*

Monday, May 21, 2012

In Their Words

"I'm a Roman Soldier!"

"Roman Soldiers block the way!"

"vrrroom rooooom"

"Mama, can you take a picture of me being sad because I hurt my leg?"


"Ooooow" (gestureing to his leg)  He's a little copycat.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Polo Shirts and Plaid Shorts

When I talked to my Mom this weekend she asked how I was. I told her I've had several migraines this past week and have not been feeling well. She said, "Oh, I was afraid of that when I saw the blog hadn't been updated."  She was right!

She had sent the grandkids a care package in the mail week before last. Levi happened to be at the window when the delivery man brought it to our door. He excitedly told me we had a package and helped me open it. He recognized his name on one of the bags and his face lit up. He said, "L-V-E-I! That's for me, Mama!!"
I love his excited face.

The package included some clothes.  They looked so cute in them I tried to get some adorable pictures.

Levi insisted in posing with his shovel, of course.  Neither would look at the camera.

Let's try posing in another place.  Maybe that will help.  Nope. Also, the landscaping situation here at the house continues to be pretty scrubby. 


Let's try in front of the garage door- nothing to distract them there.  Please just stand next to each other!

Here I suggested that they give each other a hug.  Levi was game but Milo was in no mood for affection.  "Nope!" He said.  Levi was bound and determined to hug him even if it meant using force.  "Mama!  Milo won't let me hug him!"  He said.  Things devolved from there.  I put the camera away.

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Rolling

Beautiful weather today! The boys spent almost the whole morning outside.





Saturday, May 05, 2012

Busy Boys

I love the imagination on this kid:
He put his arms through the straps meant to hang his punching bag up.  He asked me, "Mama, what do you see?" I said, "Uhhh...are you backpacking?"  "No!"  He said with exasperation.  "This is my JETPACK!"  And with a "Vroooommm!" he was off.

Someone grabbed my camera and pretended to take my picture.

"Are you carrying your jetpack?"  I asked.  "Nope.  I'm a soldier and this is my soldier stuff."  He answered.

I've been getting a huge kick out of the fact that both Levi and Milo have been poring over the Oriental Trading Company catalog that came. They REALLY want me to order them the batch of 11 water guns and also the pirate costumes.

Friday, May 04, 2012

Creativity is Messy

Perhaps we were inspired by our trip to the museum. Yesterday morning, when rain kept us inside, I and my little artists had fun with paint.


Levi was intrigued to learn how to mix paints.  He made orange and then pink.

Milo liked mixing paints, as well...


We painted on a piece of glass I had removed from an old frame.  Then the kids scribbled on the wet paint using cotton swabs.

I positioned a piece of paper on top of it and they patted it down.

Milo loved peeling the paper up.


Voila!  Abstract art.

The fan brush was the most coveted brush and the boys had to work at taking turns using it.  



Our output. It was a lot of fun.  Milo's attention span understandably ran out before Levi's did. Here you can see him laboring over his pet project: mixing new colors.  They were mostly all variations of a dark brown color but he was pretty excited about it.


Thursday, May 03, 2012

Nelson-Atkins

I just realized that the past four wednesday mornings we've taken a short field trip- something a little beyond our usual trips to the Y, a park, running errands, or the library. First it was the farm park, then the zoo, then Science City, and yesterday we went to the art museum. I think I'll try and keep these up. 

After we arrived, we first explored the grounds. There are many interesting scuptures but as I expected, the boys were much more enthralled with the landscaping crew.

Due to their ages and the bajillion school kids there on their own field trips we didn't stay inside for all that long.  We mostly explored the modern art.  The new Block Building is perfect for little kids- nice and open.  Levi also liked all the pictures of soldiers in the European oil painting gallery.


Regarding the sculpture below:
Levi: "Mom, look at that!"
Me: "Hmmm."
Levi: "What is it?"
Me: "I'm not sure.  What do you think it is?"
Levi: "I don't know either."
Me: "Milo, what do you think it is?"
Milo: "Grrrrawwwr.  Rawwrrr" (That's his growling sound.  I speak fluent Milo, allow me to translate.  He's indicating it is either a bear, leopard, dragon, crocodile, soldier, or a super hero.  As he does not have a lot of vocabulary or sounds at his disposal, the ones he does have are put to multiple uses.)



I told Levi we could explore around the museum so he brought a pad of paper, binoculars, and his butterfly net.

A Kansas City rite of passage: a picture next to a gigantic shuttlecock.

There were a lot of stairs yesterday morning.  Milo insisted on climbing them all.

We didn't eat at the Rozelle Court restaurant but took a look inside.  They loved the fountain.  Levi, peering in the water, looking hopefully for fish, asked me to get him his net.


Like I said, we weren't there long, but look at these tired faces!  We stopped for some groceries on our way home and the boys were quite droopy.

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Random Picture Roundup

He looks so grown up to me lately.  This was taken at the dinosaur dig area of Science City.  We went there last week with Kelly and Ben.

These boys have a toy room full of things to play with but all they wanted the other day was spray bottles filled with water and some sponges.

Such concentration.

Squish Squish Squish

Wipe Wipe Wipe

Exiting the YMCA this morning, they were stopped in their tracks by an ant sighting.  It was a large ant and quite red in color.  In the end, Milo smooshed it.

Family date night.  We went to a nicer restaurant than usual.

The boys are getting old enough that it was enjoyable to everyone.

"Why do I have to take a regular picture?"

"You know that everytime I see you point the camera at me lately this is the face I make!"