Choo Choo Cha Boogie

My friend, Debbie, and I accompanied Mrs. Mary's class on their field trip to the train depot and museum in Temple last week. Benjamin and Jenae (and little Avery) had a fun day. 

Beware....I played around with several vintage filters over these photos. Not sure if I love them or not...but kind of fun. Especially for a vintage-y place like an old train depot.

Benjamin & Jenae

(you know you have a real friend when they will hold onto your casted hand)

I forget what this thing is called...but it just made me think of O'Brother Where Art Thou.

I think Cole (the blond boy on the right) pretty much was the engine the entire way around the loop of track. 

Just playing.

Trying so hard to listen...

Pushing the buttons on the train communicator thingy

(aren't you impressed with my vast knowledge of train lingo?)

This engine was what the Polar Express was modeled after.

Ringing the bell

The Amtrak came in as we were standing here....it was loud!!

My favorite vintage one...

although it looks like I just let him run and play on the tracks, in the path of the train.

Debbie and I actually rode together in my car with our kiddos, but they did try out the van on the ride over to the Whistle Stop Park.

Debbie, Jenae and Avery having lunch in the park area

Not really sure why I put a vintage filter on this one...just makes it look like he's a child of the seventies.

A great day with a great kid! ChooooChoooooo!

Benjamin, thanks for letting mom tag along on your fun trip! Glad you are still young enough to think it's super cool to have me around! Love you, kiddo!!

Flowers, strawberries and springtime...oh my!

I go back and forth about where to post pictures everyday. Facebook is an easy upload, so I've started posting there a bit more. However, I realized the other day that I truly enjoy going back and looking over this "virtual scrapbook" of a blog and remembering past events. So, I may just post in both places.

Last weekend, we headed to Marble Falls to take bluebonnet pictures as well as visit the strawberry patch. My mom was able to join us for a few minutes of photo taking, which allowed us to get some fun family shots, too. Thanks, Mom!

It was a great day to just be outside and enjoy the beauty of Texas in the spring....there's no other place like it!

If it's not one thing...

...it's ten others.

I actually had zero desire to blog about this, but David's convinced I'll want to remember it one day and urged me to do so before I forgot all the embarrassing details.

It's never fun to have these two vehicles parked in front of your house. (Unless you're 3 and 5, of course. Then it's the Best. Day. Ever.)

Let me preface this by saying I got a new phone this weekend. It's a smartphone and I am a newbie to that whole world...so I am still adjusting and that came through with flying colors today. Yea right.

Benjamin had an appointment at the pediatrician's office to see about a nagging allergy cough this afternoon. After getting the boys settled in the car, I opened the garage door and thought it smelled like someone was grilling...which seemed odd for the time of day. Next thing I knew, one of the teachers from the elementary school across the street was yelling at me from the playground telling me the fence was on fire on one side of my house.
She wasn't kidding. When I peaked around the garage, I about lost it....flames! About four feet from my house.
This teacher kept yelling at me so fast....
"Lady, dial 9-1-1!!"
"Lady, get the hose!!"
"Lady, your house is about to catch on fire!!"

Seriously. Over and over she just kept yelling these things. I wanted to say..."There are three teachers over there...someone HELP ME!"
I was the biggest buffoon throughout the whole ordeal. I ran to the neighbors' and rang his bell about 20 times. I tried to call 911 on my new phone and couldn't get it from being a "computer" to a "phone"....and somehow managed to hang up on the emergency operator after getting out "send a firetruck, the fence is on..."
I ran to the garden to get the hose, lost my flip flop in the driveway (and didn't pick it back up) and managed to kick the head off one of the little garden solar lights to send it flying....all to discover the hose wouldn't even get past the garage.

And this teacher is STILL yelling at me.
At which point, I realized how close the fire was to the garage and I started worrying about the boys who were buckled into their car seats in the garage.

Finally, I realize the teacher is yelling at me to get my neighbor's hose. Well, duh. Should have realized that one on my own.
As I pick up the Miller's hose and pull it off its reel thingy, I can't figure out the nozzle contraption on the end and start panicking again. Now I'm the one yelling at the teacher to dial 911.

Somehow, I realize someone is in the Miller's backyard and we start communicating. He started spraying from that side and I finally get his hose on the other side of the fence going.

I realize the fire is also in the corner of my backyard. Behind that darn gate with the dumb lock that I can never remember the blasted combination to. Again with the phone. Tried to call David about three times only to realize he was calling me, too.

The teacher, the firetrucks, the neighbor and my children all end up in my driveway at the same time...and someone managed to get me that stupid flip flop. Serious lack of grace under pressure. I felt so stupid. But very fortunate at the same time that the boys and I were just fine and safe.

The firefighters got into our backyard and finished the job.

David came home to a black fence and burnt patch of grass. But a family that was safe and sound.

So wishing to have a do-over of my day. But, wanting a new day tomorrow...free of drama.

P.S.-- I did discover that the silly phone takes a darn good picture for a phone....that's what I used for the above two pics!

There Went Peter Cottontail...

Because I waited so long and didn't post photos after each event...I now have almost 30 photos of all of the Easter fun to display in one post.

The highlights....

Jonathan ready to hunt eggs with his class at preschool...I am shocked (yeah, right) that he managed to get himself up to the front of the line.

He remembered exactly what to do!

He did great! And managed to get into all the eggs the next morning before I woke up. Stinker.

Benjamin's hunt proved a bit interesting with one arm.

But he certainly wasn't too bothered by it...

...and thankfully the staff "evened up" all the eggs while the kids partied later.

This is Benjamin's good friend, Jenae, pictured here with him.

These two really "get" each other. It's quite funny.

Later in the week, we painted "egg-pancakes" with food paint.

(Food paint isn't quite as glamorous as it sounds...it is milk with food coloring and voila.)

It turned out to be a pretty fun little activity...and tasted pretty good, too! ; )

Saturday night was our traditional egg-dying night.

I have to say, Jordan, I am with you on the sentiment of the egg-dying tradition.

We just do it because that's what we (at least I) grew up doing. But, not a lot of point to it. I mean, we're not big sit-around-and-eat-hard-boiled-eggs-all-day-kinda-people. Nor do we hunt the boiled ones...they make for a nasty mess if not found. So, we do the obligatory vinegar dip & dye and then they sit in the fridge for about a week until I throw them out...or get really ambitious and use them in tuna or egg salad...which didn't happen this week.

But it is still quite fun to watch the boys do this...just like I used to do with my dad.

My dad still dyes eggs every year...and writes all our names on them with white crayon before they are dipped. He's pretty sweet, that dad of mine.

Before bed on Saturday, we also made Resurrection Rolls. The boys really enjoyed this. Actually, David really got into it, too. It was pretty special watching David work with each of the boys to open the rolls up to find them empty...just like the tomb!

Sunday morning, the Easter Bunny didn't disappoint.

Although what was rather disappointing is the fact that this was the best photo I got of the boys in their Easter outfits before church....this was actually Easter outfit plan B. Short sleeves are now a must for us with Mr. Cast.

Thankfully, we got a better photo at my parents' later that afternoon.

Although, I do believe he has him in a choke-hold.

And gotta love the Cars sling that made all the "Easter Best" pics.

The Easter bunny left baskets at Grandma & Grandpa's, too!

After a delicious lunch of ribs, grilled chicken and all kinds of side dishes,

we headed out back for the egg hunt.

On a mission...

Getting the last of them...

He just couldn't wait any longer.

Meanwhile, Benjamin spread some love, aka weed seeds, throughout the yard.

Now, it's time to get down to business, people.

Grandma apparently needed all the help she could find to plant her spring flowers.

The most spoiled dog. Ever.

I actually managed to add a few more Easter decorations this year, too. I was inspired to make this egg garland by my friend, Debbie, who had one in her breakfast area window. It was easy to put together, too! You just string up eggs on fishing line (most of them already have holes in them) and then tie either fabric strips or ribbon in between them.

I also got this new little "Best Easter Wishes" plate and bird at Spice with Lori in March.

I am now in search of more birds....love them!

And I added the eggs in the vase to this little area. The eggs were from my mom...she couldn't decide what to do with them, so they ended up at my house. I kept calling them the "eggs on a stick" which just seemed a little carnival-foodish to me. But, I liked looking at them. ; )

Hoping all of you had a wonderful Easter as well!