Ri and Em extravaganza

 I swear my kids get so wound up when it is bed time. I don't know what it is. They act like squirrels that have drank too much Red Bull or something.


And don't think they're nice and contrite all other times and that it's only bedtime when it's Crazies-On-Parade. This is what happened the last Saturday I slept longer then my kids (Riley had already left for some Scout thing).

That's a keyboard, drums, an electronic percussion thing, and a recorder for when they wanted some wind instruments (they were playing that, too, before I came out). They set this up right outside my bedroom door. It appears they were ready for me to be awake.

Good thing they're still cute, right?

For more video fun I've uploaded a bunch of videos to my YouTube page. Including Christmas, Grandma!

I have retyped the start of this post 5 times now. It has made me realize that I have nothing interesting to say. No witty way to start things out with. So instead, I'll just start with pictures:

When in a foul mood, it is sometimes therapeutic to make a slideshow.


Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.


Ah, I feel better already. Calm music, pictures of playing in the water. Maybe winter will be a short one this year and we will be able to make it back to the pool soon! Probably.

Brody had his first go at Soccer this spring! He loved it! Sports are so fun when you're 5 and you don't have to worry about talent or competition or rules. Okay, some 5 year olds are into the competition/rules/talent part of sports. But not mine! He just loves to run around and laugh and be outside. I love him.


See that beaming face? He had that smile on almost every second he was playing.
Sometimes he would even kick the ball!!
Even great soccer players need a break sometimes, right? Yeah, this was in the middle of a game.


Brody was on a great team. They were the Sharks! There were five of them and they were all so great. He was lucky to get on a team with two of his favorite buddies, too!
Also, I was lucky and got to coach all those cute boys! If you know me you know I am not "athletically gifted" or "coordinated". But 4 and 5 year old soccer? Even I can handle that. I even asked the YMCA beforehand if you needed to have played soccer before to be a coach and they said no. Which is good because I have never played before, like not even at recess. But, it was beyond fun being their coach!
Ol' Orange Shirt in the background was the coach for the other team. He actually knew how to play soccer. He kept yelling things at his players that I had never heard before like "Offside on right corner" or something. I think his players were just as confused as I was.
I loved my Sharks!
I hope Brody wants to play again, maybe next time I'll just watch from the sides, though.

My Afton turned 2 in May!
She is such a big girl now! She is so opinionated, I like to call her particular. She is 100% girl. It cracks me up how girlie she is. I'm always saying "I didn't teach her to act like this! This is all her!" She wants everything to be pink and pretty.


We had a few of her friends come over for a girl party. Afton insisted it was her "Pink Party". We read "Pinkalicious" (her favorite book), ate pink cupcakes, and decorated princess crowns with sticker gems, flowers, and markers. I couldn't get a cute picture with all of them and their crowns. For some reason I couldn't get four 2 year olds to hold still for a picture. Weird. But they were all totally adorable. Afton loooves her friends. And I love that she loves her friends! So cute!

For our family party we went to the Detroit Science Museum, which we always love. They had this Dinosaurs Alive exhibit there that was totally cool. Afton kept telling me that it was cool, not scary. Hmmm, was she trying to convince me or her?


Those dinosaurs actually moved and roared. It was really cool. Of course we loved the rest of the museum, too. We always do!


Her favorite presents were her dollhouse from Grandma and Grandpa Winn and her new bike.

(That's the crown she made at her Pink Party, totally cute, right?)

We love our Afton so much and I feel so lucky to have her in our family!

I got too many comments (two) after my last post about how I am boring now. Well, just to prove you all wrong I am going to tell you my best joke. You'll laugh until your face falls off and then you'll be sorry for calling me boring. Here it is:
How long.... is a China man.

It's funny because you have to think about it. Think.... think..... now that you get it, isn't it totally funny? See, I'm a riot. Not old, not boring.

The End

P.S. What kind of shoes do buffalo's wear? Buffaloafers!!

P.P.S. What did the mom buffalo say to her little boy buffalo when he left? Bye-son!!!

Hooray! Mom and Dad were here! I was so, so glad they were able to come. This was their first trip to Michigan, so naturally they came when it was still bitter cold, the trees were all still barren, and everything was all grossly wintery-looking. I kept telling them "kay, really guys, Michigan can look pretty!" I don't know if they believed me. But I don't even care because it was so good to see them and be able to just loll about and play.

We went to one of my favorite places, the Kensington Metropark. Grandpa pushed Brody for so long and Brody was in heaven. He could live on a swing. And he has a song he sings every time he is on a swing that he thinks is so funny. It goes "Daddy's are a goody place to be, to be" over and over again. It was so nice of Grandpa to be out there playing with Brody, especially because I was too cold to get out of the car. So Grandma and I just watched and smiled encouragingly at them every once in a while. Isn't this picture sweet?
We also went to the Ford Factory Tour. Awesome. Seriously, it was amazing to see how the cars get built and hear some of the history of Ford (ug, I sound so lame). But the Factory- not lame.
Brody and Afton's favorite part was the bus ride there. I made a video of Brody on the way there and he was talking about how excited he was and how cool it was to ride on the bus. Then I asked him where we were going. He said "I don't know" so matter-of-fact like. Why would it matter where we are going? We're riding on a bus!
We also went to the Henry Ford Museum. Also cool. I think I really must be turning old because I totally think museums are interesting. Pretty soon I'll be watching reruns of the Lawrence Welk show and eating a steady diet of prunes and Dr. Pepper (that's what old people do, right?) At the museum there was a display for the Oscar Meyer wiener mobile (which I saw one time in real life!) Brody is hiding under the ketchup and white splotch, which I think is supposed to be mayo, maybe? white mustard? I don't know. But don't they make cutsie hot dogs?
I was so glad my mom and dad came. I wish they could have stayed forever. Afton still thinks they are down in the basement. She tells me every day that Grandma is in the shower and Grandpa is taking a nap so I need to be quiet.
Also, I just think my kids are so cute. Even though there is a little bit of an age gap between them they are such good friends. It makes my heart happy.