SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

IMG_5961
Originally uploaded by Niais

Yeah, Zachary C. Bunny would like to wish everyone a happy spring, passover, and... EASTER. Yup. They made the tie dye shirts last week. Today? Egg hunt. Stickers and toys abound. The floppy bunny ears almost pushed me over the giggle edge...

A horn's double header

running the bases 5 (home strech)
Originally uploaded by m0nk3yphd

A 10-1 win from the Horns baseball team, and then over to the big stadium for a 24-7 "texas" vs "longhorns" open spring training game.

Madeline's Bouncehouse birthday

Zachary knew what to expect for a bounce house birthday party. As you can see below, he had reckless abandon on the bouncy castle, maze, pirate ship, and tipping cart (see below). He every managed a full over the head (OMG he's going to break his neck!) bounce down the slide but did look a little daze for thirty seconds until he was bouncing off again for another go.




red in the face and shvitsy, but oh so happy!



Sam and Z

And so it begins

Zachary and I spent part of the evening sitting outside with our alley neighbors. They were playing guitar (blues, electric and acoustic) and have a bbq for St Patrick's day and who knows what else - to celebrate the beautiful weather. It is 9pm, and 77 degrees. The sky was clear with a bit of wind when we got home. Z wanted to bring over his fiddle - I told him we needed to practice a little then we could :> He was transfixed - two dogs, cookies, a bbq (FIRE!) and music. Did I mention the weather?

I'm re-stringing the violins as we speak.

I sorted through my old music to find a starting place. That's how we know how much time has passed, by the amount of things we have learned and forgotten. Electric blues is still drifting through the house. And a lot of fresh air. I saw something wandering around the internet, "Top 6 things you're doing to ruin your health" and one of them was "opening windows for fresh air". Better to run the a/c to filter out the dangers of the outside world. Fools. Give me an open window anyway. Air conditioners don't play guitar.

while making pizza

or at least helping to make pizza chef collins declared "I want this piece of my half to have sauce and this one to have no sauce" and shortly after "mushrooms, I like mushrroms", gobbles up a mushroom slice and sprinkles many more on his half.

And then he ate raw broccoli while waiting for the pizza to cook.

Just an example of how he is growing up, and expanding his horizons daily.

Breakfast

Z gets up from the potty as Sarah goes into the bathroom to get him to take a bath and wash his hair before bed.

"Zachary, why is your poop that color?"

"Daddy gave me green eggs for breakfast"

Busted

Making groggers

jeffcamphoto_110312_3949_LR
Originally taken by jeffcam (Sams Dad)

Sam and Z shaking their noise markers (very loudly) at the TBI shabbat.

morning

Zachary has sneaked (toddler-style) into our room after waking up and climbing down from his bunk, the for the last few days. He jumps into bed, cuddles for a minute before declaring "it's wake up time" and climbing out of bed to open the curtains and prove his case for morning.

Best alarm clock ever. snuggles and a gentle "GET UP"

bedtime

Sarah is away. After the usual nighttime routine, teeth brushing, PJs, and three books comes hugs for Mum and Dad. Zachary hugs his chest (hands on his heart) and kisses the air saying "hug and kiss for mommy, where ever she is" and then hugs me.

Awwwwww

... in my neighborhood

Swinging with Ethan
Originally uploaded by m0nk3yphd

"Just like Grandpa........."

Snappy

Zachary just learned how to snap. It was this awesome epiphany. He sort of pondered it, and we showed him a few times, and he sort of mushed his fingers together.

And then... SNAP. And we all look startled, and he cackled and clapped. And then did it again.

And again.

Sort of like magic.

[edit - to SNAP is to CLICK for our english readers]

Z is singing to himself

"Bugatti, Bugatti, Bugatti"




"which is the Bugatti?"

"this one"

that's right the Veryon

snow day

snow day
Originally uploaded by m0nk3yphd

Yup, he saw it, put his boots on and went outside. My coffee water hadn't even boiled.

Bedtime

Zachary was falling asleep tonight, and struggling to stay awake. He called me into his room.

"Mommymommymommymommy!!"

(calm bedtime mom voice)

"Yes dear."

(tiny face pops up from pillow)

"ImPOSSible!!!"

(Radiant grin followed by collapse onto pillow and snuggling down with comforter)

(and a snore)

Yup, that's my boy

Two lovely girls over for a playdate, Lucy and Tessa!
And then he picks his nose in front of the camera!

exhausted Zachary interpretation

Tired from the playdate with Lucy and Tessa, and from running around food and climbing wall (parts) shopping.

While I was lugging the ply and 2x6s into the garden, Z picked up some chalk and started drawing on the blackboard we have out there. Once i was done I asked for a description what the swirly whirly mass of colors was.

"ovary"

"sorry, waht is it?"

ovary"

"huh?"

"OVARY"

"hhhhhmmmm, Dad's not understanding what your saying Z?"

"over reeeeeeeeeeeee"

"oh over tree"

"Yeah, over tree!"

"the top of a tree, with with leaves?"

"YES, look now I draw the trunk ..... and grass"

Were you wondering how a three year old blackmails?

With traffic cones, it turns out.

We know, we know. Pictures. Some coming shortly, from a fantastic play date this morning. Zachary was missing his friends from his old class, and two of them came over to play. Much fun was had.

Then we went to the hardware store to pick things up to make a climbing wall. Zachary is in love, Mark is feeling healthy enough to start exercising at the speed of a three year old, and the whole thing makes me smile. We're running through the aisles playing with.. whatever, and I grabbed a small orange cone because... They're awesome? It made a good hat? Zachary then wanted to return to the cones, inspect their quality and height for possible T-ball applications... and build a family?

That's right. He took off two big cones, a medium sized cone, a little cone and said... "Baby, Brother, Mommy, and Daddy!!" and then, looking very pleased with himself, went to get two more little cones. "AND THE CATS!!!"

Maybe we should tell him that once he learns to change diapers, we can have a talk.

"Watch and Learn"

Tonight as we were eating dinner, Zachary suddenly grasped his fork and gave it a flourish.

"WATCH AND LEARN!"

I tried not to react. This is the constant battle of parenting a 3 year old. Trying not to fall to the floor laughing. I made eye contact with Mark and mouthed "Did you hear that??"

Zachary watched sharply, cackled, and repeated "Watch and learn!"

He wildly stabbed his mac and cheese, wounding more than he caught and flew them towards his face with a force unknown in nature.

He then balanced it carefully on his closed mouth, smirked, and opened his mouth so slowly that the single pasta shell plummeted to the floor.

Definitely didn't see that coming.

Rinse and repeat. Eventually he managed a BITE FULL of pasta. Watch and learn indeed. The cackling spread. "you ate a bite! High five!"

I held up my hand.

He cheered and swung his fork, up until moments ago hidden under the table, aimed straight for the center of my palm.

They should use toddlers to train secret agents to have quick reflexes. Only the strong survive.

first trip bouldering

gus fruh - bouldering
Originally uploaded by m0nk3yphd

One of the wonderful tings about Austin is the easy access to the outdoors. Maybe 10 minutes from our house, and within city limits are several great climbing areas. Our first bouldering trip was to Barton Creek, where there are several spots to climb and boulder on limestone cliffs.