Son-shiny days

For Christmas, Michael had a fence put up in our backyard. 

It has been glorious! 

We've had 3 nights in a row of beautiful weather. The boys have played outside when we've gotten home until they're called in for dinner. When dinner is over out the go until the sun goes down.

Backyard "bouquet" picked for yours truly. 

It has  been fun to listen to their imaginations run wild and the fun games they play together. 

If the weather hasn't been enough to make me long for summer this certainly has. 

Breathless

The wind was knocked out of me tonight. 

Silas has been looking for attention with negative behavior. Coaxing out a reaction out of others by whatever means necessary. 

We were getting in the car when he said, 

"I hate you mommy." 

Give me a second to find my bearings again. 

It was said with a smile looking for a reaction. I didn't give him that pleasure despite my broken heart. Recently I had been pondering how soon those words would reach my ears. 

It was said not understanding what it meant, but it still hurt.

Now to get that sound out of my head. 

Oh Timehop!

5 years changes so much. 

Some of the best have stayed the same, and some things get better and better. 

"This is my favorite"

There are certainly days when I need to snuggle my boys into submission during nap time. I understand that Joshua should/could probably phase naps out, but everyone is so much happier when he has a little snooze. The other night when I was sneaking out of snuggling Joshua he was holding my hand and in his half-asleep-daze he grinned eyes closed and whispere

 "this is my favorite."

Not sure if he was talking about the situation or off in dreamland, but 

It was my favorite too. 

Presents

The 3rd Saturday of the month is a photo contest at a local park.  I definitely was feeling the itch to go and take some pictures. When you arrive they give you a paper detailing the "assignment" for the day. 

For the photo challenge the theme was "Presents" 

"Like presents we receive, we don't always get what we want; however sometimes the unexpected brings more enjoyment. Nature may be less colorful in winter, but if we stop and look around we may find an unusual or unique treasure - see what your lens can 'wrap' up!"

 I took about 200ish pictures. You're able to send two. I sent: 

And 

There were lots of others. The day was like a present for me. 

Scary truth or vivid imagination?

Most morbid conversation overheard on the way to the gas station - Joshua trying to convince Silas that he didn't need to get out of the car: "Silas, if you get out of the car, a garbage truck is going to come and smash you. Then when you're on the side of the road dead, vultures will come and peck at your body and I'll never see you again! Is that what you want to happen?!?"

Collage Already?

Joshua: "If I go to college, will  I get a job where I make enough money to fit in with football players? Like in the NFL?"

Silas' comment: "I hate collage!"