Little Free Library...

The boys and I have been finding the "Little Free Libraries" in the neighborhood. The deal is you can take a book, read it and return it- or if you love the book, return a different book. We've taken a few books lately so the other day we rode out on a walk with some of our books to replace/ exchange books with our closest little free library.

We rode our scooters to the park and on the way home stopped to look. We're excited to go out this summer to give and get new books. We love books.

School Field Trip...

I volunteered to accompany Oliver's class on a field trip to the Como Zoo last Thursday. When we got to school the kids we told to go make stick puppets of zoo animals. Oliver did a few and then grabbed a book to read... always the book worm.

I was assigned three kids and we were off on the bus to the zoo. We arrived around 10am when the zoo opened and were told we had 55 minutes to see what we could see. 

The three boys, Oliver and two of his friends, discussed what they wanted to see first. Off we ran to the tropical area to see the huge tarantula. Then we ran through the rest of the zoo seeing almost all the animals and were back in time for the bus.

I think that was the fastest trip to the zoo I've ever been on but we had to get back for the buses for the half day kids to go home. Oliver and I had rode our scooters to school, so we rode them home.

a new song...

Oliver's been singing this song a LOT lately. So much so that now both the boys walk around singing it together. I don't think they've got all the words down yet but they sure have "wre-e-e-e-ecked" down pat.

walking home from school...

Lucius and I rode the our new scooters (we just got them at a garage sale for $3 each!) to Oliver's school to pick him up one day last week. After Oliver was done we all headed home past the nature center. Then all of a sudden Oliver spotted a deer. We walked as quietly as we could to watch the deer, when a second deer crossed our path. They allowed us to watch them for a few minutes and then we finished our walk home. It's so fun when we can share these special exciting moments together.

A chilly night for Softball...

Last Thursday we went to watch Daddy play softball. It was a very chilly night. Auntie Mick was able to join us for a little play time at the park before the game started. The boys rode their scooters on the small skate park and then played on the playground with their cousins.

Then we all walked over to watch the game. Lucius was in awe. He's a HUGE baseball fanantic.  

Eventually Oliver went to sit in the car with Auntie Mick to listen to stories and warm up. Lucius and I cuddled under two blankets to keep warm and watched the rest of the games. Daddy even hit a homerun, Lucius was pretty excited about that.

Side note: Here's a video of Lucius hitting home runs. He will do this for whole afternoons if he chooses. 

time with Lucius...

These last few weeks, Lucius and I have been enjoying each others company. We walk Oliver to school in the mornings and then stop at the playground for a while to play before heading home.

 

We also go to the Library for story time and to pick out new books to bring home. He enjoys the new songs and stories the librarian picks out.

Occasionally he asks to talk photos with my camera. Here's his selfie and then a funny picture of Marmee.

Friday mornings he and I have been going to ECFE class together. Last Friday was the last day of the year. We decided to take a picture with his teacher.

It's been so fun spending the extra one on one time with Lucius. He's quite the sweet guy.

playing outside again...

Its been an interesting spring so far. Weather is warm and then chilly and back to warm again. But we've been loving being outside in any weather above freezing. The Little Misters like swinging on the tree swing, climbing the front tree and there's been a lot of color added to the driveway.

 

Last weekend we spent the whole day outside. Two picnic lunches in the front yard with the neighbors and quiet reading time on the lawn. It was glorious to be enjoying nicer weather.

Free Music Concert...

MacPhail music center had a free family event a few saturdays ago. Daddy and I took the Little Misters to their show "80 beats around the world". Lucius was very excited, he loves music. Oliver was interested in sitting as far away from the rest of us as possible- well at least sitting right next to the stage.

Before the concert started the boys got to make their own bean shakers to use during the music.

And try out all kinds of drums

Then we listened to percussion music from around the world. It was a lot of fun.

Quotable : greek myths

It was raining and stormy outside tonight. We saw a flash of lighting cross the sky. "Uncle" Bob was over for dinner and he said "it's just Thor" and Oliver looked him in the eye to say "no, Thor is the god of thunder! Maybe its Zeus"

Don't mess with the kid who is totally obsessed with Greek and Norse mythology.

The other day while playing outside with the neighbor boys, they all worked together to build a "princess trap". They told us the princesses "come along and go like this" (motioning a tripping action over the pile of rocks and stones that were the "trap") "and then they go to Hades in the underworld"

Um, okay then.

Art in Bloom...

Sometime in March I did all kinds of research to find a ton of free to mostly free events that we can go to. I added all these fun things to my goggle calendar so we could always have an adventure waiting, if we should happen to get a little bore. One of these events was the Minnesota Institute of Art's "Art in Bloom".

Friday morning the little misters and I packed a picnic lunch and headed out the door to arrive a little early. Auntie Mick and sons were able to tag along. Auntie Mick LOVES all things art & flowers. It just so happens that she studied and worked with both for years. Plus the boys love listening to her talk about everything she knows. 

 

 

We walked around the museum finding the displays and taking pictures. Eventually Auntie Mick had to leave so we walked out to the car with them to eat our lunches. Then I asked the boys if they wanted to go back to inside or go home. They decided a longer adventure day sounded exciting, so we stayed.

We walked around the rest of the museum and found their favorite art pieces. Oliver loved this "Theseus combating the minotaur" statue. He's all about Greek mythology these days.

funny faces taken by Oliver

funny face photo taken by Lucius

 

Lucius loved the car.

Soon as we ran out of museum to look through we went across the street to the green space there. The boys let me take a few brother photos.

 
Then I said "lets go to the park". As we got back to the car I realized I had locked my keys inside the car when we had lunch. Big bummer. Thank goodness we have an extra set and Auntie Em was willing to drive to our house, pick them up and drive down to help us out. As long as she was out, they followed us over to the new playground to join us.

 

 
We all played happily till it was finally time to head home. What a long fun adventure day!