Until he put on this orioles shirt.  He got it when he and Noah went on a boys weekend four years ago with their dads and Colin came home with this enormous orioles shirt.  He was swimming in it and it always seemed so huge on him. I had put it up since I thought it was still too big but Colin packed it.   He put this shirt on this weekend and it fit him perfectly.  Time goes by so fast. 

 Colin is such an easy going boy.  He usually goes with the flow and rarely complains.  He always compromises to keep Joel and Norah from throwing fits so it was nice to let him pick what he wanted to do/eat/go for a few days 

Brent was in charge of finding a hotel in Baltimore and he picked a great one.  This was the view from our room.  The front desk heard it was Colin's birthday weekend so they gave us this view and also sent up bottled waters and a bunch of huge candy bars for him.  That made his day.  The Orioles ended up playing a double hitter Saturday and we watched a little from the room before we headed out to the inner harbor to explore.

 This boy has always made parenting easy.  The hardest part was him not sleeping through the night for his first three years.  I'll gladly take the lack of sleep for the ease in parenting. He makes it so easy and I think God gave us Joel and Norah to keep us humble as parents!

Norah just told Colin there was a surprise on the kitchen table for him and when Colin went in to see his 'surprise' there was nothing on the table.  I heard Colin ask Norah where the surprise was and she excitedly told him the flowers that have been on the table a few days. Colin made such a big deal over it for her even though it wasn't a surprise or anything for him.  Hes so sweet like that.

Joel has had a hard year this year in school with bullies and Colin has really started seeing how important it is to encourage Joel.  They still bicker and fight but I've noticed that Colin looks for ways to encourage his brother without us prompting him and as a result the boys are growing even closer.

Learning comes easy for Colin.  He can learn something once and never forgets it.  But hes also a hard worker.  Hes in speech for his r sounds and I always hear him in the bathroom repeating phrases over and over and over to get it right.  Its no wonder he went from a 1 on a scale from 1-5 to a 3 in two months. 

His teacher keeps telling me what a joy it is to have Colin in her class and he is such a joy. He is such a fun loving easy going kid who loves the Lord. He's growing up so fast but still loves to snuggle and I'm holding onto that for as long as I can.  Although the only time he would hold my hand this weekend was crossing the street because I told him its polite to walk old ladies across the street! ha! He will ask to snuggle each night before bed and its some of my favorite times with just him. 

The orioles won - of course.  Colin is always good luck.  It was a fun game and really fun to see Colin watch the game and be determined to get on the dance cam

We woke up and ordered room service. I told Colin it was the first time I've ever ordered room service! But mothers day and a birthday were a good reason to relax and eat in bed instead of looking for a place to eat.

It was fun to watch the orioles do batting practice and get ready for the Sunday game from our room.  It was such a fun relaxing weekend.  Colin might want a friend party next year but Brent and I just loved spending this time with him. 

We missed Joel and Norah a lot and FaceTimed them a few times.   At one point Brent freaked out because he couldn't find Norah in a store (hahahaha - i'm not going to let him forget that for a long time) 

We left and drove to pick up Joel and Norah after their fun weekend with Ant Ant.  Colin wanted to go play laser tag with Ant Ant.

 Norah didn't want to leave and has asked to go back to Ant Ants several times since.  Joel wants a weekend away for his birthday but at this point he doesn't want his parents he wants Ant Ant.  And to stay five days.  

Strawberry picking