Spring Showers

What do you do when you live in 440 sq ft and its pouring rain outside?  You play in the house being built that doesn't have a roof.  The kids had a blast playing in the puddles that pooled up in the basement.  These photos aren't very get but you get the gist.  Good times.

Living in a construction zone is often messy

Rainy day walk around town

Ice cream in the rain....yes!

Emma is still getting use to day light savings time.  I'm so glad that I have kids that love to sleep.

Expedition Night

I know I have said that the boy's school is pretty amazing....but it is!  Twice a year they showcase the latest "expedition" each grade is undertaking.  I love how they make the mandated state standards fit into exciting and hands-on learning.  

Grady's expedition was called Heroes of Asheville.  They nominated local heroes, activists, writers, nurses, firemen, etc. and each student chose one.  Grady chose a lady that started an non-profit wildlife rehab.  He interviewed her and made a monument to her work.  

Myles' expedition was all about simples machines, tools we use and forces.  It was kicked off with Take Apart Day, where the kids took apart all sorts of old electronics.  They made wheel barrows, used tools, did experiments and researched forces.

Grady at Heroes Night

The monuments were supposed to be made out of recycled parts.  He used an old remote controlled dinosaur, snaps for eyes, socks stuffed with news papers for wings and a circuit board for a beak.  

They put on a show for the Heroes

Myles research topic was acceleration.  

Take Apart Day

They loved using tool and making a mess

Myles and Emma took apart a remote controlled dinosaur (which Grady used in his monument), a pencil sharpener and a radio.

When they were finished, they displayed their items in the hall.  The 3rd graders were able to "shop" for parts for their monuments after Take Apart Day.  

Catawba Falls

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year to hike.  Not too hot, not too cold.  We went 10 min down the road to Catawba Falls.  It's so amazing that we have these gorgeous places to hike right next to our house.  I love Western NC.

Progress

Here are some photos of the "big" house.  As of today, the roof is on and the windows are installed.  Josh is working on getting the doors in.  It is really fun to see the house develop.  Josh and I have had these plans for 10 year so it's awesome to see it come to fruition.  

A Cute little Monster

I have often heard that boys are harder than girls.  I laugh at this!!  Haha.  Emma is one of the hardest toddlers that I have ever been around.  She has the energy of a neurotic hunting dog, the cunning of a fox and the ability to run like a olympian.  Good thing these qualities are wrapped in an incredibly cute package.  So, in the span of a few weeks, these are a few of her escapades.

After being told not to climb on a wall, she did it anyway.  Mom knows best....she should have listened instead of taking a digger off said wall.

She loves to "help" in the kitchen.  She decided that the freshly made pan of rice crispy treats for Myles class needed a stick of butter smeared all over the top.  The entire stick.....

The boys named her the "princess assassin".  

The cat flees from the princess but she is too wily for that old cat

I caught her in the parking lot....running.

This happened while I was teaching at Art in the Afternoon.

It's hard to teach when this is happening.

This was possibly the worst.  We were at the playground at Lake Tomahawk where they have dredged the lake.  There is a little bit of water but mostly sludge.  Emma ran out to chase the ducks (after I had said no).  I could tell she was sinking just a tad.  Luckily she is so light that she only sunk an inch or so.  I was screaming for her to come back.  She turned around, said "no" and kept walking away.  I was afraid she would sink further into the sludge.  I knew I couldn't go out there as I was sure to sink.  I sent Grady out to get her.  He sank up to his thighs and waded out to her.  She was now sitting in the goo refusing to move.  Myles started crying because he thought Grady was "going to die".  I was screaming and threatening her life.  Keep in mind that it was a beautiful day and the park was packed with people.....all staring at us.  Grady managed to grab her arm and pull her to me onto harder ground.  She was screaming, Myles was crying, Grady was loving every minute of being the hero and I was mortified.  Thanks, Emma

For her next feat, she found a tube of hydrocortisone and covered her entire body with it while I was washing dishes.

After the cleanup effort

She caught him again

She loves to play in the dirt

Good thing she is adorable