Puddles

We have had some storms this week...which has resulted in lots of indoor playtime. Jack is an expert "house" builder with the couch cushions. He also thinks it's cool to wear his MY sunglasses inside... What's up with that?

Mommy and Josie Selfie

On Wednesday I knew we all needed some fresh air and outside play time. So we put on the rain boots and looked for some puddles to jump in.

Jack was all about it. Didn't have to tell him twice. Josie, on the other hand, thought I'd lost my mind. Eventually she got in the puddle jumping groove.

 After the kids were soaked and worn out - we took some pictures on the front steps...because - AHEM - my flowers are looking REAL nice (a little droopy in these pics bc of rain, but I assure you - REAL NICE). The kids are cute, too. But seriously. The flowers.

Ok - no, the kids are cute. They had a fun time and Jack was asleep by 7:15. That never happens.

Never a Dull Moment

My children provide endless entertainment...even in moments when I'm ready to not be entertained. They're still there...entertaining. Sometimes it's in the form of play, or pretending to feed me ice cream...or all out fist fights. There is never a dull moment if they're awake.

And then - there are the after-dinner Dance Parties. Jack really shines during those! See for yourself:

{FYI: the song Gangnam Style is about a wealthy area of Seoul, Korea - the singer, Psy, talks about how this area is classy during the day, but can get crazy at night. There aren't any bad words in the song, unless you count the word "sexy"...which we don't...because we have plenty of REAL bad words to worry about instead.}

And for the record - Jack's teachers informed me that he sings this song at school...when it's time to line up to leave. That was slightly embarrassing. Sometimes, however, he sings Europe's "The Final Countdown"...which is actually very appropriate. Luckily, his teachers find his musical talents, well...entertaining!

Days of Summer

It feels like summer in Michigan and no one is complaining...yet. Our neighborhood pool was broken and didn't open on time - which was a bummer for everyone. Well, honestly, Tyson and I were hi-fiving each other because A POOL WAS BROKEN...and WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY TO FIX IT!  So last week - to beat the heat, I put the kids in the driveway with some buckets of water and I sat my pregnant tush in a lawn chair...in the shade.

They stayed busy - wasting water (sorry, Earth). But I counted it as a bath - so technically we broke even. {be honest, am I the laziest mom ever??}

Oh and I had Jack watered my flowers... See how pretty they look?? I haven't killed them off yet.

Seeing Green

 Last Monday was St. Patrick's Day and having just returned from our vacation - I wasn't really interested in going out & about. So we did a few 'at home' activities to celebrate. I pulled a mental file from my Kindergarten career and we made green pepper print clovers.

Josie didn't quite grasp the "stamping" concept and just used the peppers to paint. Needless to say, we had plenty of green paint on many surfaces. Fortunately, it's washable.

After painting, we decided to make some green cupcakes - which was the highlight of Jack's day/week. He thought the cupcakes tasted better than normal because they were green. Must be a Ninja Turtle thing...

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Bedtime Rough Housing

So at night - when kids are supposed to be calming down and getting ready to sleep - mine want to wrestle & jump on the bed & be tickled. It's like they must expend that last tiny bit of energy before they drift off to sleep. Tyson does a great job taking on both of them.

See! He took them both out in one quick swoop. We occasionally have "injuries" or children falling off the bed head first (Josie).

Cooper and I supervise. By the time we send Jack & Josie off to dreamland - they are tired and Tyson is sweating.

Indoor Snow Play

We got more fresh snow this week - and I just wasn't in the mood to go play in it. I feel like that is sending the wrong message to Mother Nature, when - in fact - I don't want her thinking we LIKE the snow. We don't. We're done with it.

I scooped up some fresh snow and brought it inside. Then I let the kids stir in some colored water. It was a lame way to play in the snow - but it held their attention for quite a while. I even had to go back for a second scoop.

And they both made snowmen - so it wasn't a total bust. We have officially started planning a trip south. I hope Florida cooperates with us. We've had a LONG winter and would appreciate some sunny skies & warm temps. AND - I think Disney is in the forecast too! Jack & Josie don't know about this yet - but I'm thinking we will have some pretty excited kiddos!

Sesame Street Live

A few weeks ago Tyson and I decided to take the kids to Sesame Street Live downtown Detroit for a Valentine's Day surprise. It was my first trip to the iconic Fox Theater - an absolutely gorgeous venue.

 Josie loved seeing all her favorite characters. Cookie Monster even came right up near our seats!

Jack played it cool...like he was too old for Sesame Street - but we caught him clapping & dancing to the music.

We had a fun morning! Then headed to Indiana for a weekend at the lake with our friends (you'll see that tomorrow!).

Sonny Brought a Gift

Last week our friend, Sonny the Elf, brought a Gingerbread House for us to eat decorate.

Jack was ALL about it. Josie was all about eating the candy. And that she did. So much so that she was removed from her decorating duties.

Jack proceeded and did a nice job.

FYI - I'm a fairly crafty person, but seriously - Gingerbread Houses are really hard to decorate. Ours definitely looked like a pack of 4 year olds did it...despite the adult help.

Josie was reinstated as a decorator...which, as you can see, made her a very happy girl.

But she proved that she didn't learn her lesson. See the nibbles? Those are thanks to Josie. Not sure what I expected so close to dinner time.

Here is the box. Jack wanted ours to look like the top one...as you can tell, it did not. Seriously! Who decorated those? I call BS, Wilton.

Whatever. The end result was lots of smiles and a mild sugar high for the 2 year old.

More with Boxes

It's that time again. Dog food delivery...which means an extra large box is hanging around our house. Boxes = pure entertainment. Here's a tip - skip the hundreds of dollars on Christmas. Get the kids some new pajamas, a couple "big" gifts, and then just give boxes. It will only be detrimental when they go to school and tell people they got empty boxes from Santa.

Anyway, you may be wondering why Josie (in her pink stripes and polka dot pajama pants) is staring at a box...

Because...there was a JACK in the BOX!

And later there was a BART in the BOX.

Did you happen to notice Bart's new tape-job? He needed a little help...poor guy.

We are sending some LONG distance love to Uncle Jonny...who is the newest resident of The Sunshine State! He made his journey south like a modern day Columbus - with only a flip phone and a map to guide him. He will be living in Naples, FL and we look forward to visiting him soon...or taking over his house when he travels...

Also LOVE to Grandma Shirlee in Guatemala. Enjoy the beans. XOXOXO

Jack Photographs Bloomington

As promised - here are Jack's skilled photographs from our trip to Bloomington.

 "Mom on her phone."

 "White Express Bus"

"Josie the iPad Dentist"

In this picture - he captures Josie and me by Sample Gates...then continues snapping pictures as I thank a nice college kid (who felt bad for me, because I was making my toddler take my picture).

And finally, the Yellow Ginkgo tree on campus...

If you are wondering...yes, I have let Santa know that Jack needs a camera of his own.

Monster TRuck Rally

 The other day, while Josie napped, Jack talked me into racing Monster TRucks in our driveway. It was a Monster TRuck Rally, if you will...

 Jack got the BIG Monster TRuck...

And, as you can see, I got the small Monster TRuck. Can you guess who assigned trucks? FYI - my little truck held it's own just fine - I'll have you know...

And then Jack got gansta. When someone asks, "When did Jack Becker get so gansta?" Just show them this picture. He's like a mini-Kid Rock or something. Detroit. It's in the blood.

{Sidenote: The hat Jack is wearing was one of my cousin Chad's hats. Jack picked it out when we were visiting my Aunt & Uncle. It says Big Johnson Guns. He likes it because it's orange camo and because it would look damn good at a REAL Monster TRuck Rally!}

Reflections of an Artist

The tools needed for an Almost-Two Artist:

Crayons - CHECK.

Paper (optional) - CHECK.

Water Bottle - CHECK.

Granola Bar - CHECK.

Cheesy Smile - CHECK.

Second Child Alert

First of all - before you look at the pictures below you need to promise not to judge. My pantry is a mess. It's on the list of "Things-I-Should-Do-When-I-Have-A-Free-Hour." Also - I feed my family Velveeta Mac & Cheese. It's easy and good. Oh, and you can see the Oreos. They're a staple.

Second Child Alert. Standing on a chair in the pantry, so you can play with the light switch while I cook dinner? Sure. Go for it.

Josie is {still} happiest while raiding the pantry...or playing in it.

Happy Friday! Looking forward to some Clevenger Family time!

How about those Tigers?!?!

Child Labor

Last weekend I told Jack we needed to wash our pumpkins. I'm not sure why I told him this...because frankly, I've never done this before. But he was bored and this seemed like a good use of his energy. So he scrubbed the pumpkins. If you visit, make sure you comment on how CLEAN our pumpkins look. I know a 3 year old who was pretty proud of his work.