Happy Easter!

The boys had a very good Easter. They got chalk, water bottles, peeps and action figures. Ben was very excited about his Iron Man. Nick was very excited about his water bottle. They also got a letter from Thomas the Tank Engine, inviting them to come meet him and Sir Topham Hatt at Greenfield Village at the end of April. I'm not sure they really get it, but I think they will be super excited when they get to ride the rails on Thomas!

Bow Ties

I decided that the boys had to have bow ties for Easter this year. Luckily Children's Place is up on their trends and carried them this year. The boys looked so cute in their bow ties. I won't lie, I did have to bribe them with chocolate chips at 7:30 this morning in order to get them on, but it was well worth it!

Going for a Ride

Little Ben next door has a new four-wheeler Power Wheels. As the children were roaming between four houses on Saturday, Nick decided he wanted a turn on the 4 wheeler. I didn't think he would be able to press the peddle, but he sure surprised me! I will say that he is a very bad driver!

A Full Day of Playing Outside

Saturday was a pretty nice day, so of course the boys were outside. They started off in our backyard. Ben was playing pirate, using his binoculars to look for treasure. Nick was playing trucks. From there, I'm not really sure how, but we all ended up outside playing with the neighbors and visiting for six hours. The kids just roamed between four yards playing, drawing chalk and riding bikes. We had a nice little pizza party on the back of Adam's truck (I think the pizza delivery guy wanted to stay) and the parents enjoyed some tasty adult beverages while our children ran themselves silly! 

Good Friday At the Zoo

Every Good Friday, the zoo animals have an Easter Egg hunt. This year Michelle and Luke joined us at the zoo to see the animals. The boys all had a good time. We saw the penguins swimming, which I'm not sure I've ever seen!

The boys all got a kick out of the orangutan who was beating on the glass and putting on a bit of a show. I think he was a little hopped up on oranges and lettuce!

Dump Truck Riding

An Impressive Castle

Ben is really starting to get good at building castles and forts. This one was the size of a small town! Nick even got a street sweeper in there.

Ice Cream Time!

Getting an ice cream treat from Lola's last week. They sure do have some yummy stuff!

Flying with A Two Year Old

Flying with two boys by myself. Not the easiest thing in the world, especially with a 2 year old. Ben did very good on the plane. Nick was slightly more challenging, just because of his age. Thank god for iPods.

Ah, A Wonderful Two Year Old

Another wonderful 2 yo moment, provided by Nicholas. Someone did not want to leave the fence and go back to the car, so he threw a fit. I laughed at him as I walked away. He didn't like that so much but decided maybe it was in his best interest to follow me anyways - but at a distance. And pouting. With his hands in his pockets. It's all about the attitude.

Swing, Swing, Swing

Swinging at the park and enjoying the beautiful weather.

Dinner on Bourbon

A trip to New Orleans wouldn't be complete unless Ben got to go to Bourbon Street. We had gift cards to Hard Rock Cafe, which is now located on Bourbon, so the boys got their chance to hang out on Bourbon Street :) 

Building A Block Fortress and Corral

The boys had a good time with these giant cardboard blocks. Ben made some type of corral thing that had gates/doors. I'm not sure if it was meant for stuffed animals or his brother or trucks, but that they had a great time playing with it. 

Another Ben fortress masterpiece

And There Was A Stinky Truck

My dad, sister and I went to see the Oz movie last week so Grandma took the boys to the butterfly garden and then over to the levy to see the river traffic. And what was the highlight of this adventure?? The burnt out truck at the bottom of the levy that Ben referred to as a stinky truck. Someone was talking about that one for a few days...

But they did get to see some barges, tug boats and freighters

levee

I Don't Think That's A Good Idea

So last Monday was my birthday and we decided to get a babysitter for the boys so my parents, Sarah and I could go out for a nice dinner. Ben was 100% against this idea. As grandma was trying to explain this concept to him, he said, 'No, Grandma. I don't think that's a good idea.' Well, Ben had had a lot of fun with Lizzie and Doug at the parade and they are super awesome and agreed to watch the boys, so I knew it would be ok, but Ben was not so sure. He cried and cried and dragged on my clothes as I was trying to get out the door. After we left, Ben ran upstairs and hid in his room. Lizzie came up a few minutes later and eventually coaxed him out. And shockingly he had a great time with Doug and Lizzie! Huh, who would'a thunk?? Ben and Doug built big towers out of giant blocks, played dump trucks and read books. The next morning when I asked Ben about it, he said he wanted them to come back the next day. Mmmmmhhhmmmm. That's what I thought... 

Picture courtesy of Lizzie