Spring is for (re)Discoveries!!

On a note completely unrelated to any topic that may be touched upon in this post, I have to start out by asking...does anyone out there ever have a good experience upon opening the pencil sharpener to empty it????

Moving ahead...

Spring setting in has been lovely in the best sense of the word. I have actually had those moments where you find yourself so caught up in enjoyment of a moment that you literally try to breathe it in and freeze it forever.

I've read about those moments...probably experienced them before. Actually, I can think of one or two right off the top of my head. But that was a LONG time ago! Haha...life has sped up quite a bit in the last few years and gotten quite complicated at times. So, just like everyone else, I breathe a sigh of relief when I have one of those pure bliss moments that makes me realize that I have not actually gone numb to joy! There is a kind of state of limbo that is not sadness or heartache but so void of joy in any given moment that we go into sometimes when things get crazy.  It is simply a numbness to the vulnerability of joy...though, I find it possible to feel happy when "numb", just not joyful...and once we let it set in, it's hard to break out of it. I've had so much happiness in my life in the last few years, but feeling the return of JOY feels like...well...it feels like spring!  Newness all around, awareness of life constantly before me...the earth seems to be sharing in my thaw. :)

SO, at this most wonderful time of the year (because it IS, if you ask me) we have been rediscovering a lot of old friends.  Here is a view (I would say glimpse, but let's be honest in reference to the way I share pictures...) of our loves that have re-entered our little family lifestyle . . .

rediscovering:  GRILLING

Here, JC educates James in the way of the tenderizer. Is that what it's really called? James used those big ol' two year old muscles of his and taught those steaks a lesson.  (And never once touched the raw meat, which was my concern) How cute...learning the tricks of the trade already! No one better to learn it from!

As a side note, now that the weather is nice enough to grill often, my attempt to give up red meat completely has officially been thwarted. Ugh. It will be easier once the horrible summer weather rolls around and perhaps my taste buds will be trained come fall. :)

rediscovering: PARKS

We've started venturing out of our own property again as of late and exploring the many parks and playgrounds that dot Gilbert. 

Everyone on the slide:

A cute boy on a swing

Another cute boy on another swing!

Sharing a swing. I secretly love to swing.

Bethany prefers that, if a shirt has a hood, it is worn. Ben does not share her preference.

James discovered a branch from a tree just lying around and claimed it for his own. You couldn't really argue with him either, with that thing in his hand.

We found another cute little playground in a neighborhood close by. 

The kids enjoyed trying to walk on this balancing...steel...thing...?

Ben was quite grumpy this day...he was only a couple days out of his ear infection and sore throat. This is day one of my ear infection. Yippee.

Here, I'm trying to get him interested in the monkey bars. No go.

James got him a duck to rid. Bethany appears quite joyful in the background!

And takes the more traditional ride on a horse.

Ben wanted to practice his balance like his siblings but when he tried, he couldn't climb up. So, he threw himself on the ground instead. And cried.

I came to the rescue...

...but he didn't care.

So, I went to see if he wanted to run around in the grassy area. This is what we got. Again.

Into the sunset.

Bethany wanted to practice her camera skills so JC let her take a picture. This is what she chose.

rediscovering: THE MALL

Before I had kids, I thought these play areas in the malls were the worst idea ever. A breeding ground for germs and grossness if you ask me. 

Somewhere between kid one and kid three/needing something fun to do inside when it's a hundred and twenty outside, I changed my mind. Fiesta Mall is nearby to Bethany's school...for a while I went through a phase of not liking to take the kids out much at all, but now I'm re-entering a brave phase and I have started taking the boys here sometimes while Bethany is at preschool. They are both at ages where they love it. Especially since it's all new, re-done and spiffy.

They get to slide...

Climb...

Conquer...

Climb...

Slide...(on this day, JC didn't work...in case you are wondering why I'm in the picture too....)

Solve puzzles... (or something like that...

Climb...

Climb...

...and go white water rafting apparently.

Oh, and take a quick snooze.

All right, so it's a lot of climbing and sliding. But, what more could a two-year-old and one-year-old ask for?

rediscovering: WATER PLAY

For some reason, when we were out front one day, I let the kids have the hose on and play with it for a bit. 

This is how that went:

Then, I decided that sweatsuits and jeans were not ideal, so next time we were out and super cute swimsuits caught my eye, I couldn't help myself.

Our next water play day:

Ben's are a bit big.

Bethany's is sodarncute.

Bethany spent a lot of time showing Ben how to properly play with the hose. 

(James had fallen asleep in the car and was still snoozing)

Such fun!

Hmmm...he says. Water is for drinking, right?

Right, says sister Bethany. Look, this is how you do it.

Quite the tummyfull.

Bethany points out to me that our newspaper is getting wet and we should probably pick it up so it doesn't get ruined. She is a thoughtful girl. Sometimes I swear she could run a household herself.

But, of course, she has better things to do. Like this.

Ben kept trying to drink more out of the hose and kept squirting it up his nose.

Oh, James. So tired.

If you glance through the van to the other side, you can see my massive tripple stroller in the garage. I actually hardly ever use this any more. Back to the trusty double stroller now that the kids are getting bigger. Geez, things sure seem to be changing a lot these days!

Bethany's summer-ready smile.

She also made sure our bushes were getting ready for summer with lots and lots of water to drink.

Let's hope Ben grows into those before too long!

A few days later, while JC grilled, he set the kids up with a fun water toy in the backyard. This time, James got to participate! They piled a bunch of their toys in the water...I don't know why...

His pants are a little big too...but that makes for moments like these so I don't care! Haha...how cute.

rediscovering: HIDE-AND-SEEK

Scout started off the game with a build-a-bear box leftover from Christmas.

James loves to hide. (hide, climb, run, jump, you name it...such an active kid!)

This is a favorite spot because it is hard to get to, everyone forgets to look there AND there is a guitar back there which is technically supposed to be off-limits. It's easy to understand the excitement if you just imagine that you're two.

Or three.

Behind the quilt rack...also a good spot, James. I love that, here, we weren't even playing a game. I just found him here. Bethany sometimes hides if she does something wrong, which is a nice little clue-in for me. But James will just hide. Just to hide.

rediscovering: APPETITES

All of the kids go through phases with their appetites. But, so far, Ben will eat anything anytime. Unless he is simply mad at me...then he won't eat anything offered. But that is beside the point. As of now, Bethany and James will like their food, taste their food, enjoy their food...for like two minutes. And then it's back to playtime. I can't get them to sit at the table for very long for the life of me. So, they end up leaving a lot behind. I'm never too concerned because if they were hungry enough, they would eat. I know they get what they need. But, I just hate wasting the food! (Guess I could just dish up less, huh?)

Anyway, the point is, Ben usually finishes his plate...then moves on to theirs. 

This is the scene at our table after nearly every dinnertime. He has got one hefty appetite. And, at least for now, I can rejoice that it holds no boundaries! He takes it ALL in, veggies and all!

rediscovering: NURSERY

So, for the last few years, we've always had a kid transitioning into nursery. And, yes, they are those kind who cry and give everyone a hard time for the first few weeks...or months. This is what my dad probably cursed on me as he sat outside my Sunbeams class when I was three and four, in the hallway, the whole time...because if he wasn't there, I would throw a fit and refuse to be there.

So, Dad, take heart in knowing that your fatherly curses have, indeed, followed through.  You should let me know of any others I should be watching for...I have a feeling there may be some that will take effect during their teenage years?

Anyway, now it is Ben's turn...

Bethany is trying to ease the pain by helping him get settled before she heads off to Sunbeams. He already knows that when he's in this room, it's no guarrantee that Mom and Dad are going to stick around. She looks about done with that...

It's funny the difference in boys and girls...Bethany was in the nursery when James came in and she mothered him and always took care of him, making him feel comfortable and safe. The teachers always told me about all the instances in which she made sure he was being taken care of and feeling secure. 

Now, James is in there with Ben but he kind of does his own thing, occassionally acknowledging the fact that Ben is an acquaintance...other than that, he's left to fend for himself! Haha, I'm just glad James enjoys himself in there now. I have noticed him take more of a big-brotherly role as of late but for the most part both boys prefer to live and let live! Bethany, always the nurturer, would never hear of such a thing! :)

Let's hope that, within a couple months, my time spent in there with them is nearly non-existent and Ben is having a blast!

rediscovering: BUGS

We were playing out front on Saturday while JC and I were cleaning out our cars. (Yay!! I love having a freshly cleaned car!)

The kids discovered a fuzzy caterpillar! How fun! I haven't even seen many of these in my lifetime...guess they don't thrive around these parts! Anyway, we followed it around for a bit, trying to give it a bit of space so it wouldn't clam up and play dead. It was really quite fun.

Tip-toeing...

Getting a closer look...

There's our little buddy. Kind of cute.

rediscovering: HOME COOKIN'

We've definitely had our ups and downs in the last few years of doing a good job of eating in and not relying on takeout or fast food (yuck) too often. It, of course, has a direct relationship to my state at any given point (new baby, pregnant and sick, just plain sick, just plain tired, etc.) but I feel that, like in many areas, this is the beginning of really getting in the swing of things.

I LOVE to cook...I love the feeling that comes from creating something, I love serving my family in this way, I love discovering new recipes and trying to be more like my sister, Katie, and toss the recipe to the wind every once in a while! When we are going through a period where we eat out a lot I feel (in addition to just plain sick) robbed! Robbed of the opportunity to really feed my family. So, lately, finding it more do-able than it has been in the past, I've been really enjoying being back in the kitchen to a pretty consistent degree!

I'm working on menus and meal plans so I can more easily be on top of the grocery shopping...this part is still a work in progress, but in the meantime, I'm mostly settled into a great few weeks of eating in and loving every minute of it. 

 

Beef and broccoli to go over rice 

(see, I told you about the red meat thing...it just looks yummy...)

Chocolate Cupcakes made from a glorious recipe I got from my dear friend, Ali.

Took them to a Ballard Family Dinner.

Perhaps, at a future time when I am feeling more generous (or, really, less cross-eyed), I will share said recipe. It's worth the wait. Promise.

Lunchtime around here means fingerfoods, very little actual cooking, and as many options as possible on one plate!

This has been the beginning of our springtime! We are truly building up the most basic parts of our little Ballard lives and enjoying every minute of it. Well, most minutes. :)  And if we're not enjoying one minute, it's nearly guaranteed that one of the minutes immediately following will be precious, memorable or, at least, endurable. :)

P.S. I just proof-read this post and noticed like, five typos. For the record, I'd rather go to bed than go back and fix them. Just so everyone knows. 

Good night. :)