Multi-Family Zoning Please

While I was drawing a plane on the driveway with chalk this afternoon I heard the distinct "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" call. I kept hearing it from the front of the lawn so I decided to walk over with my camera and see if I could spot him/her. There were was one on a small shrub in the "bench garden" (the garden at the front of the lawn with the bench that Shaylen says is just like Cinderella's) and he was flitting back and forth to a narrow, old tree stump. After observing him do this for a while, I realized that it was building a nest! How exciting! The Chickadee then flew up to a tree where another Chickadee was waiting (possibly her mate?).

After watching her for quite some time, she flew away and so Marshall, Shaylen and I went up to the stump and looked inside without touching. There is such a small hole there, but big enough for a small Chickadee family. We'll keep checking back & keep you posted.

Future Golfing Buddy for Taigen

Today was finally dry again and so we were outside enjoying the sunshine. Marshall and Shaylen asked if they could play golf on the front lawn. I went and got out their clubs from Mr. Bowman and continued with what I was doing.

I was walking around examining the shrubs and flowers when I heard Marshall's "whack" of the golf club hitting the golf ball and an instantaneous "ping" off the tall table by the horseshoe pit. He had hit the ball, hit it well and hit it hard! I quickly changed my position to behind my son and encouraged him to hit it again. He never did hit the ball that hard again, but this shot was somewhat similar.

The Love of My Life

Look at who I got to make a guest appearance on the blog today! It's my boyfriend. Can you believe that in 16 days we will have been married for ten years? Time flies when you're having the time of your life! I said it back on May 16th of 1998, "I married my best friend" and I'll say it again. He's the best and I'm so proud of him.

Four Year Old Peer Pressure

This afternoon the kids and I made ginger snap cookies. It was a great indoor activity for them since it has been raining all day.

After dinner was ready, and the table was set, I put a few cookies on a salad plate and then placed them on the table. (Sometimes the sight of them motivates our little ones to eat faster!)

After our dinner, the cookies were enjoyed. Marshall said, "There are two left on the plate."

Shaylen added her two cents. "You can eat them, Daddy!"

Taigen said, "No thank you, I am full!"

Shaylen was convinced he should. "Come on, Daddy, you can eat them. I'm sure you want to!"

She's got him pegged.

Crazy Antics - Attempt II

It was beautiful outside this past weekend. Perfect spring weather. While I cleaned up the kitchen from dinner, Taigen took the twins outside to play. When I was finally finished, I went outside and caught a brief video for you to enjoy! They make me laugh.

Sorry for the 3 second video. I tried minimizing the file size and for some unknown reason, it only would play a 3 second blurb. Let's see if this one is better!

A Living Room Face-Lift

On Taigen's "To-Do List" for today, he wrote, "Strip Wallpaper". We both thought it would be an all day job. Surprisingly, it only took about an hour and a half. While the kids listened to White Fangs in a Black Hole and the Snow White soundtrack, we were able to completely finish stripping the wallpaper. It looks so much better. Yes, it is bare, but paint can fix that easily!

One New Friend

We've not had a ton of activity lately at the bird feeder. Maybe someone else put out their bird feeder and so I am now competing with them for my feathered friends' attention. If we have had visitors, it has been birds that I've recognized from the past. Until today.

This morning, I was blow drying my hair and noticed a bird hopping around on the ground hunting for food under all the leaves. I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped a few pictures.

Normally, I wouldn't have a clue what this bird was, but thanks to our friend, Danette Rogers, down in SC, we can now hunt for the information on our own. She sent Marshall and Shaylen a book on birds by Roger Tory Peterson. We received it this afternoon and I've already been looking through it. Thank you Danette!

After looking through the book, I think I'm fairly confident that the bird from this morning is an Eastern Towhee. You ornithologists out there correct me if I'm wrong.

Marshall's Room Makeover

As promised, here are before and after pictures of Marshall's room. We were a bit hesitant of the blue that we got once we got it on. It seemed a bit too "Baby Blue" rather than "Sky Blue", but once we got the wallpaper border on and the furniture back in, we thought it was perfect! Marshall wanted a blue room but didn't want it as dark as what we had in Saco.

The white on the top isn't all that different from what was there before, but just like Shaylen's, it cleaned up the nine years of scuff and dirt marks and we were able to get rid of the three million nail holes that were in the wall. And Marshall absolutely loves the airplanes (I know, I know...shocking)! I found the border online but didn't like the price. After a bit of hunting around on the internet, I found it for less than half the price I originally saw it at. I love a good deal! Makes the makeover even more desirable. Taigen did a fabulous job with the project. All we have left to do now is find a valance that coordinates with it all.

Be Ye Kind

The kids sang again tonight in church with their Pee Wee Club and we brought along the camera so that we could capture it so that you might enjoy it too! They have been looking forward to singing this for quite some time. Unfortunately, you can't see Marshall all that well. Taigen was videotaping and I was at the piano, so he had to take the vantage point that was given him. They both look cute and that's all you need to know, right?


The song they sang is Be Ye Kind based off of Ephesians 4:32. Here are the words:

When I was just a little child,
I went to Sunday school;
I learned about the Savior,
And I learned the Golden Rule.
My teacher had a fav'rite verse
She always loved to tell.
I said it ev'ry Sunday,
So I learned it very well!

Chorus
"Be ye kind to one another,"
Be tenderhearted, too;
Be kind to one another
In ev'rything you do.
Just follow Christ's example--
Be loving, kind, and true,
Forgiving one another
As God hath forgiven you.

And so today I'm thankful
That my teacher was so smart:
She took the living Word of God
And hid it in my heart.
Still ev'ry week in Sunday school
I think back to that day:
Before I know what's happening
My lips begin to say:

Repeat Chorus

Marshall and Shaylen have really started singing a LOT. They have always enjoyed singing, but they are singing more and more in the car, more and more at the piano and they seem to be always making up songs as they play with their stuffed animals. It is so cute to hear. We love the fact that they have a song in their hearts.

A Few More Feathered Friends

Yesterday we had a few more friends come to the bird feeder. We had a pair of cardinals (one male and female). The female is not as brightly colored. But as they were together, it made the identification process a whole lot easier for me! (I'm sorry the picture is so fuzzy, but it was the best one I got of her.)

This second one reminds me a lot of the chipping sparrow, but he had yellow around his beak instead of the rust colored feathers. So, as of right now, I have no clue what kind of bird he is. Any guesses?

As I was making dinner I looked out the kitchen window and spotted a pair of mourning doves. If they had held still, I would have never guessed they were there they blended in with their surroundings so well! They walked around and around and pecked to their heart's content.

Shortly after dinner Taigen said, "Look at the pigeons sitting on the rock."

"Pigeons?" I asked. I hadn't seen ANY pigeons yet.
I looked. It took me a while to spot them, but there sitting on the rock were the mourning doves. They were obviously full and very content. They were so still.

I told Taigen that they were not pigeons. He made some joke about them not being able to be "morning" doves because it was evening and they were out and about. I rolled my eyes. [He cracks me up. Well...let's be technical. I didn't crack up...I groaned. If I were faster on my comebacks, I would have said, "No, they are surely mourning doves, because they are sad your jokes are so terrible!" Oh well...live and learn.]

Dreadful!

In New England, there is usually an influx of lady bugs at given points of the year. I don't know how they get in, but they do. I know that they were invading some people's homes this fall and were everywhere! I was surprised to see them in our home this spring.

It seems like the lady bugs have a preference for the guest suite because when I went up there for the first time in about a week, there were quite a few dead on the floor. Ewww! I was starting to straighten things up when Shaylen came up and saw them there as well. I explained to her that they came in and died. She was fascinated. I would have immediately vacuumed them up, but I'm needing a new bag for the vacuum. They would have to wait until Saturday (double ewwwww!).

When we went back down she was eager to take Marshall up there and show him all the dead ladybugs. I heard her telling him the whole story. When they came downstairs, I asked them, "Where are you going?"

"To Grammie's room to show Marshall the ladybugs."
"Okay, but come right back." (They aren't allowed to play up there.)
"Okay, Mama!"

On their way, I heard Shaylen say to Marshall, "Marshall! We will go to Grammie's room and then come back after we see a dreadful sight!"

More New Friends

We kept an eye on the bird feeder today to see if we could spot any new friends. I spotted a robin this morning and a few of the others that for now, remain unnamed. This afternoon I noticed one in the feeder that I hadn't seen before. He sat there for the longest time and munched and munched. He seemed quite content to eat his fill with no care in the world! It gave me a wonderful opportunity to snap a few pictures of him. Anyone know what kind of bird he is?

Give Me Your Two Cents

Cornerstone Baptist Church in Scarborough, ME was having Dr. Jerry Sivnksty and his wife this week for special services. We were able to go up last night to see the Sivnksty's and hear him preach. Being up at Cornerstone also affords us the opportunity to see our Maine "family". It's always so good to reconnect with them.

I did learn from several of you that are up there that you look at the blog. Hooray! I'm glad you found us. A couple of you mentioned that you've wanted to leave a comment on some of the posts but didn't know how. It's so easy! Let me give you some quick tips so that you can give me your two cents when you want to. I'm sure there are others that have had the same question, but haven't been brave enough to say so...

1. Go to the bottom of the specific post and click on the word "comments".









2. A new window will appear and look like this. Write your two cents.












3. Choose which "ID" you'd like to post as. Many of you don't have a blogger account, you could either sign up for one (it's free!), or you can just click on "Anonymous". If you do...just write your first name at the end of your comment (or at least come up with some code name that I'll understand so I know who's writing).









4.Click "publish".









And there you have it! Welcome to the world of blogging!

Thank you so much for your kind words about the blog. I'm so thankful that it seems you're enjoying it as much as I am doing it. Let me know if there is ever any way I can improve.

Belly Laugh

I wish you could have heard Shaylen's chuckle this morning when we were outside. I was trying to get a picture of her and she was squinting/scowling because of the sunshine. I said to her, "Smile, Shaylen. You look like a Grumpy Gus!" That tickled her funny bone so much and she laughed and laughed. I caught it all on camera. She cracks me up!

Inquiring Minds

Dad and Cathy gave the kids this Leap Pad shortly before we moved and Marshall and Shaylen figured it out very quickly. There's one book/cartridge set that emphasizes blends (sh, br, sp, sn, sl, etc.) and Shaylen picked up on it right away. I can ask her how a certain word starts and she can tell me the blend most of the time! Hooray for Leap Frog.

Making Themselves At Home

I thought I would share a few more pics of the "friends" that came to visit this morning. Some have even been so bold as to come onto the deck and snatch a few grains that Marshall left there yesterday.

If any of you have an idea of what kind of birds these are, please leave a comment or email me. I'm thinking the last one is a cardinal, but I wouldn't guarantee anything because I'm clueless when it comes to birds. It sure is fun however, to watch for them as I go about my business.

Note: The photos are a bit grainy because I took them from inside the house, through the glass patio door and then zoomed in via the camera software. It's not too bad though. Gotta love technology!

"Feed the Birds"

I've had this famous song from Mary Poppins stuck in my head since yesterday! When we moved in to this house, we noticed that we have a really nice bird feeder in our backyard. It is built in such a way so that squirrels cannot get the seeds at all. I looked at the store yesterday and saw that bird seed isn't that expensive and so the kids and I loaded it up into our cart.

The feeder had been empty for over a year and I hoped that it wouldn't take long for the birds to find out that I had refilled it. It didn't. This morning after my walk, I noticed a lot of fluttering in the backyard and I took a peek. There were about a half a dozen Chickadees flitting back and forth to the feeder. When I woke up the kids this morning, I told them that we had special visitors in our backyard. They were so excited to watch them after they ate their breakfast. There's been other kinds of birds going back and forth, but I don't know their names. I hear them chirping in the trees and think of what a joy they bring for mere "tuppence a bag".

Busy Monday

Yesterday was so nice (practically a heat wave for New England...a whopping 50 degrees!) that Taigen decided to tackle Shaylen's room. She had requested that we color her room green. Of course, her favorite is grass green, and since I'm not going to paint it that, we compromised and went with the "Dried Parsley" green from our Saco basement. It goes well with the green in her curtains and bedspread.

Taigen opened up her windows and I took the kids outside in order to keep them from getting paint on themselves and accidentally ruining Taigen's work. Here are the before and after.

Lest you think that her room didn't look that bad, you cannot really see the dozens of little holes in the wall and the nine years of scuff marks and hand prints on the wall. The paint really cleaned things up...it always does.

I on the other hand took the kids on an "Explore" of the backyard. It is all woodsy and I was able to show them the different textures of the evergreen trees in the back (some are soft and others are so prickly!), teach them what moss was and also point out new growth. They said, "That means it is finally spring!"

While they ran around with their mops and brooms, I raked out some of the flower beds on our property and gave some of the ratty looking bushes a trim. I'm paying the price for it today because my hands are actually swollen around the meaty part of my thumbs! But the flower beds look good. Judging from the amount of leaves on some of the flower beds, those leaves had been there for quite some time! I discovered a host of new growth. I'm unsure what everything is, but we'll soon find out.

Here are a few of the shots from yesterday.

I can finally see all the steps on the deck.

This is part of the biggest "flower bed" that I raked out. I'm thinking this one hadn't been done in years. I actually found the remnants of a small gravel path through it. Shaylen says that this bench is just like Cinderella's. I had to think about the movie for a bit, but she's right!

The kids of course had a great time. They "took naps" in the leaves I had raked and piled up (a really gross thought for me and odd seeing how Marshall is terrified of bugs right now), played baseball, basketball, kickball and golf, went on a walk for the mail (almost a mile and a half walk), had a "picnic" with their sippy cups and played hide-and-seek. We are just so thankful for this wonderful home that God has given us.

Like Father Like Son

A while back, Marshall got a hand-me-down tie from our good friends Steve and Susan Gauthier. We came across it again while unpacking and organizing and Marshall asked me this past week if he could wear it and be "like Daddy". I promised him that he could.

Now, Taigen dislikes ties. His opinion is that no man in his right mind would invent something that you tie around your neck. You could hang yourself! He thinks a woman invented it so she could yank him in case he gets out of line. Nice. With that in mind, Marshall has never worn a tie and Taigen has not been in a hurry to put one on him.

I forgot my promise to Marshall and got out his Sunday clothes on Saturday night. It was a lovely sweater with an airplane on it that Marshall had gotten from our other good friends the Grays. It had belonged to their son. (I LOVE hand-me-downs.) When Taigen went in to wake Marshall up Sunday morning, he was all dressed in his suit. Marshall noticed Taigen's tie first thing and said, "Mommy said I could wear my tie!" So he did. I couldn't resist getting a shot of father/son. What a cute pair they make.

Kids' Bathroom

We currently have a very long, large brown and black diamond sticker on the wall of the kids' bathroom posing as a wallpaper border and hanging on for dear life. It is a losing battle because I think Taigen and I both strip some off when we are in there. It is bubbling up and irks you like a disgusting sunburn that is peeling. Yuck. The former owners decided to put in a black vanity as well. Interesting. It is in good condition and since I don't have money to be replacing it, we decided to work around it in order to make the bathroom more kid friendly.

We went in search of something at Target. Target stuff is pretty cute and affordable. It had to have some sort of black accent. I was thinking lady bugs, Taigen was thinking just plain bugs. Marshall was thinking airplanes (surprise, surprise) and Shaylen was thinking princesses. The bathroom had to work for both genders since Marshall and Shaylen were going to be sharing it. Taigen came across this really cute penguin shower curtain and bath rug! Perfect! Aren't those penguins so cute? Not to mention cool. It instantly perked up their bathroom and we all love it!