related?

 i apologize that the book is different now.  by the time wes got to it, it was being held together with duct tape.  and after it got covered in vomit, i decided to chunk it.  you get the idea, though. 

william

wes

reed

 

in action

mighty casey might have struck out,

but william knocked the cover off of the ball...kinda.  

i can't believe my life has reached this point.  i am now frequenting the city park on weeknights to sit on the sidelines and cheer.

but these little guys are pretty cute, and it's fun to watch them get all excited when everybody is cheering for them!

and you better believe that william has told the world!  i got a text from my neighbor that said, "welcome to the world of extra-curricular sports where you are now trapped for the next 18 years of your life!"  when i picked him up from school today, william's teacher said, "so, i hear you have a t-ball game tonight, huh?"  i'm surprised the cash register lady at kroger didn't say anything to me about it.

anyway, william played second...

and third...

and yes, at the beginning, every single kid on the field went for the ball wherever it was hit.  they looked like a bunch of ants on a cupcake, but after a bit they started figuring things out.  and then we only had 2 or 3 going for the same ball!!

he also got 3 really good hits...

he even made the last at-bat an inside the park homerun! (he has no idea that the time limit had anything to do with it)

wes was slightly upset that he didn't get to play t-ball.  but sitting in the dugout made him feel a little better.

and skittles always work wonders with this kid.

and poor reed.  he's such a trooper.  there's no telling how many pictures i'll end up with of him like this!  i will make dang sure that his brothers have themselves parked on some bleachers watching him whenever his turn rolls around.

after shaking hands...

 we finally got to the best part of the game!

and despite the fact that the score is not kept in t-ball, william and noah know who is #1!

intruder

a few afternoons ago, i was sitting at my computer during "naptime."  i use the term loosely because there is always at least one little person awake to keep me "company" (term used loosely, again).  anyway, i hear a noise in the kitchen, but i don't really think anything about it because william and wes are constantly in and out the back door.  and then i look up to see...

this may not seem like a strange picture to some people.

however...we DO NOT OWN A DOG!!  and to top that off, i have not the slightest clue who this dog belongs to.

he promptly got shooed out of my house.

and then the little people and i had a nice, long conversation/demonstration about how to shut the doors! 

there's nothing like a sunny saturday,

and cotton candy that is bigger than your head. 

buddies

on a separate note, can somebody tell why my middle child insists on wearing a hat like this??

now all we need are some baggy pants...

first lesson...kind of

metz came to town last week.  we were glad that he stopped by just to chat.

but all william knew was that this guy plays tennis.  and since all william wants to do these days is play tennis, he decided that this tennis player guy should get out in the driveway and play with him.  period.  no ifs, ands or buts about it.

william got a quickstart net and balls for christmas, and he's been putting it to use since the weather has been warmer.  but now that he got some real instruction (chase and i obviously don't know how to play tennis in his little mind), he's all about it!

i knew that he would listen to somebody else better than he would listen to me or chase (despite the fact that we could actually teach the kid how to play the game), but it was amazing to see how much better he hit the ball after 30 seconds of "teaching" by someone else.

we hope to see lots more of this in the near future!

otherwise, we may have to drive to columbus to get some lessons!

and for the record...chase traded out this lesson with a smoothie for the road on metz's drive back to starkville!  i'm guessing that won't cut it in the future??

all he needs is a leather jacket

and to enjoy this battery operated machine.  because real ones are off limits.  until he's 40.

clampetts of north mississippi

this is an apology to my neighbors.

in the last week, i have looked out my window to see wes in the front yard (who was supposed to playing in the backyard) running around in his boxers and crocs.  i've seen him with his shorts and boxers around his ankles...peeing.  and i looked out the other day to see two children playing who were fully clothed when they walked out...

 one of the houses is vacant and for sale. 

to the others: please don't move!!  i'm surrounded by testosterone, and i'm doing the best i can!

reed...

is everywhere...

is almost too fat to fit into the pjs that the easter bunny brought...

is seriously drooling...

is wanting to play outside with his brothers...

is not sure how to get down once he gets up...

is my helper at suppertime...

is loving some yogurt...

is looking sharp while sporting one of uncle zeb's outfits (circa 1979ish)...

is loving the outside, even if he has to be in a pack 'n play...

 is infatuated with pulling up and chewing on my cabinet knobs...

is a keeper!

cousin love

they don't always want to help,

but you can always count on them to clean up.  if cleaning up includes licking the spatula.

easter and more...

grab some popcorn.  and a drink.  you might want to go to the bathroom before reading this.  we've been busy, and i don't feel like making a bunch of different posts, so i'm about to rock this post with all kinds of pictures!

last thursday, leigh ann, had a whole bunch of crazy people over to her house.  the kids decorated more than 70 bags, and we filled them with fruit, candy and lots of easter love.  then we delivered them to an assisted living facility in town.  it was a really sweet time! 

and then wes asked a lady in a wheelchair, "why you not got another foot?"  so we decided to call it day. 

later, some eggs got worked over by william and wes.  and thankfully this year, we were able to do it outside so nothing inside got broken or turned purple. 

 

they worked them over good.

and were very happy to show off their finished products. 

then poppa and kakki came to town.  

william is all about some obstacle courses, and poppa was a good opponent!

on saturday, we hit up the country club to work off some energy and hunt for eggs.

reed was snotty, but he didn't mind being along for the ride. 

and the other two didn't mind the snow cones. 

or the magician.

and i've already stated that we are obsessed with hunting eggs. 

it was past this one's nap time, but he was still smiling...

then came ping pong, bike riding, and basketball. 

after not enough sleep, we got up to see what the easter bunny had left.   william got new cleats (aside from church, they haven't come off of his feet). 

wes got jelly beans and m&ms.  actually he got other stuff, but this is what he cared most about.

reed got some loot, too.

and he might take after wes because he went straight for his eggs as well!  

then we got dressed up and headed to church.
 

reed wore the same sweet outfit that honey made for william on his first easter.  i can't believe it made it through all three boys and is still in one piece and the same color it was 4 years ago.  i'm not sure i can say that about any other article of clothing that we own. 

easter has always been my favorite holiday.  as one of our elders said on sunday, "easter is the celebration of the solution to our problem."  amen.  and although we should strive to celebrate the solution every single day of the year, i can't wait to do it all over again next year!!