Can It Be?

0 years old...

1

2

3

4

5

Good Night 5 Year Old...

*sniff

Easter and Beyond...

"Hey Ethan, what rhymes with cat?"

"Hat, pat, rat..."

"Yep! What rhymes with mutt?"

"Mud?"

"No, mutt - like rut, but, cut."

Long pause and bewildered look.

"Ethan? What rhymes with mutt?"

"You said "butt" mom, I can't."

I never managed to post this weekend to say "Happy Easter!!!" We were so busy that I don't think I even sat down for more than a minute. You see, my baby boy turns 5 in just a few days. Snort, sniffle, I'm okay. I'll get through. Back to the fun stuff....

Saturday was a gorgeous day. Even by my standards. The sun was shining and it was even warm enough to not wear socks! That doesn't happen much here... Our church put on an Easterpalooza - crazy fun time! There were inflatables.... at which Ethan tried very hard.

There was an Easter Egg Hunt - super easy for the little guys....

There was much eating of the candy (even the cotton kind~)

And some rad face painting! Our friends, the Burns family, joined us and we all got a bit sunburned together!

Even this shy little bunny!

It really was a lot of fun and totally free! We did donate a bunch of stuffed eggs, but other than that, we just enjoyed! The boys enjoyed so much they totally crashed when we got home!

That afternoon we took Alex and Kenzie so their parents could celebrate Dawn's birthday! We had fun with the 4 kids. Alex took a while to warm up but Kenzie was all over the pseudo summer activities. Ethan totally dotes on her - so gentle and calm... I wish he'd treat his brother like that - ha!

The big kids and I made cupcakes. Alex really liked baking for her mommy. I was kind of grossed out because they were totally licking the frosting off the knife every time I turned. Lucas even ate half a cupcake and I didn't notice until we were about done. Brian pointed out the topless cupcake and I cracked up.

Lucas and Kenzie pulled out just about every game we have until they discovered Connect Four. Well, Kenzie stopped at that point. She loaded those chips in there for at least 20 minutes straight. The clicking was kind of soothing, I have to admit!

The funniest part of the night was when Lucas was in the bath. I could tell Alex really wanted to go in, so I asked her and she was ready in no time! Then Kenzie jumped in too, but that didn't last. I guess co-ed bathing isn't her thing.

When Dawn and DJ got back, Ethan belted out "Happy Birthday" and Alex brought her mommy the cupcakes. It was sweet. Fun to do!

Then the Easter Bunny had to get to work...... The next morning (after a 6 am scramble to be ready), the boys found a note from Mr. Bunny!

And a path of dinosaur (dyed, rotten) eggs down to the basement where he had turned a once meaningless room into a gym! Basketball....

Hockey, soccer, and Ethan's favorite, "decorations!!! He left decorations!!!"

There was much running, jumping, and trying to shoot baskets...

We found out Ethan's pretty good at hockey! Who would have known?

Then it was time to put on our nice clothes and get ready for church... I'd say the boys did pretty darn well with pictures...

Of course they were bribed...

And there is nothing they won't do for a teeny piece of candy...

Church was awesome - such a moving sermon! And then it was back home for much needed naps... While the boys slept I ran all over town getting what I needed for Ethan's party next weekend. We met up at Nana's to deliver a package from the Easter Bunny for her.

The boys were bouncing off the walls, but it was great to see her! Next stop was Red Robin with the Barrys. Where I took not one picture. But it was fun. Nadia, Ethan, and Lucas even figured out how to jimmy one of the machines in the arcade room to steal a bunch of bouncy balls. Great way to celebrate Easter - ha!

So yeah, Monday was rough after all that fun. We managed through the day, but not without Ethan getting busted at naptime for yelling at his teacher and Lucas getting attacked by another kid for daring to take "his" bike... Today was better, though when I picked Lucas up, outside in the drizzly rain, he wasn't wearing any shoes. He had insisted to his teacher that he had a shoe outside and he'd gone out, ditched the one shoe he had and ran around. I couldn't stop laughing. He was a mess! And our poor friend Alex was confused because I had mistaked today for her birthday and made a big deal out of it (in front of her teachers) this morning. Whoops!

Tonight was one of those nights where I don't really think through my actions before I start.... The boys and I started painting boxes to turn into cars for Ethan's party.

There was paint everywhere. I think Lucas even ate some. I don't even want to look at the bathroom where they cleaned up. It could be ugly.

But the boxes are all now brightly colored and the headlights are painted as well. Next step is to finish the tires. I don't know why I do this to myself, but it's just more fun. And it keeps me from having to clean the toilet or load the dishwasher... at least for now.... I think it really comes down to me feeling like I put so much effort and work into my classroom and I want the boys to know they are that important too. It helps that Ethan gets all hyped up about it and comes up with some great ideas. He's so much like me it freaks me out sometimes - always thinking of that next step to take a project too. Look out world, here we come!

On another note - I want to say how much I appreciate all of you who not only read my blog, but leave comments as well. I read on a blog once that comments are like hugs to a blogger. So true. I write because it's therapeutic to me - helps me focus on my family as school always tries to take over - but it sure is nice to know other people enjoy reading it!

Love you all out in blogland!

Oh the Noise....

Yesterday Ethan was kind of obnoxious, getting irritated at everything and anything....

"Ethan, you're kind of a grumposaurus!"

"A what?"

"A grumposaurus."

(Said with eyes rolling) "That is not even a real dinosaur."

Today's been better. Really both boys are having a great week. Lucas has learned to sing his ABC's and to count to 10. Not that he'll do any of it on command. Nor will he do it at anything less than a scream.

And swinging a baseball bat around makes it that much more fun.

In other news, Ethan's a little bummed because his girlfriend has been absent.

"She's got bugs in her hair mom."
Love has so many obstacles in preschool.

Remembering and Playing

Saturday was a bittersweet day. We spent the morning at gymnastics (where Ethan is starting to really be able to figure things out) and then headed out to Tacoma. We were headed to a local pizza place for my cousin Jennie's memorial. It was really a cool place and neat to see so many of her friends and family members together. We didnt' stay too long because I just couldn't hold it together. When I cry it's not so much a graceful, subtle cry, it's more of a noisy, out of control sob. We headed out and decided to stop at the zoo - no better way to honor Jennie than to spend some time in the moment with our family. The boys loved running around, as it wasn't crowded at all and we could let them have a bit more freedom than normal.

These tigers were tiny last time we were there. Now they're so big and crazy!

The polar bear was trying to show off his nostrils to us...

Big eyes!

The obligatory shark jaw pic...

Sunshine! It was gorgeous. Apparently they had already closed by the time we got about half way around and we got kicked out. Luckily we're members so it was no biggie, just headed the rest of the way home. Saturday night I got my groove on with my friend Sonia at Rock N Bowl. We had a blast and laughed till lit hurt. Apparently I am now really really bad at bowling. I would have gotten a smaller ball which might have helped, but there was a party of 8 or so year old girls who hogged them all. Next time I'm going to be more aggressive in getting my 8 lb-er! Today, after church, my parents came over to help trim the hedge.

The boys were super helpful (note the sarcasm) at picking up the scraps. Daddy and Brian were very safety cautious (note the sarcasm)...

And Lucas tried his darndest to make it into the back of the truck.

A quick pre-Easter treat - cards, goldfish, and chocolate bunnies.... and off to naps they were (happily for once! They were exhausted!)

After naps we decorated eggs... Only one major spill - our table is now dyed pink.... Ethan has far more concentration than his brother - taking time to make them really pretty. We spent the evening decorating eggs, playing games on the Wii, skyping with Grammy and Grandpa in Colorado, and just plain being obnoxious.

Something at which Lucas excells. And Ethan also spent a good long time in the mirror after his shower admiring his hair and noting it's similarities to his hero, Justin Beaver. "Oh yeah, Justin Beaver hair, oh yeah!" And thus begins another week.

PS - My baby turns 5 in less than two weeks. I'm not sure I can handle this. Just so you know.

The Weeks Fly By!

The highlight of our week was an impromptu picnic at "Castle Park" with our friends, the Burns family. KFC (thanks guys!!) and lots and lots of laughs. Lucas watched a dad taking pictures of his kids on the slides- quite the ordeal getting them all to stay there. He was fascinated, and then marched himself up there and demanded "Pixer mommy! Now!" His cheesy smile just cracks me up. Ethan's was this wide mouthed bottom jaw thing, but lucas' is a scrunched up nose face. Too funny. Then we figured we might as well try to get a picture of all of them.... First Ethan pushed ahead and looked like a giant.

Then he refused to look. I thought it would get easier the bigger they were....

Kenzie got in on the action, but Ethan was just plain goofy....

Finally all 4 of them~ Adorable kiddos! Alex calls Ethan "My Ethan!" and Lucas calls Kenzie "My Kenzie".

There were lots of swings.... Lots of running and giggling... And lots of lifting for DJ, the girls' dad.

The littler ones did some swinging too. Kenzie ate a lot of bark, Lucas followed everyone around grinning.

And then, right before we left - Alex and Ethan both figured out how to go down the pole themselves. I think it was a ploy to get them more playing time, so they could show us again and again. It worked.

In other news, Ethan has a new girlfriend. Only, he can't remember her name. He tells me all about how pretty and nice she is, just can't point her out or say her name. I'm thinking she may just be an imaginary friend. Either that or she's out with lice, like most of the girls in his class. Ick! No hugging allowed Ethan!!!!

Wednesday was McTakeover night for my school. We raised a lot of money, but I did not so much enjoy working the drive thru. The boys came through with daddy after he came to pick them out. Another teacher at the first drive thru window asked Brian if he would buy a coupon book. He declined and so she asked if he was just there to see the hot girl in the next window. He said yeah and Ethan yelled out, "That hot girl is my mom!" Hilarious! Poor Brian got it all night. Amy asked if he was Mr. Sprague and said she could tell because of the jeans (I accidentally wore them to school on Tuesday... they felt funny and I couldn't figure it out until she noticed the wallet markings. oops!) It was a fun night, though the hour I spent in the playplace was enough to send me over the edge! We always go at like 4 so we miss the crowds. It was insane in there!

I'm hoping to spend some serious time in our garden this weekend. Ethan is so into plants and seeds right now, I want to use that enthusiasm to get the hard work of clearing it done! Other than that, we have a memorial lunch for my cousin today and I'm going bowling with my friend tonight! (That should be a lot of laughs!) Of course, in true Sprague weekend fashion, we'll find a million other things to do as well! (Except for housework, somehow that never makes it on the list!)

Before I forget...

If you are viewing this as an email or on facebook it won't play. So just ignore it ;) I've already shared this on facebook, but for those of you not on there, here it is on the blog.

Justin Beaver himself (and his trusty sidekick!

I heart weekends.

Mall playdates... Lots of giggles... a few timeouts for wrestling... these three could not keep their hands off each other...

Lucas and I went and got a garden plot at the local community gardens - very cool! One of the gardeners there gave Lucas a carrot she found in one of the extra gardens.

Jillian and Ben's birthdays (friends) meant a trip out to Kingston to their grandparents' house. Fun times on the beach. Lucas had some awesome hair. And yes, that is raw broccolli he's carrying all around.

Ethan had a blast crawling around on the logs- except when he fell through some. But he's tough.

The party was fun - the boys loved having lots of kids to run around with and we all loved the yummy food and good conversation!

We decided to spend the night at my parents. Lots of snuggling and tickle wars. We had a delicious brunch this morning before we headed out.

After naps we headed out to the garden to show Ethan and Brian. It was rainy, so we didn't stay for long. Just long enough to get excited about the projects ahead :)

They did manage to find a couple of worms in the soil as they broke in their new garden tools.

We headed downtown in the drizzles. We've always wanted to go to the USS Turner Joy, but haven't been able to make it before they close due to naptimes...

Today was the day. Lots of steep stairways and climbing made for happy boys. Ethan made sure we saw absolutely everything. He loved all the little "secret" rooms and spaces. Mostly he just liked leading us around.

Fascinating stuff. I cannot imagine living on a big ship like that. It was a neat way to connect with all our Navy family.

Ethan was just not ready to head home yet, as he told us over and over and over and over.... So, we headed out to the Airport Diner to eat. Not too many planes in the sky, but still plenty to see. Lucas had to be reminded to use his quiet voice a lot, but otherwise they were great.

I love Brian because he is just as into our little adventures as I am.

And I love my boys. Even when they can't remember not to shout in excitement over the plane taking off.

Or maybe especially then.

And now you must excuse me for the family dance party. Justin Beaver awaits.