Party!

Today we had a party for Griffin at the park near our house. We had everyone bring a bike or tricycle and we cooked hot dogs out on the grill. We had a great turn out, beautiful weather, and a very fun afternoon!

FOUR!

Today Griffin turned four! It's hard for me to believe, and I wonder if I'll ever stop thinking of him as "the baby." He will be the first to tell you that he is no baby, but I guess it's always hard for mamas to let go of that last little one.

As much as I hate that Griffin is growing up so quickly, he is just thrilled to be four. After a small birthday celebration on Saturday with Papa and Ronnie, Griffin said, "So now am I four like Marten?" When I told him that his birthday was still a few days away, he replied, "But, Mom, I already blew out my candles!"

Griffin has grown into such a fun little guy. After a couple of rocky tantrum-filled years, he is so pleasant to be around now. He's sweet, cuddly, and funny. He loves hanging around with his brother, sister, and friends. He definitely has his own ideas, and as long as we all cooperate, we get along just swimmingly! ;-)

I did a little birthday interview today, and here are his answers:

Favorite color: red and pink
Favorite food: macaroni
Favorite movie: Bolt
Favorite book: Puff the Music Dragon
Favorite song: Paralyzer
Favorite game: Lego Star Wars
Favorite thing to do: play some Wii
Favorite toy: wooden sword
Favorite place to go: Sonic
Best friend: Marten
What do you want to be when you grow up: a dog
Favorite birthday present: X wing
Favorite thing about birthday: sprinkle cupcakes with icing

He concluded the series of questions by telling me, "I'm done interviewing" and scampering off to play. Typical Griff; everything is on his own terms!

Spring ball

Spring has sprung and it's time for t-ball again! Rhys is playing for the Sidewinders this season and his having a great time so far. We followed last season's coach over to a different league, which means that Griffin gets to stay with his little t-ball buddy, Zachy. Those two are like two little Star Wars-obsessed peas in a pod.

Rhys has been playing lots of pitcher this season, as well as some short stop and various other positions. It's so fun to see how much he really loves it. He has practiced a lot at batting, and the improvement is obvious. It's so nice to see him work so hard for something he really enjoys.

Soccer

Griffin just finished up his first class ever -- a soccer class at the YMCA. We weren't sure how he'd do, since he has a...um...strong personality and likes to be in charge. But he did so well! He listened to Coach Dan (who also happens to be his good buddy's grandpa) and participated in all the games and drills in class. He had two little friends in his class -- Axel and Harper -- which was fun. We can't wait to do it again!

Home repair hell

We've been very busy the past month with major home repairs. Thanks to the clay soil found in our area and the major drought of the past year, our foundation needed some serious work. We ended up having 22 piers installed around the perimeter of the house, which meant days and days of jackhammers and lots of workers in and out. Then, as if that wasn't enough, we needed some post-foundation repair plumbing work. It's been a long--and expensive--month or so, but I think we're all finished save for cosmetic repairs. (Knock on wood!)

Vegas, baby!

For my birthday, Bill and I went on our first kid-free vacation since Avery was born and spent four fun-filled days in Las Vegas. Mamar and Doc kept the kids for most of the trip, but our good friend Courtney stepped in to help and kept the kids one night. I think the kids had as much fun as we did -- with the exception of Rhys, who got sick the first couple of days. Poor little guy. He was a trooper, and Mamar took good care of him.

Bill and I had a blast seeing the sights and sounds of Vegas, but I think the best part for us was having our time be all our own again. It's been a long time since we've not had to worry about hungry or tired kids! But four days was just perfect; by the end, we were really missing those little monkeys.

The highlight for both Bill and I were the two Cirque du Soleil shows that we saw. At the MGM Grand (where we stayed), we saw Ka. The stunts and set were incredible! I've never seen anything like it. Then we saw LOVE, which is the Beatles show at the Mirage. Wow, that was the best show I've ever seen. The set, costumes, dance, music...I could go on and on. Just amazing. We also saw an exhibit of Titanic artifacts that was really amazing. There sure isn't a shortage of things to see in Vegas!

Toothless!