Our Tadpoles all grown up!

If you remember, on Easter Sunday my aunt Linda gave Lance about 80 tiny, tiny tadpoles. When I say tiny, I mean they were each about the size of a grain of rice at best. We thought it would be fun for Lance to raise them to frog-hood and educational besides! So, we took them home.

They quickly outgrew the little tank they were in, so Lance and Jude and I went out and got a large 10 gallon tank:



Lance liked to look in and watch them (notice all the finger- and face-prints on the tank?) and the tadpoles seemed much happier. At this time we were traveling back and forth between Charlottesville and Ashburn regularly because George was up at his parent's house studying for his Boards. We weren't sure how long it would take the tadpoles to turn into frogs, so we decided to take the whole tank with us to Ashburn when we went. That was an interesting ride--constantly watching the water rise and fall when we stopped and started at the lights and wondering if any of the tadpoles would die. Fortunately, the all made it!



The transformation was fun to watch over the next several weeks. They got little back legs first and then front legs. This picture is simultaneously cool and creepy:



We were gone the weekend most of them changed from tadpoles that swim to toads (not frogs...) that need air. George came home to find several of them had changed and were not able to make it onto the large rock in time. Sad day. So, we went out and got a special tank made for frogs. It had a swimming area and a little stairway with an area on top where they could come out and rest. They seemed to be happy and other than a few casualties, the remaining toadlets were doing great.





We had wanted to keep them for a while and watch them grow, but we ended up letting them go this past Friday. For some reason we just couldn't keep them alive. The pet stores didn't have any food for them so we fed them the only thing that was small enough for them to eat: black ants we lured in by eating our popsicles outside and leaving the drips. I drained the water out of the tank and left it completely dry with a cup of water because we kept having casualties when the toads would fall in the water and couldn't get out. Nothing seemed to help and they just kept dying. On Friday, I searched the tank and found 5. Five tiny toads.

"Lance, we're letting our toads go right now."

"Right now?"

"Right now."

So, we went outside close to the creek we have across the street from us and let them go under some trees where there were lots of dead leaves and dirt to dig in. These toads were still tiny--about the size of your pinky fingernail.

Two hours later, we had the largest storm we've had this year. Lightening, thunder, flooding. All I could think about were the five little toads and wished I had waited one more day.

The next morning we were making breakfast and Lance asked me if the toads were happy in their new home. I assured him that they were happy and probably eating tons of bugs. He then told me he wanted to say a prayer. He knelt down on the kitchen floor, folded his arms and began:

"Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Please bless my toads to be safe in the wild. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Amen.

Croquet with cousins and Tiny Toads

May 16th--Lance and Jude and I were up in Northern Virginia again because my mom was in Utah at a cousin's wedding. George had joined us for the weekend but had to go back down to Charlottesville on Sunday because he had his anesthesia rotation starting on Monday. So Sunday evening I took the boys and Jason and Jacob to my Aunt Linda's house in Maryland for a fun night of snacks and croquet. My sister Amy even drove over from D.C. to get in on the action.

I had my camera (of course) and had a great time taking photos of everyone. It was a perfect evening!

Flower for Mommy?

Jason (my brother) and my cousin Kailey

Kailey and Jude

Bethany (my cousin) and Jude

I love this picture of Lance holding the croquet ball.

Lance really got into the game and had a great time trying to hit the ball with a mallet as big as he is.

Go, Aunt Linda!

Me and Lance having fun!

Remember our tadpoles we got at Easter? Well, we got them from the little pond in my aunt's front yard and while we were there, we got to see exactly what our tadpoles would turn into in just a few days:



Tiny toads! Their pond was swarming with these tiny little creatures. We had to be very careful where we stepped. To get an even better idea as to how truly tiny the toads were, here is Lance carefully holding one:



You can barely see it! I'm excited about our tadpoles!

The many faces of Lance

Lance has to be, by far, the most dynamic little boy I've met. He is constantly making me laugh by the things he says and does. He's a skinker and a sweetheart, all wrapped up in the same handsome little package. I can't get enough of him!

Nice smile, although the glasses are not his.

And now for the show...

These pictures remind me of Calvin in the Calvin and Hobbes strip where his parents are trying to take family pictures and Calvin is, well, being Calvin. The parents get the pictures printed and as they look through them, they debate whether or not they should send them to the relatives. The conclusion they reach is the pictures are a true representation of Calvin's character. "Well, they do look like Calvin."

Yep, if I had to pick a cartoon character that Lance most closely resembled, it would be Calvin. A happy, intelligent, hilarious trouble-maker with a very tender side--that's Lance!

A funny thing happened on our way to the park...

So, every other weekend, Lance gets to spend four days with his dad in Fairfax, VA. I usually drive him up Thursday afternoon and his dad will bring him back down Sunday evening.

Yesterday we had preschool and after preschool the moms had lunch (we do a co-op preschool where each week a different mother teaches and one day a week we all have lunch together while the kids play). Anyway, Lance and Jude and I had a late start up to Northern VA. The two hour ride up there went without a hitch, with Lance keeping Jude happy in the back seat and proclaiming for the last half that he would not whine about how long it was taking. True to his word, we arrived in Fairfax without the usual "why is this taking so long?", "where are we" or "Mom, what are you doing?" We happened to arrived a few minutes before Lance's dad, so I decided we would go play at the park that is right across the street while we waited.

I park directly in front of the park and notice that, thanks to the beautiful day, it's full of kids and parents. I get the stroller out of the trunk and then unbuckled Lance who says he needs to go to the bathroom. "Okay, well, get your shoes on while I get Jude and we'll go to the bathroom at the park." "I don't want to go there, I want to go in my dad's house." "Lance, I don't have a key to your dad's house, so we need to just go at the park." "Okay."

I unbuckle Jude and notice there is a nasty smell in the back seat. Jude is often gassy, so I think nothing of it and swing him up into my arms. That's when I know something isn't quite right. I look down and see that my arm is covered in this lovely mustard-y colored mush and that the same mush is now smeared all over Jude's legs, outfit, and carseat. Yay.

I frantically look around for a place to put him while I clean everything up. In the car? No... it would get all over the seat. Back in his carseat? Nope, it's too dirty and would just complicate things. The stroller? No, again. I finally settle on a little grassy clearing near our car located just behind the stone building that has the bathrooms in it (about 10 yards from the park itself). By this time Lance is dancing around and saying how badly he needs to go.

I lay Jude in the grass and break out the wipes, hoping everyone at the park is too busy with their own children to look over. "Lance, why don't you go to the bathroom over there by the tree." The glory of being a boy--you can go just about anywhere. And, of course, the boy who begs to go outside on our grass at home and uses every excuse to NOT go in a toilet wails, "I don't want to go there! I want to go inside!" I'm on my sixth wipe by now and have made little progress on the yellow mess. Jude is grinning and enjoying the whole experience. "It's okay, Lance. Just go. I'm sorry, I can't take you to the bathroom right now." "But Mom, someone will see me!" (I guess I should be glad this was a thought for him because we've been talking about privacy at our house, so I guess it's made an impression.)

The diaper is changed, Jude's legs are clean, and his arms (I still don't know how it got up there) are free of yuck. Now to dress him again. I pull out a new outfit from the diaper bag and proceed to re-robe the babe. Lance is getting frantic at this point. "It's okay, Lance. No one will see you! You can go!" He decides the consequences of waiting are not worth the possibility of someone seeing him and darts to the stone building. Pants come down, and then relief. Jude is only half-dressed when I hear, "Mom, my underwear is wet." Breathe. "It's okay Lance. Just pull up your pants and go wait next to the car. I have new clothes for you, too." And my 4-year-old trots to the car and promptly sits in the stroller I have set up, still waiting for Jude and our trip to the park. Of course.

Jude is finally clean and clothed, his dirty outfit stuffed inside a ziplock bag, the orange that used to be inside said bag having been thrown into the trees because the bag was needed more than the fruit. I gather everything up and walk over to the trash can at the park where I throw away the diaper and a mountain of wipes. Perhaps it's just my imagination, but I can see some other moms looking at me and assessing my parenting skills. I walk back to the car where luckily I have a change of clothes for Lance. I open the door and have him change in the car with me standing watch.

After I wipe out as much of the mustard poo from the carseat as humanly possible, the boys and I finally, finally go to the park. I place them both in swings and seat myself in one as well. Even after all that, it was worth the feeling of being with the children I love best and feeling the wind in my face as we laughed and swung and talked while we waited. Yep, just another day in paradise!

Pic of the Day

We woke up a few days ago and Lance wanted to do a photo-shoot with Jude. He usually hates taking pictures, so we got the camera out and started clicking away.

Good morning!

Jude looks a little surprised in this picture. I love it! I love my family!

The Latest and Greatest News...

As you know, George has been anxiously awaiting his Boards, Step 1 score. Last week on Wednesday it came and...

He did great! With the score he has, he can confidently compete for any residency. We went out to eat at Outback (George's favorite) to celebrate.

Good job, George. I know it's been a long two years of study, but the hard work paid off. I'm so proud of you! Thanks for being amazing. I love you.

Mother's Day Weekend

Alright, I know I'm a week behind, but better late than never, right?

Mother's Day weekend was spent up in Ashburn. My mom and Glenn were out of town at a mini reception Glenn's family and friends put on up in New York, so the boys and I drove up to keep an eye on Jason and Jake (as if they need it). :) Well, they were both flying to Florida on Friday--Jake to see him mom and Jason to hang out with Chad and a few friends in Miami--so I guess I was a chauffeur as well.

Friday, I picked Lance up from his dad's house and we spent the morning running a few errands and spending time at Grandma's house. Lance is starting to really enjoy being with Jude and requested this picture be taken of them:

That afternoon the boys and I went to see the movie "How to Train Your Dragon". We had the whole theater to ourselves and were able to talk and laugh throughout the movie. I had been wanting to take Lance to see it for a long time, but whenever I asked him about going, he said he didn't want to watch it. I thought he was just being silly, so when we went I didn't tell him what movie we were watching until the previews were over and the movie was starting. He stills says he didn't like it, but I think he was bluffing. (Actually, I think he was hoping we were going to see Iron Man 2.)

After the movie, I brought Lance back to his dad's house (it was his weekend) and we spent the rest of the afternoon playing at the park that is right across the street from Scott's house. Lance got to show off his new-found swinging abilities, something he learned just the day before.

Lance swinging with his dad

Jude got into the action, too, with help from his big brother...

What a nice big brother!

Lance on an "old-school" merry-go-round

Saturday was spent with George and Jude shopping and just being together. We went to Anthropologie at Tyson's II--my first time--and had a great time looking at all the interesting decor and clothes. It was a nice day to relax and enjoy being together.

Oh, and my mother's day present?

Thanks, George! Now maybe I can get some real practice in at the beach without having to steal someone else's board.

On Sunday, Lance came home and we spent the day attending Church, having a BBQ with George's family, and making a dessert dinner for my mom after she got back from New York. We made crepes with all the trimmings (whipping cream, Nutella, cooked apples, white chocolate sauce, cream cheese sauce, etc).

The family :)

Mom and Lance

Mom and Jude

George and his parents (and Jude)

Oh, and one of the best things that happened? We got to talk to my brother Stephen! He's on a mission in Texas right now, scheduled to come home in less than two months! Yay! I can't wait. It was a great weekend!

A Day at the Downtown Mall

May 5th, Lance and Jude and I decided to take the day and have some fun. We spent the morning just hanging out and then went out to lunch with George. He's doing his Geriatric rotation and his schedule isn't as rigorous as other units and he got an hour for lunch that day. We went to Chipotle and had a lot of fun, partly because it's always fun to be together, but also because George was wearing his med coat and some random man came up and started in on this 10 minute, one-sided conversation about UVa's hospital, his motorcycle accident and subsequent coma and recovery. George was so nice--he just kept smiling and nodding and asking little questions here and there. This is happening more and more. When people see you wearing a white lab coat, they assume you know everything there is to know about medicine and will start asking questions or dishing sometimes really personal medical information about themselves. Oh, the things we have to look forward to!

After we dropped George back off at the hospital, the boys and I went to the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. It's this great stretch of stores and restaurants that truly is a tribute to the unique culture and air of Charlottesville. It's an open, cobble-stoned area with an arena on one end where on any given Friday a band is playing for free. It's always a treat to visit, especially since they have a children's museum right there!

Lance has been after me to take him to the little children's museum, so we decided that was the plan for the afternoon. It's a great place packed full of hands-on learning and displays.

Jude was happy just to be out of his carrier and sitting up in the big boy stroller. Precious baby.

Mirrors.

Lance loves climbing up the ladder to the loft inside an authentic log cabin.

Bees! In the back they have a collection that is constantly changing. This month's theme is light and colors. However, the one thing that doesn't change is the bee display. They have this large bee hive available to watch with a pipe that leads to the outside for the bees to go about their business. It's always an interesting experience to watch the bees. You're fascinated and a little grossed out at the same time. So many stingy things!

Look at those bees!

Right outside the door of the museum, there is a restored, authentic carousel. It's man-powered (meaning Mommy pushes) but can get up a lot of speed!

See what I mean about not looking at the camera? Even when he's "looking", he's really not. What a stinker. :)

After riding the carousel, we walked down to a place called Splendora's and got the tastiest gelato I've ever had. It was so nice to be out on a beautiful day with my boys, just having a good time.

That night, we had dinner as a family when George came home and I put the boys to bed. Bath time is a lot of fun now, because Lance likes to help bathe Jude. He's a good big brother!

Just another day in paradise!

Daily Happenings

In an effort to keep myself up-to-date in our lives, here is a quick re-cap of what's been going on this month...

My sister, Amy, celebrated her 25th Birthday on May 2nd (her birthday being on the 3rd). It was a great time with our family. Not one to be left out of the fun, Lance convinced me it was a good idea for him to have his own little candle to blow out at the end of the Birthday song. You can tell how pleased he is. I'm glad I could do something so small, but make him so happy.

Also of note on May 2nd, Jude's first two teeth broke through the gums! On the day he turned 4 months old! I still can't believe my little baby has teeth. George's dad has been telling us for weeks that he was teething and we just laughed at him. We need to listen to PopPop more often! The teething process hasn't been too bad, just a whole lot of drool (and I'm talking "soaked clothes down to his belly button/I can't believe you're not dehydrated" drool) and wanting to put everything including other people's fingers in his mouth. Good job, Jude! Way to be an overachiever! He is also learning how to roll over and has done so a few times. :) He's just like Lance was--always moving and wanting to be older from the start.

Lance discovered sidewalk chalk and we've had a blast drawing pictures on our road out front. We live at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac so there wasn't any danger of cars. We drew a lot of tanks and in the picture above, Lance is drawing a baby scorpion inside the mommy scorpion he had me draw. He's really into scorpions, for some reason.

George got into the action when he came home from his hospital rotation for the day. He's showing Lance how to draw this ugly man he would always draw on the chalkboard in High School. Ah, the memories. I love Jude's little face peeking over George's shoulder.

Lance has brought this set of puppies with him everywhere he's gone this month--even inside stores and in my diaper bag at Church. (He couldn't play with the puppies, but he wanted them inside anyway.) He requested this picture to be taken... which is a pretty big deal for Lance who absolutely despises pictures and subsequently will not look at the camera ever! Lance is always talking about the things he'll build for his puppies--you know, the real ones he'll get someday--like his puppy plane, and his puppy house. I've been commissioned to sew puppy blankets and so far we have the material and the stuffing. The only thing lacking is the time. Isn't that always the case?

A hornet? So, over the past few weeks I've watched this mother hornet build this nest on the door jam of our shed. A rather precarious place, if you ask me, but it seems to work. For those of you who have seen our house, you know that our shed houses our clothes dryer and must be accessed routinely. George thinks I'm crazy, but for some reason I can't bring myself to kill the hornet and destroy the nest. Maybe it's the mother in me--watching how this hornet has carefully built the nest for her babies day by day and then guards them constantly. She is always there, always watching. Whenever I go inside the shed, she turns and watches me with spread wings (I guess to warn me off?). I haven't been attacked, just watched. I have to admit I'm nervous going into the shed, but I still can't stomach the idea of destroying this little mother and her babies. Am I crazy? Probably.