I mentioned Boyd's artwork had been selected for the Annual County Art festival on the last blog. Saturday after baseball practice on a beautiful morning (Spring at long last?), we headed to one of the high schools in search of his textured owl. He was so excited to find it. It's the "fat" one he is standing under in the photo. I could have browsed the school forever, but my boys were hungry so it was a brief visit. Boyd loves art at school and I hope this love continues to grow. 

He looks like a little owl in this picture.

Fine arts. Happy we were one of the first there so Boyd could explore the instrument room. This picture just makes me laugh. I can't believe it has been almost 20 years since Adam and I both played the trumpet (one of the rare things we have in common).

Interactive art. 

I have been trying to make the backyard a nicer space. Boyd mentioned wanting a really big sandbox since he still misses his little turtle one. With the help of the neighbors phase one is in the works. Boyd must have thought it was the beach.

A gray Sunday needed some color so we decided to dye our Easter Eggs.

Sometimes I can't even put words to his facial expressions when I ask him to pose for a picture. 

The eggs turned out very bright and unusual. He is so funny staying with one color for each egg.

Phase one of the sandbox and raised garden project. Adam built the two gardens on the sides and we hope to get dirt soon. Then mulch the weed barrier and make and add some stepping stones before plating begins. Hopefully the area where the gardens were last year grows grass since I seeded and there is actually dirt there unlike the rest of the area. Hope this idea turns out as well as I envision in my head. 

Grandpa and Chocolate Grandma's visit, March Snow and Leprechauns

How many questions can one second grade class ask? Loved it.

So much seems to have happened already this March that I feel like I will forget things. We had a really nice visit with Grandpa and Chocolate Grandma over Grandma's Spring break. Grandma even became the star of the school with her theatrical reading that is both outstanding and captivating, and lets not forget her ability to whistle loudly. You are hired for second grade! Boyd enjoyed a couple of lunches with the pair too along with snuggling, watching a movie, shopping, and some hoops. We are thankful for all the treats Grandma baked too and for sharing her break with us. 

Grandma reading was really a special treat.

Love his stride as he raced to the ball.

A blur of movement as he practiced shots with Grandpa.

All Star team

Nightly reading.

Grandma's, a book, and snuggles. It doesn't  get much better.

Did I mention snow in March. This was a nasty snow too. Ice, freezing rain, snow, more ice. Boyd of course didn't mind one bit. A day off and white means we better go out and play.

This picture cracks me up. The bird says, "I should have stayed South.".

Since it was super windy we didn't last too long outside. Shenanigans indoors making paper airplanes.

This one is sponsored by Sharkleberry Fin. Boyd is so creative.

The snow melted quickly and Leprechaun leap was a go several days later. Boyd with his game face.

Rounding the turn past the spectators.

He was smirking the whole time.

Proud of his second place finish to a much older kid. He did the dab as he ran the homestretch.  I talked to him about show boating after and he said, "But mom, you said to have fun."

Yoga or just showing off that he is more flexible than me.

After shopping with Dad. Golf outfit.

This week Boyd participated in public speaking night at school and made the crowd laugh with his reading of the poem "Homework, Oh Homework". We also received a note stating that Boyd had artwork in this weekend's County Fine Arts Festival. Woot Woot and it's his textured owl. I'm pumped because I love the art festival and my budding artist.

March came in like a lion

The other night Boyd and I received his March monthly homework calendar and did all but four of the boxes (when he is in the mood for homework we go for it). One box asked, "What do you think this saying means? 'March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb." Boyd said he thought it meant the weather was stormy, colder, wilder and then at the end of the month, calm.  Then yesterday March 1 arrived and boom did it prove to come in like a lion. A short strong storm blew in around 1:15 and Boyd had to endure his first storm at school. Boyd is very afraid of storms (this might be a gross understatement). The house was rocking and the rain was pelting the windows so hard I contemplated going to school to check on him but didn't think it was safe to go driving in and I reminded myself would't be able to check on him during every school storm so I waited it out and hoped for the best. Luckily the storm passed quickly. When Boyd got home he said it had been a rough day. He cried during the storm, but two friends had been kind. One cried with him because she doesn't like when other people cry and then she drew him a picture of a rainbow when the storm had stopped and another friend drew a picture and did some glued pieces which Boyd wouldn't let me forget to tell others as I recounted the story last night. I probably didn't help that Boyd recounted what he had learned in school that day since they must be studying weather, "Mom, we had just learned that strong thunderstorms could cause tornadoes.  A trip to the book fair after school helped ease the pain of the day and Boyd is certainly growing up, skipping the picture book section all together and settling on a collection of sports record books, an Ultimate Survival Guide book (Adam was like oh this one is cool, I read these as a kid), two comic books discussed as a graphic novel and a set of Judy Blume book (thank goodness).  As we settled in to do some homework for the night, an Italian menu to go with his report on Italy and gelato, the lights flickered on and off rapidly for about 2 minutes before going out for good. After the initial panic from Boyd (it was wind related), he settled down. We gathered out flashlights, a candle and our neighbor reminded us about our lantern. So Boyd was like a kid in the olden days without a quill pen. He finished his menu and we cuddled with a flashlight and read one of his graphic novel/comic books together while receiving photos from Mimi and Grandpa at the Bucks game. At night we headed to bed and Boyd quickly fell asleep. The power went back on sometime in the night and we awoke to a sunny yet windy and cold day. Life goes on but I think I'll take some lamb weather.

 I also wanted to record some funny things Boyd has said recently. I was reminded yesterday after he was going through one of his sports books and announced, "Oh my gosh! I would NOT have wanted to play basketball when Michael Jordan played, those shorts are tiny." His vocal inflections we hilarious.

Mom, Van Gogh painted pictures of naked people. Why did he do that? I was looking through a Van Gogh book with Travis in the library and we got to a page with a naked person on it and I screamed and slammed the book shut. (Please do this during your teenage years as well)

Boyd was talking about him being in college and working towards a career when I interjected, "I thought you were taking me to college with you." He replied, "Oh yeah (pause) but what if we're not roommates?"

I know there have been others recently but I am terrible at remembering if I don't write them down. I know one had to do with grape juice and the Blood of Christ so if I told you that story and you remember, remind me. This kid is constantly cracking me up.