Tuesday with the Boys

 As always...the best way to "catch up" seems to be to jump back into the present and look for moments to back post...but I have several years of back posts to work on. LOL Why do you think life moves so fast???? 

Today being Tuesday I spent the morning with "the boys." Since I last blogged, they've moved into a new home and are settling in nicely. I wondered if they'd be a bit worked up today as the 2-year-old bedtime routine was thrown off by t-ball. They were a bit "squirrely" - the 2 yo's - but I've learned keeping busy together helps lower the individual mischief quotient. 

In their previous home we would spend about 20 minutes jumping on the mini-trampoline and doing YouTube kids chases. In this house the TV is put in their bedroom, and we're forced to creative play. ::snort:: Seriously, if your children watch YouTube kids beware. Check it out carefully. Odd links began showing up.... harmless looking...click for the next chase type thing but porn sites show up. So - no more. 

This new home has a magical closet. Arielle has organized it all quite nicely and the boys KNOW - only one thing from the closet comes out at a time. In fact, today the 2 yo's wanted the bin of beans and I was relieved when Benny shared the opinion, "No! That's too messy for Bachan to have to do." 

Oh - the choices! 

First, we all took a turn bowling. Benny was certain a football would work as well as a bowling ball.  Ok, points for creativity. 

We next tried a rousing game or two of Duck Pond...but none of the boys were having the rules of the thing...so basically, they grabbed them off the ring and threw them back on. LOL They thought it was a lame game.... which will preach. Following the rules sometimes gives purpose to the game of life. LOL 

Benny wanted to do a puzzle. I knew this would work best if the twinkies were occupied elsewhere. I got the playdough bin out of the closet and set them up at the table.  Benny and I worked on his puzzle from Aunt Coco at the island behind the table. 

It bought us enough time to get the edges done and start on the middle... my plan worked well, until it didn't. The littles were ready to join in. Benny was indignant...but they really weren't much trouble....

I am impressed at how focused Danny was on the puzzle. He put together a section. Yes, Benny is right, we had to do it over, but it's all a learning experience.  We made memories. 

We were still working on the puzzle when Arielle got home from her staff meeting. We finished the puzzle, visited a bit and I came home. 

It's been a gray and drizzly day. I grabbed some soup and tea and had a chat with Allie before she had to leave. She's enjoying being off school...but has doubled her work hours so her schedule is still very full. 

Stacia came up and we had a chat too. She then headed over the CoRielle's with materials to make nightlights with the boys. 

A gray day screams for reading...which I began...and woke up an hour or so later. It was time to make dinner...Smoky Salmon Chowder , one of Michael's favorites, was on the menu. Stacia got home and made biscuits. 

I'm blogging at the table and Michael and Stacia are next to me working on the big puzzle project. I think we're going to settle in to read a chapter from, The Call of the Mild, by Tory Martin. 

And we saw this flier in the newspaper today....Stacia's name was in it...though she isn't going to use the benefits as the UA system won't prep her for her goal of missions in Japan. 

Note - it is o.k. for me to leave Little Buddy's profile per his social worker. His name is nowhere on the blog, or this post.