Busy, Busy April

April always seems to be the busiest month around here.  The weekends most years contain Modgnik (high school youth retreat), Easter, and a presbytery meeting.  We added to that a few visits from family and friends as well as a vacation for a few days over Gabriel's spring break.  The month was filled with fun things and tiring things (like sick kids).  It sure went by quickly.

Going to the park, after packing his bag with a book
(which he sat on a bench and read for a while).
He really likes Daddy's bag.

Kid's project day at Home Depot

Watching the driveway get paved

The last few years that boys have really enjoyed exploring new towns (Williamsburg, Chattanooga) and seeing what exciting stuff there is for kids to do there.  For spring break we decided to check out Charlotte.  The weekend before we went Uncle Aaron and Aunt Tiffany came up and stayed with the boys while Taylor and I chaperoned the youth retreat.  The boys had so much fun.  BUT, on Saturday evening Gabriel threw up and then had a fever of 103.  I know that's not an outrageous temperature for a kid his age, but it's probably the highest fever he's had (we usually tend to get colds and stomach viruses in our house).  On Sunday when we got back I took him to the doctor just so we'd know what was going on if possible.  Flu A.  The pediatrician said "we haven't seen a positive here in two weeks before today!".  Ugh.  All of the kids in Gabriel's class got really sick about a month ago and he never caught it.  That week it was the teacher and his turn I guess as she had emailed a few days earlier saying that she had what she thought was flu.  Anyway, we decided to take our trip anyway since the place we were staying wasn't refundable and we didn't have set plans beyond going.  I'm glad that we went.  We explored a fun park, went to an aquarium (which was at a mall with a Lego store and Disney store, both new and exciting to the boys), went to a nature museum, tried Duck Donuts, and had food from different places.  It was overall a good trip.  We were planning to go to the science museum there, which was going to be the biggest exciting thing we did.  I'm glad we didn't pay for it because that morning we were walking around the nature museum looking at bugs and Corban suddenly wanted to be held and was on fire.  Poor kid.  Flu for him too I think.  We're all recovered now and neither Taylor or I got sick.

Lego Store

These boys love Steak n Shake

"Mommy, let's be silly"

Aquarium touch pool

Very fun park

The planetarium in the nature museum had big cushions for the kids during the show. 
So smart.  And that show was about a cat going to space so you know Corban loved that.

Sick boy.  I can't remember the last time he fell asleep on me. 
He rarely even did that as a baby

Duck Donuts

Corban's favorite food

A few days after we got back it was Easter.  The boys enjoyed the egg hunt at the local park.  We were proud of them.  They went and got a few eggs and then were done.  They didn't get greedy or pushy trying to get the most candy.  This didn't happen on Easter but this morning both of the boys said really sweet things at church (don't take this to mean they are angels by any means).  Corban said "I love giving some of my money back to God."  Gabriel said "My Bible and Jesus are my two favorite things."

Easter morning

We may have colored eggs the day after Easter. . .but the boys didn't seem to mind

Our sweet neighbors across the street (Bob and Judy) gave the boys Easter baskets with
sidewalk chalk.  Daddy had the great idea to leave them a message on our new driveway.

Lunch date with Daddy.

So, what's new with Corban.  He can still just be so sweet.  He's half child, half pet really.  He likes to meow, snuggle, and rub his head on your legs.  He likes to the dog "Bolt" (Disney movie) at nap time.  He falls asleep several days a week during rest time listening to his SkippyJohn Jones CD (he loves those books.  About a cat who thinks he's a dog.  Very fitting for him).  He likes wearing "comfy pants". He likes waking up in the morning and listening to CDs in his room with Gabriel.  He likes cutting things with scissors and tying things into knots (mostly a jump rope around the tree in the backyard or a shoe lace to a chair leg). He remains a sensitive soul though.  He can go from fine to tears and a red face quickly if he thinks that he's done something wrong or hurt someone (though honestly sometimes he's too hyper to care) and he can get quickly get so angry if someone won't give him his way ("Gabriel needs to give me THAT TOY!).  Also, last week I started working part time.  We'll see how it goes, but that means that Corban is spending about 8 hours a week with one of the high school girls from church.  He is loving the attention.  He might not want to share that attention with Gabriel when summer rolls around.

PJ and movie day at school

Random.  One day Corban was in our big tree in the backyard and he climbed higher than he had gone before.  He said "I have determined that this is too high and dangerous."  Than he climbed down.  This from the boy who at one point thought he could fly off of anything.  He's still pretty fearless though. 

Found a recipe in a Highlights magazine that he really wanted to try.  So, one morning we used
cookie cutters to make biscuits into fun shapes and then top them with whipped cream and fruit.

He also is about to finish 6 weeks of swim lessons.  He's loved it and has done a really good job.  He started putting his head in the water and is getting really comfortable using less things to help him float.  He really likes his teacher, Ms Emily.  We were playing at the pool after one of his lessons and he kept poking each freckle that he found on my body and then putting his finger up to his mouth.  I asked what he was doing and he said "I'm picking off all of your sprinkles and eating them mommy!"  Thanks. 

I can't believe that Gabriel only has 3 weeks left of his kindergarten year.  I don't know how it went by so fast but I am proud of all that he has learned.  Besides massive improvements in his handwriting and his simply loving subtraction, he is such a kind friend.  When I went to help at lunch at his school last week two of his classmates came and asked him for help with the books that they were reading and he just dropped what he was doing to help.  He still has a hard time being still, being quiet, and not letting his anger get the better of him, but he's making improvements there too.  His OT has given him some good strategies and exercises to do and he's brought them up a couple of times when he's angry and it has helped.  I am working on my patience with realizing that he has to be a part of the solution when it comes to what he's working on, so when I see him taking some ownership and trying to improve it is really encouraging.  When you put both he and Corban together though they have so much fun that they often can't reign it in.  Part of me is looking forward to summer since they are both old enough that we can do different things together than we have in the past, but part of me isn't sure how my patience will last with all of their energy, creativity, constant talking, and quick tempers.

Dairy farm field trip with Kindergarten and first grade. 
Gabriel had lots of questions for the director. 
"Excuse me.  Why do the cows have tags?  Why are they
different colors?  Why do they make milk?"

 Another random thing in our lives is that the Children's Museum that we love so much closed it's doors back in January.  They are relocating to a bigger space in the mall and changing their name to "Wonder Universe".  I didn't think that the boys, especially Corban, would miss it so much the past few months, but he asks to go there a lot.  I hosted a table at a fundraising lunch for them last month and also spoke at the Christiansburg Town Council meeting about what they provide to our community to help them raise funds for their new exhibits (this was way out of my comfort zone).  Before I went to speak at the meeting with the director Gabriel drew me a picture to take along.  It was of his favorite things at the museum -- the costumes, art table, and doctor station.  I passed his drawing around and he was excited to hear that the mayor looked at his picture.  While at the lunch earlier that day I saw several pictures of the boys from years past and there was a promo video that had Corban being a super hero, looking at X-rays, and playing with a tractor.  It was so sweet to see.  They had a "sneak peak" at their new space a couple weeks ago and Corban was delighted that they had his favorite toy, their big plastic dinosaurs, there for him to play with.

It's tee ball time!  And Daddy is coaching again too.

Spring BBQ and fundraiser for Gabriel's school

Batman and Chris Kratt are ready to save Narnia

Proud to be drinking out of a can

 Last week was the humanities fair and art show at Gabriel's school.  The book fair was also last week.  Gabriel was so excited about this and even brought some of his own money.  I remember liking the book fair when I was in elementary school so it was fun to see him excited about it too.

Singing

Lastly, we finally went on a little family hike this last weekend.  I wish that this kind of thing happened more often but between crazy schedules and weather it just doesn't.  They had such a good time!  Gabriel especially enjoyed watching some college guys do some rock climbing.  Corban liked looking at bugs and sticks with a magnifying glass and shining the flashlight into the caves.

These boys love their Daddy.  He's so good at Legos, pretend play,
and singing this jazz songs before bed ("Daddy, sing paper moon!"

So that was April.  Busy (and tiring) but great!