Gardening

It's a lovely Spring here in Virginia.  We've had fantastic weather for weeks, and the flowers are lush with blooms. Evan got out his new gardening tools from Grandma Kay and Grandma Barb, and helped me weed and dig and plant in the dirt. Here are some of our early spring bloomers - I can't wait to share what the rest of the summer brings!

Daffodils - we've got about 200 in various
beds throughout the yard.

Yellow Iris.  Huge!  White ones and
purple ones too.

Azalea bushes.  An early spring staple
in Virginia. This white one is just outside|
of our living room window, and nearly as tall.
It's a giant snowball of flowers!

Dogwood Tree - the state tree.  Delicate and gorgeous
spring flowers.

Lupines.  Fast becoming a garden favorite.

Rhododendron bush.  Touchy, but worth
the love when it flowers!

Ernie

Ernie's such a handsome dog!  It's been ages since I posted about him - he deserves some blog love!  (Also, I just got a new lens for my camera and he's the perfect subject - he doesn't run away or pout when I pull out the camera!)  He's still just as laid back as ever, unless he feels the need to protect us and our house.  He doesn't care for people walking too close to the fence, and the neighbor's cats are definitely viewed as the enemy. It's a good thing they're so fast!   The squirrels and he have a constant argument going on about whose tree is whose, and Ernie's been known to try to climb the tree to make his point.  He loves running around the yard, and has been trying to figure out how to get in on Evan and Mike's games of football or baseball.  But he mostly loves just sitting in the sun.  We're so glad we picked each other, Ernie! 

Me & My Daddy

Easter 2011

Happy Easter!  We had a lovely weekend, celebrating with Grandma Kay, playing in great weather, eating yummy food and candy, and having an egg hunt with the neighbors.  Ev got more Easter presents and treats than we thought the bunny could carry, including a new camera, and the word "candy" has taken on a whole new meaning in his head.  Ernie desperately wanted to join in on the hunt for hardboiled eggs in the house, but Evan found all 18 very quickly. We hope you had a great Easter too! 

 

 

 

 

 

Brewers Game

Evan and daddy traveled to DC today to see the Nationals host the Brewers.  Evan was thrilled for the road trip and to see a "big" baseball game with daddy! 

In preparation for the big trip, Ev practiced his throwing (in the house) and recited the racing sausages.  He also treated us to a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," as sung from the kitchen floor.  (Where else?) 

They got there in time for batting practice, and sat right down front.  The bullpen catcher came out to hand Evan a ball - and a real game ball at that, not a practice ball! 

 

They had great seats, ate yummy stadium hotdogs, and even played in the kids zone (where I'm told Evan was a better batter than the 6year old behind him in line!).  They could have stayed for the double header, but since the first game blew right through nap time, it was a more wise decision to head home for a nice long 3 hour car ride nap.  Ev held tightly to his ball the whole way, and took it to bed with him that night.  What a happy little guy.  

Swimming Class

Evan's been taking swimming lessons for the last 8 weeks at the UVA aquatic center. Miss Logan was a great teacher, and Ev just loves the water.  Even better, we found out at the first class that his good friend Caroline was signed up too!  They had a blast splashing, floating, and jumping together.  Bonus for us when one or the other was nervous to try something new - a little peer pressure was the perfect solution.  I had a tough time picking my favorite shots from their last class, so here are a bunch.  You'll see Ev showing off his floating on front and back, kicking, bubbles, jumping (and dunking), grabbing rings, and his favorite: playing basketball at the end of class.  This was the second time around for the kids in this class - last year they were too young to do many of the actual skills.  But this time, both Evan and Caroline passed!  After a summer at the pool, we'll see if they're up to the next class without parents in the water too.  Congrats, swimming grads!

Train Conductor

Trains are on Evan's mind lately. He got an awesome set for his second birthday from his friend Matthew, and has discovered a show called "Chuggington" on tv. It's actually not too bad for a kids' show! Evan's grandparents in Florida found a train conductor outfit, complete with hat, wooden whistle, walkie talkie, pocket watch, and more. He won't take it off! We're all playing trains a lot lately - even Ernie has been requested to sit in a line in the dining room so we all can ride the rails.

Mommy Time

I love me some Evan time! Usually I'm the one behind the camera, but I was grateful that Mike grabbed it to snap a shot of me and my favorite little guy!

UVA Spring Game

It's hard to believe it's time for Spring Game already. That means summer is right around the corner, and so is the arrival of Evan's baby brother/sister! We spent the morning at the stadium and were lucky to meet up with both the Althofffs and the Hunts. We hit the bouncy house and games first, then sat for the Lacrosse game and a hotdog. The football game didn't start until around 2, but we had to leave before it started. Our timing was just about perfect - it was starting to get dark as we left our seats, and the skies opened up just as we reached the parking lot. But it wasn't rain - it was a sleet storm! Huge chunks of heavy wet icy sleet - in April, when it had been gorgeous just moments earlier! Weird.

Evan's highlight of the day was definitely the bouncy house with his buddy Connor, though the hotdog was a close second. He also got to "play" lacrosse for the very first time, and it was a hit!