Serious Shopping

Today I scored big time at some garage sales. I was able to buy 5 (really good) pairs of jeans with cinchable wastes, a pair of shoes, several long sleeve shirts, a couple of short sleeve shirts, a pair of shorts, 4 sets of pjs, a jacket for playtime, a nicer jacket, 2 heavy coats, and a good supply of toys...the biggy being a complete Fisher Price Diego set...all for less than $35. WooHoo! Most of the clothes are for Ryan for the upcoming school-year. The Diego set, although the most expensive individual item, was a great deal and considering the opportunities for creative and imaginative play I just couldn't pass it up.

Ryan took the day of garage sale shopping very seriously. He was pumped and ready to go before going to bed last night. The very first (and best) garage sale we found today he found a shopping cart that was just his size so he took that cart around and meticulously browsed through the toys finding just the right ones and carefully placed them in his shopping cart. When he was finished he rushed his little cart to the trunk of my car. Without me! Oh...and...he forgot to pay. Thankfully the sale was in town and several of my friends were running it and alerted me to the ummm....situation. I called Ryan back and we unloaded his treasures. He was so very proud of his finds. I was proud of him too. I didn't have to keep a close watch on him at that garage sale and was able to browse through everything else without worry. He took it all very seriously and was so very well behaved. (This is a VERY BIG thing for us.) Everyone thought it was the cutest thing in the world to watch him "shopping"...just like me.

Ryan and I shopped with intensity. He for toys and I was on a search for clothes for Ryan (and a new patio set would have been nice.) Evan, however, took a more laid back approach to the whole shopping thing...

"Aaaaa...Whatever"

Park Pictures

A couple of weekends ago Nana and I took the boys to Tulsa to celebrate the life and unfortunately mourn the death of a dear friend who died quite unexpectedly. Our day, although sad in its primary intentions, was a day of fun and exciting adventures. Of course all travels with 2 little kids is exciting...or at least it better be...especially when traveling by car for 2 1/2 hours.

Here are the pictures of our time spent at a park we stumbled upon. It was a beautiful and peaceful park. I wish we had one closer to home.

10 Months

This little cutie...

Is now 10 Months Old!

Happy Easter

Ryan-Isms

• Mom, can you put Annie in a garage sale? (It used to be can you take her back to the store, but I told him we didn't get her at a store but rather a garage sale.)
• Ohhh...poof! (Hahaha. This one makes me laugh. One day he just started saying this and at the most appropriate times...when something didn't go quite right or he didn't get the answer he was hoping for. I wondered where on earth he got this from...until...I watched the movie "Despicable Me". He's watched it only once but at the very end of the movie there are 2 separate occasions in which a character says "Oh Poop!" That's where he got it!)
  
• My eyelips are gone! (Oh really?!)
  
• We need to put that in a garage sale. (Referring to Evan's walker. He tripped over it so the most logical thing to do with something that gets in your way is to get rid of it.)
  
• Oh No! Mom, you got birdseed in my eye. Now the birds might eat my eye. (I thought this was funny although considering the thought processes of a 4-year-old he was probably quite concerned about this.)
  
• What Mom? I can't hear you. (This is code for: Mom...I'm...not...listening!)
  
• Momma--Can you hold my thumb. I need to get my cars. (Each are prized possessions and since sucking the thumb was hindering his abilities to grab cars he needed someone to take care of one so he could retrieve the other. What's funny is that this request was made with the utmost of seriousness...again that 4-year-old thought processing)
  
• I want to go naked. (Ummm...I don't think so. In the backyard maybe, but not to the store.)
  
• I don't like puppy kisses anymore. (I didn't know you liked them to begin with.)
  

It's a Wonderful Life

At the Pet Store...
Sally discovered the fish...
Meet M.J. He used to be all black...

Outside Adventures

Thankfully we're having a few more beautiful spring-timey days, so we've been spending more time outdoors.

Sleeping...

and, sadly, being rudely awoken by older brothers and ornery dogs...

Riding in wagons...

Playing in water (we don't always play in water fully clothed...although this kid really doesn't care)...

Digging in dirt and planting our garden...

Eating a little dirt too...

And being just plain cute...

We love beautiful days!!!

Date Day

Today my GoodBoy Ryan and I went on a date! It was long, long overdo. It was the first time since before Evan's birth that he and I have spent several hours together...just he and I. I think he really, really enjoyed it...not the date activities really but rather the time alone just with his Momma. We most definitely will be making this a regular thing.

I took my boy to the movies.
It was his first time! He loved the lights and the "bigness" of everything, but most of all he loved the popcorn and icee.
It was all very exciting...and maybe a little overwhelming to the little guy. We were a little early so we spent 10 minutes watching the commercials and talking before the lights were dimmed and the previews began. After 10 minutes or so of previews the movie began, Gnomeo and Juliet. It was cute...what we saw of it. About 30 minutes from the time the lights dimmed Ryan had had enough. He was done. Ready to go. Oh well.

So our date took another turn...to a playground. A playground where he found some other kid's cars to play with.
A playground with a water fountain that was way more exciting than some big movie theater.
A playground where a hyperactive, highly-energetic 4 year old can run and play.
So our date day ended up being a wonderful time for both of us. We NEEDED that time together. Ahhhh....I can't wait to do it again and I know he's already ready for the next time.

But the next time we have a date day I'm thinking that instead of a movie date...
We might just have to skip that outing, pack a sack lunch of pb&j with chips and a pop and head to the nearest park or playground for a few hours of fun followed maybe by an ice cream at Braum's. (I know my budget will benefit. $21 for tickets and $11 for popcorn and icee for less than an hour of "entertainment". I'd rather take the family to the zoo for several hours and out to eat for that amount.)

I sure love my boy!