Spring or Summer

Each year, I eagerly anticipate the arrival of spring and the warm afternoons and cool evenings. It's the perfect way to ease into summer...isn't our Creator a genius? Well, if you live in the South you know that we've had a week or so of incredibly warm temperatures. I'm talking days in the 80s and evenings where the low barely dips below 60. We've had the windows up for days, but some afternoons I wonder if I'll have to cave and turn on the air. Either way, we're enjoying the beautiful sunshine and the extra hour of daylight.

Three Five

We spent the weekend celebrating my incredible hubby and his 35th birthday. Last year, Jack was a little excited about Daddy's birthday and exactly how we would celebrate. So, I'm learning everyone's birthday must be a big deal at our house, and that includes Daddy. So, on Thursday I got to work on Josh's favorite cake, which is a simple yellow cake with chocolate frosting. After my recent venture into cake baking for Sam's birthday, I decided I could make my own frosting, which turned out pretty darn tasty. Well, a simple cake won't do as far as Jack's concerned. He's four, so the question for weeks was, "Daddy, what kind of cake are you going to have?" Last year, we made him a cake with the General Lee on it. Lately, Josh and Jack have enjoyed watching Star Wars together so I decided on a Star Wars cake.

I picked out a couple of toys to decorate the cake, that would then be re-purposed as toys afterwards...genius, right? I told Jack which characters I had found to grace the cake, but that we were going to keep it a secret. About 5 minutes after I told him, he said, "Daddy, how would you like a Star Wars party?" Josh said, "That would be great. Was it supposed to be a secret?" Jack said, "Well, I'm not telling you WHO is on the cake!"

We were glad to have Josh's mom and dad join us Friday night to celebrate. Everyone enjoyed the cake, and Jack enjoyed helping blow out the candles and open presents.

On Saturday, we met up with my parents and brother and sister-in-law and Josh's sister and brother-in-law for dinner in Atlanta. Josh had the idea to eat at Fogo de Chao. A Brazillian steak-house, Fogo is a meat-lover's paradise. Of our party of 12, only two people had ever dined there. So, we were all excited about the experience. The little guys did surprisingly well. Sam is a steak guy, so he was golden. It was great fun celebrating all together and in such a fun place.

Lost in Translation

Sam just ran into the living room and told Josh, "I watch fooball!"

Josh replied, "Sam, just when I thought I couldn't possibly love you any more."

Overhearing from the kitchen table, Jack said disapprovingly, "Did you just say you don't love Sam any more?"

Have Kids Will Travel

Would you give these two faces a passport?

I sure hope so!!

Hanging with Hairy

Jack had trouble deciding his favorite part of the Lady Dawgs game...the giant cookie or meeting Hairy Dawg.

A bit of insider trading

This is Sam watching big brother's t-ball practice this evening. All things considered, he did okay...but this lollipop was my saving grace. Might want to consider buying stock in tootsie pops, people. I'm just saying.

Medicine for the Heart

You may recall my post from last week about how I was caught a bit off guard by my oldest's words. I didn't lament over it, although I do recall he seemed to mouth the same phrase at me a couple of days later following another incident.

And, even though I wasn't stewing on it, it did feel good to hear him do a 180, without any thought to his previous statements. On Monday, while he, Sam and I were eating lunch, he said, "You're the bestest Mom." I smiled and said, "Oh, thank you! What makes me the bestest mom?" He said, "Well you are always fixing things. And you make the bestest things." He could have meant I make the best hot dog, pineapple and pretzel lunches or perhaps he meant I had done a good job at fixing him and his ailing brother as Monday was a bit of a sick day. Either way, it felt good. I told him how much I loved hearing him say that, and that it made me feel very good.

On a related note, Saturday night as I rocked Sam before bedtime, I was telling him how much I loved him. I told him that I love him, and that was the reason I made him a birthday cake and we had a special party. Without skipping a beat, he muttered, "I wuv Ooo too!"