The Art of Making Potions...

Since the weather has been unaccommodating to "water fun" around here, the boys have reverted to potion making.  It's kind of the same thing, but less "all over wet" and cold.  

I like to think they're whipping me up their best batch of "The magic of being little boys" because no one knows it better than they do.  And this stuff should be bottled and enjoyed for years to come like peaches on a storage room shelf.

I know they'll remember to add in things like a bike or a scooter, because when you're a little man, those "wheels" are your means to explore the world around you.  They would definitely add "weapons" and "matchbox cars" and "cool rocks" -- stuff that always finds a place in their pockets because, you never know when the need for such things might strike. 

They'd mix in lots of innocence - good intentions, benefit of the doubt, fearlessness and lots of happy.  There would be some balls, and some bubbles, and a few squirt guns.  A handful of change, fistfuls of dirt & sand, and probably a few potato bugs and/or lady bugs for extra magic.  And of course, some feisty remarks and a few "swipes" at your brothers because, after all, you're a boy, not a cherub.

(Stir forcefully)

They'll need to throw in some fruit snacks, an otter pop, and probably some "cream cookies" and the contents of a juice box or two.  You want to feel strong and healthy and ready to take on the world at any given moment and you definitely need your sustenance to get the bad guys.

And I hope they save the best for last.  Right before they cork the proverbial bottle on this "Little Man Potion", they'll need to put the magic in.  The stuff that makes the bottle glow... imagination without limits and shimmery drops of belief - in Santa and Superheroes and Leprechauns.  Good over evil and bad guys be damned every time, without fail. 

I swear, I'd keep that bottle of potion in a safe place with me for the rest of my days.  I'd open the stopper and swirl the contents and take deep breaths in and never forget the importance or the goodness of little boy things for the rest of my days.

For now, I'm lucky enough to watch the potion making live and in person.  And try like crazy to soak it all in.  Mess and all.

Bedtime Stories...

My kiddos get on "book jags".  You know, when you say, "Choose two books each", and they come back like Pavlov's dogs with the two very books you expected each of them to fetch.

It's cute.  But it's exhausting.  You wanna know how many more times I have left in the tank to exuberantly read, "Aliens Love Underpants"?  We're in the negative, guys.  And it's a fairly witty little title, so imagine my thoughts regarding "There's a Tiger in My Soup"... and I betcha can't guess whose obsessed with that one.  :)

So the other night, when my parents stopped by, I gave the usual post bath & PJs speech, "Choose two books each", and then the Heaven's parted and my Mom said the most lovely words that lady has ever uttered... "Oh YAY!  Let me read to you little darlins'".

Well, twist my arm, woman.

And there they sat, all huddled in a pile reading the "currently most read" books and I quickly left the room to turn down beds, and turn on night lights and let my mind simmer on the days events.  But you know what?  Eventually, like a "mama on a jag" I would return to watch them.  To see their imagination without limits in their smiling faces of belief as they heard the familiar tales told to them for the upteenth time.

Life is funny like that, eh?

My Love Language...

TBall started this past week.

Which means my heart rhythm fluttered abnormally last week.

 Because no joke, TBall is my love language.

I cannot get over all the cuteness.

And also, they're pretty darn good.

I bought the baseball pants this year because, DUH.  Look at them.  And they love them more than anything because when they slide (into every base on every single run) they get grass stains.

Boys are so awesome.

Dax was the lead off batter in the first game and he nailed it -- then ran through first with zero intention of stopping, rounded the base, and slid into second for an easy (professional looking) double.  I guess letting them watch "Sandlot" has really paid off.  He kinda got things started with a bang.

Kaelster also smacked it good and ran - intensely.  :)

I'm not lying, obviously.  See above photo for proof.

The whole seen was so good I got sucked in and at one point I lost track of what the third little amigo/my fellow spectator was up to.

Whoopsie Daisy...

I guess he's a country boy at heart... 

And also, I'll keep a closer eye out next week.

I think.  Don't hold me to it because I can't be sure of myself.

I mean, look at them!

Oh TBall - I kiss yo face!

And Go Cards!!

Little Rascals...

The first weekend in May I packed up my little gents and headed to the valley I will always call home.  I had an appointment to celebrate my little trio of tiny men.  I am the proud mama to two five-year-olds, and one three-year-old, and the kind of boys they are?  Oh, they are my wildest dreams come true.  I felt such a need to document this phase they are in... a phase of critters and messes and loud laughter and magic and imagination and all the other goodness they hold.  

We went to the winding Sevier river near Big Rock Candy Mountain... and this sounds completely crazy, I know, but it was like an act of baptism.  They threw rocks in the sunlit waters and eventually we let them wade through and I watched and savored, and breathed out prayers of gratitude for them.

And I also tried to sing this song that my own Dad sang to me when I was a girl...

I'll tell you 'bout a land I know

It's not far from here

And every time you blink your eyes

The strangest thing appears

Oh the buzzing of the bees in the bubblegum trees

And the soda water fountain

The lemonade springs where the bluebird sings

On the Big Rock Candy Mountain

In the Big Rock Candy Mountain you never change your socks

And the little streams of apple juice

Come a bubblin' down the rocks

There's no such thing as homework

It's your birthday all the time

You can stay up late and your folks don't care

You can come to lunch in your underwear

In the Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Oh the buzzing of the bees in the bubblegum trees

And the soda water fountain

The lemonade springs where the bluebird sings

On the Big Rock Candy Mountain

I love these boys as the gifts they are and I'm so grateful for them...

That night, in the quiet evening light, while they giggled at one another in front of me, I was a proud mother bursting with nothing but love for her beautiful sons.

I will cherish these pictures always, as they represent a dream come true.  My little rascals.  My boys.  Funny, sweet, feisty, precious and full of unyielding determination... they who fully understand and appreciate a magical place in the great outdoors...

And the love and friendship of a brother

a.k.a a fellow Wild Thing.

I love you my little men.

Puddles...

So, guess what May has consisted of thus far?  Rain.

Well, more like: rain, sleet, hail, rain, rain, hail, rain.

It's been wet and our hillsides look Irish and we've been loving it!  (Mostly)

The second Saturday soccer game in a row where we all were drenched completely and chilled to the bone?  Not the highlight.  But still...

When the clouds part for any length of time, my boys are out on their bikes/scooters/ or on foot looking for exactly two things:  Puddles & Worms.  It should be noted that they are successful in their hunt 100% of the time.

So, you know, I do A LOT of laundry these days... muddy, smelly, nasty laundry.  I would complain more loudly, but,  

A. Look at their faces.  

B. Look at the neighborhood gang

C. Notice there is not a single kid staring at an electronic device.

(Drinking puddle water, maybe... {Ewwwww} But not playing on an IPad)

#winning

#alsodehydrated

I guess.

Part of me hopes it rains all summer long.  We need it, and they love it.  And this whole ping-ponging between singing in the rain with camo rain jackets and rubber boots on and then back to bikes and scooters and sidewalk chalk is kind of magical.  

 

Side note:  The boys almost always carry a "weapon" around the hood just in case they run into their make-believe villains, "Chona", "Oke-a-Knock-a-Meek-oo" or "Evil Luke".  

????

I know.

I told Ryan for YEARS that all I ever wanted in life was a few little boys of the,

"Dennis The Menace" variety.  

Well, well, well... Look who must be livin' right!  :)

The Morning Of...

I need to revert back to May Day if you don't mind...  The morning of Dax's fifth birthday!  It's worth documenting because -- whelp, he's rad.  And also, he was just such a peach the morning of his birthday!  He was thrilled with every gift and so appreciative and it kind of just made my heart beat out of my chest watching him feel so loved and being so gracious about it all.

 Dax is OBSESSED with the movie, "Sandlot".  Which means he is also obsessed with Converse shoes.... specifically, "Benny Shoes" which are black like the main character wears.  They weren't an identical match, but he was thrilled.

 Money from Grandma Clement was a SERIOUS hit.

 A "REAL Bow and Arrows" from Grandpa Hooky and Grandma Gail -- only thing he asked for except for a motor scooter.

 Kael had carefully selected a "lock box" online for Dax's big day.  He said, "It's kinda like mine, but kinda different, and Dax will love it and all his money will be safe from the Leprechauns."

 I ALMOST SWOONED AND FELL TO MY DEATH WATCHING THIS.

 Ace decided to give our little Ninja Turtle fan a turtle shell back pack with all the character masks and weapons.  See, he knew it would be a gift best used by sharing.

  Little smartie.

 On his way to preschool to share famous square donuts for his special day.  He sported a FIVE shirt, his Benny shoes and his turtle shell back pack.

#winning

 And the Piece de Resistance... the Motor Scooter.  It was SO worth surprising our little dude with this hot ticket item.  The smile kinda says it all...

Or the smirk...  He's clearly too cool for school these days.

Enjoying a Little Spring...

Today we're having ourselves a good old-fashioned "Enjoying" post which is dedicated to the spontaneous proclamation of love for random little happies.  Sometimes I get a whole boat load of them that are not related at all except for their likeness in producing my smiles, and I just can't exclude a one of 'em.  I mean... what if I hurt their feelings?

So here we are, in no particular order:

The Ninja Turtle get-up worthy of a perfect Olympic 10.  'Nuff said.

The five-year-old Birthday Boy picture that, whelp, *Big Sigh* just demonstrates HIM and all his perfection.  That right there?  That's Dax.  Our five-year-old girl magnet who laughs easily and makes your heart skip a beat.

 This.  Which translates to, "Grandpas who teach little men the finer things in life."  

And this.  Which translates as, "Daddy's who take their boys fishing rock my socks off."  And further becomes "Fish Tales" by the five-year-old crowd that I overheard at church yesterday...

"We caught 26 fish and one of them was as tall as Daxi!"  

Operation.

And Epic Concentration.

Spring Soccer.

The Minions don't usually win, but they work hard and have a whole lot of fun!

Clean Boys Almost Ready for Bed.

Aside from having hundreds of "sleeping" pics, I have at least a few hundred of these... pics of them clad in PJs, reading or playing or snuggling.

 I'm not always a gem in the last few moments of the day, but when I really dig deep, I can see the magic in the evening "Golden Hour".  Twilight is here.  Babes are in bed.  I'm off to see my boyfriend and get some R&R.  Magic.