Candlelit...

I had a bubble bath with candles.

And I felt like a gazillionaire. Now I'm racking my brain trying to figure out why I waited this long to use candles during a regular old bath. Because they alone transform a bath into the most luxurious, romantic event ever. I seriously felt like I was on my honeymoon waiting for RyGar to go fetch the rose petals. The shimmering candlelight made our silver faucet glean, the water glisten and my legs look amazingly tan. :) I had a People Style magazine all ready to peruse (a little splurge I picked up at Costco) but I ended up just leisurely shaving my legs and soaking in suds up to my shoulders with just me and my thoughts for forty minutes until I was thoroughly pruned.

It.Was.LOVELY.

And when it was all over I wrapped myself in a giant blanket towel and blew out my candles which left the bathroom smelling like eucalyptus, warm wax and smokey wick... a smell that I have now added to my list of favorite smells in the world. Heavenly.

So, at this moment, the house is clean, the yard has fresh "crop circles" thanks to yours truly, the babies are sleeping, my legs are silky smooth and my toenails are freshly painted. I am officially celebrating Friday-Eve in style ya'll.

Plus this counts as my "pre-game" relaxation. Tomorrow we celebrate somebody's first Birthday (a tiny bit early) and then again on Sunday. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.... probably a little o' both.

Perhaps the royal wedding and the long-awaited photos of "the dress" will distract me?

OK, who am I kidding. :)

Happy Weekend!

Cowboy Up...

Our sweet neighbor who is the mom of three slightly older boys moved this past month, but before she did, she delivered this beauty to the loving home of my babes.

We fight over our new John Deere tractor.

(The Texas shorts are a Holla to our friends in Austin - Miss You!)

Someone has been known to kick someone else from atop his green and yellow perch to keep a potential competitive rider at a safe distance. It ain't pretty.

But... this kinda is. Well, pretty might be the wrong adjective, but you know...

Here is Big K in his long-johns riding his tractor like an old fart in his fields. Can't you just envision him chewing on a piece of straw listening to a little Willie Nelson?

I think this might just become an official prop in some outdoor pictures if the weather ever warms up.

And lest ye think we're just country bunkins... I mean, I get that there has been much talk about chicks, IFA and gophers of late... rest assured, we've got a little hard-core city streak in us too.

We like us some John Wayne AND some Tony Hawk.

And some red converse shoes with our beanies.

I call it being well-rounded but I've heard another say,

"We are all a great many things" and really, what's wrong with that?

Nadda. Zip. Zilch.

Easter...

It's the most wonderful candy time of the year, "fo sho".

And we did it up right even though we went with Plan B and stayed home instead of heading south to the mountains. And guess what? It snowed down there so I'm gonna say it all ended up just peachy.

We dressed the part and went to church.

We ate an obscene amount of sugar.

We blew bubbles (courtesy of the Bunny).

And amongst other "stuff"...

We got sweet with some chicks... the cute fuzzy, wind-up, yellow kind. :)

Then we (as in RyGar and me) tucked the kiddos into bed post their sugar rush, and ravaged their baskets as we watched the new Robin Hood.

Please realize that when I say "new" I actually mean it has been out on DVD for approximately two years and we're just now getting around to seeing it. Regardless - it got two thumbs up.

I told Ryno as we were watching that Robin Hood is totally appealing to me because if the government goes wacko I will definitely become an outlaw and "head for the hills" to fend for my little family with my weaponry.

He spewed chocolate bunny as he raucously guffawed at my comment.

But I'm pretty serious about it. I know just using the phrase "head for the hills" makes me sound a little crazy, but rest assured, I'm mostly normal. I even had a conscious stream of thought about our outlaw names; which would be something like Zip Gardner and Apache Amber... Fetch, I gotta work on those.

And on that random note - we'll say Good Night.

Hope your Easter was just right too!

Little Trogs...

I am so overly glad that God knew I needed boys in my life.

These two are the best little yard buddies I know. I was rushing to mow the lawn during the two-hour window of sun sans rain last night - and who kept me company?

You got it.

Two of the cutest little cheeto-stained faces on the planet.

I love these little men. Like LOVE, LOVE.

Even when they aren't entirely "helpful"- they're stinkin' cute.

Little Trogs... :)

P.S. My Mom used to call my sibs and I troglodytes. Is that even something real? Please hold whilst I google...

Why yes - yes it is - and as suspected - it ain't flattering... Take it away Webster...

1

: a member of any of various peoples (as in antiquity) who lived or were reputed to live chiefly in caves

2

: a person characterized by reclusive habits or outmoded or reactionary attitudes

Therefore - I have shortened it to the more endearing version, "Trogs".

And we'll call this our word o' the day. Awesome.

I'm sure you said it out of love and affection, just as I do, right Mom? :)

Go-Figure...

Remember back in the fall when I was bragging (yes I'll admit it) about my imported tulips straight from Amsterdam that my boyfriend RyGar brought me? Let this be a lesson - don't count your tulips before they bloom...

gophers will stick it to you.

I was mowing the lawn on Friday and found two random "shovelfuls" of dirt in the middle of the front yard and I thought... weird. And then my cunning mind went on a tangent reminiscing about that freaky show "Tremors" and that was that.

Fast forward to Ryan coming home and I say, "How 'bout those crop circles" cause I'm totally psyched at my mowing patterns that circle around the flower beds and he says, "I think we have a gopher."

Duh. Did I not just run over two randomly placed mounds of dirt with the mower? Um - Yes. Did I not see little holes atop them? In passing - Yes. Did I not make a comment the weekend prior about how my south flower bed was missing all it's tulips? Yes, Yes I did.

Add it all up and here's the verdict... That damn gopher ate all my tulip bulbs in one of the flower beds and he was starting on my lawn.

(In this instance "damn" is not a swear word - ask Ryan's Grandpa Clem... you can say damn and hell when it comes to yard varmints. Free Pass)

Watch yourself, damn rodent.

After a trip to IFA to gather smoke bombs and traps (not the humane kind but this is not a reflection on my personality... hello, it is a stinky, beady-eyed, bulb-eating rodent, people!) The boys took care of business in a big way.

Gopher is Gone.

Details will not be published, but I'm sure you can imagine my victory dance at the gory scene! It was awesome.

And this mama couldn't be prouder of all her mighty hunters! :)

Weekend Loves...

Ahhh... Let's have a moment of silent, grinning appreciation for the weekend. I love me some weekend nectar for my body and soul. And FINA-FREAKIN'-LY it was a sun-filled one.

And in no particular order - here is the Top Ten Highlight reel...

1. Quiet time in matching PJs - I think we need another "Share" as Kael calls the bouncer chair... which ironically, he doesn't like to share.

2. Wild Cherry Pepsi. Totally random since I'm a self-acclaimed Coke girl. (Isn't that the American way?) But look at that sexy can. It called to me. "Me and Cherry Pepsi Sittin' in a Tree..." - you know the rest.

Side Note: If I ever fall off the deep end and get a tat - you'll know it's me because it will be cherries like these atop my foot. Stellar.

3. Literal A$$ Kissing in the tub. They are currently all about wrestling and I'm pretty sure this was supposed to be a half-nelson that went wrong.

4. My spring wreath hanging on the front door. Now if only my real forsythia and tulips would come out of hibernation. They're scared. I can't blame them.

5. Buns. Little, delicious pairs of post-lunch buns.

6. Hershey's Easter Eggs. Dare I claim that I like them better than the Cadbury ones?

Just try 'em before you judge.

7. Lil' legs in over sized baller shorts. A shout out to the hoods who started this trend because it is seriously tasty on little tiny men.

8. Hangin' with Swiper fifteen minutes past bedtime. He has a serious thing for stealing glasses from your face, your drawer, your suitcase. I might have that problemo too if I looked this cute in specs. So very professorial, eh? You've been warned.

9. Prepping for some body's 1st Birthday Party and shopping for little duds for his pictures. You are officially getting a sneak peak - enter the circle of trust. :)

10. Scorin' some of THIS for our RyGar. I can't explain the affinity that all boys have for Big League Chew. I just know that this little surprise will get me out of trouble and will fuel men through the gnarliest of all Honey-Do tasks and Ryno plowed through his list.

Muchas Gracias, Baby Love.

And a little bonus highlight - gettin' all girly and goin' to a pageant with my sis and her little cutie-pie, Alli. I came home to the boys putting a smoke bomb in the lawn. (Details to come) Talk about a dichotomy!

'Til next weekend, ya'll.

Happy Monday!

Hello Yellow...

I got a little craftastic today. I was soooo (add four-million o's here) tired of futile attempts at hiding some "imperfections" in a pair of darn, hand-me-down side tables that I went ballistic, bought some paint and created a little "house proud" moment... complete with some lamps to set the mood. :)

No kidding - it lifted my spirits to see the finished products in my living room. But there may or may not be a couple of geometric patterns of paint in the grass in the backyard where I did my handiwork. Oops - Ryan is gonna love it.

And that one little action helped me throw caution to the wind to let these little fellers join in my creative binging. Behold, Picasso and Monet at work.

Kaelster preferred to use typical artistic tools, like brushes.

While Dax-Man seemed to enjoy a free-hand style.

Both little men did at times use their other extremities to create their masterpieces.

I am fielding calls now from those that long to be their agents.

And how did I know when their works were complete?

Well, it became rather obvious.

The work of a savant is never done, my friends.

OK - Actually it is.

Right about the same time you get a little hunkerin' for a snack.

And yes, it's tough - hosting such raw talent every day - but I do what any mother would. I fuel their little bodies and let inspiration come to them and flow from their tiny little fingers, toes and other body parts.

And now, off to hang these masterpieces on the walls of the beloved play room.

There. Another, even greater, house proud moment. :)