The contents of a Little Boy's Pockets

After we went sledding the last time with our campfire, I sent everyone's coats and gear through the wash.  When I emptied out Brighton's coat pockets, this is what I found.  I chuckled to myself as I pulled everything out for it was SO Brighton.  Most of this stuff is things he picks up while walking home from school every day.  I get so exasperated with him sometimes, but I love how all-boy he is.  Every day is an adventure, and everything is waiting to be discovered and figured out.  Brighton, I hope you always keep your sense of curiosity and discovery!

Basketball star

 Brighton expressed an interest in learning basketball (actually, he already knows everything there is to know about it, or so he says, but he humored us anyways), so we signed him up for Little Hoopsters this winter.  He sure has the height for it, but the coordination, well, looks like he inherited his mother's lack of it.  Hopefully we can teach him some because it would be a cryin shame to let his height go to waste!  The kid is built to shoot! 

 He had fun and learned a few things anyway. 

Frosty and Mrs. Frosty

 One snowy day the twins went out and built these cute little snow-twins.  We were able to use our Frosty kits for the first time since we got them, who-knows-how-many-years-ago.  I thought they were so cute, just twin-sized.  If you look closely, you can see the lightly-falling snow in the picture.  I was reminded that when Savannah was growing up, at this age, we didn't let a snowstorm go by without building a snowman.  Contrast that to I can't remember the last snowman that I went out with the kids and initiated.  When did I stop doing that with my little kids???  I suppose it's normal progression, but I felt really sad that I don't take the time to do simple things like that anymore.  {Not sad enough that I stayed outdoors with them, mind you.  Brrrr, it was a cold day!}  I need to remember to live without regrets and enjoy these moments before they are grown and gone, for it happens so quickly!

Wacky Wednesday

 One Friday after picking up the twins from Kindergarten, they told me they had had a "Yes Day" where they could ask their teacher for {almost} anything, and she said yes.  They asked if we could also do a Yes Day at home, which I warily said yes to.  Thankfully, all they asked for was if we could do Wacky Wednesday, where I hide their lunch under bowls.  We had done this several times in the past, but it fell to the wayside, along with Muffin Tin Monday and Fun Lunch Friday.  But they apparently love this, so I agreed to do it.  I loved how excited they got when I agreed, and they eagerly anticipated what was under each bowl.  You'd think they were in a fine restaurant and I was offering fine delicacies on silver platters, not pb&j's cut into stars and flowers alongside yogurt with sprinkles.  I am going to miss these two at this stage when they are so giggly and excited about life.  I wanted to capture the fun things they enjoyed at age 5.  Twins, I sure do love you and think you are so fun {when I'm not crazy with your antics}. :)

Enjoying their mandarin oranges in a muffin cup {another favorite}.

If it floats your boat...

 In our house, we don't usually allow tv on Sundays, so the kids have to get creative sometimes to avoid boredom.  That's actually what we prefer, since I hate how entertained this generation thinks they need to be, but that's a whole other soapbox post:)  One Sunday, Brighton (usually the mastermind) decided to build some boats from some empty cardboard boxes and float them in our bathtub.  He added the tinfoil as a barrier to see if they wouldn't sink so fast, and experimented with different shapes and designs to see which held up better.  I was really impressed with his creativity and critical thinking.  I think this boy has finally found an outlet for his creative mind. 

It floats!  Great design and thinking, Brighton!  That was a good use for the last roll of tinfoil.

A' campin we will go

 Like I said earlier, the boys (including Scott) have been a little tent happy lately.  Scott made a semi-permanent tent over both the boys' bunks, which they thought was so fun.  Brighton kept his for several weeks, but Keaton got scared the first night, and we took his mostly down.  The next morning when I got up, they had taken the camping theme to heart and made their room look like the outdoors, with the fake tree from the living room, and a hand-drawn "fire" over the night-light, and a camping scene.  Plus some luggage with a few "necessities".

 (I think it's time to repaint the walls!)

How to have your cake and eat it too

 For FHE in January, Keaton was assigned to do the treat.  The first Monday, he requested we make a cake.  So I did, and let him loose to decorate it.  I frosted it, but gave him a hodge-podge of items from the pantry and let him decide where to put them.  This was how he did.  Beautiful!  He was very proud of his creation.