Handy Hubby

Mike is always so busy with work, that he rarely has time to work in the yard... but this Saturday he went all out... including borrowing a trailer from a friend/boss, renting an aerator, and seeding the lawn! This may seem like normal Saturday activities for some, but for a dad whose busiest days are Saturdays, this was a huge accomplishment!!!

The boys were thoroughly entertained as they watched Dad leave "poop" all over the lawn! They had the best seats... in the trailer... eating ice cream cones. They were so excited... you would have thought there was a Circus in our yard! They spent the rest of the night riding their bikes into the trailer and down the ramp at top speed! Do you think they're deprived because the lawnmower is the extent of our "farm equipment"??? I guess we got ourselves a couple city boys... with only an occasional romp in the country when we go to Alaska!

Anyway, here's a shout-out to Mike for widening their horizons with some good 'ole heavy equipment! Ha!

Josh's Kindergarten Class 2007-2008

Josh really loves school... and after school we have a good little talk about all that went on. Who got on yellow... (a way of tracking their behavior... green light=good, yellow=warning, red light= not so good) Luckily, we've only had to deal with one yellow light this year, which according to Josh was when he was "too chatty." He also has informed me that he's the 5th tallest one in his class... and continues to be a bit confused why some girls are taller then he is. I wondered the same thing, being one of the tallest girls in my classes.

He is picking up on the reading... although it comes a little harder for him then others. But we're working on it, and he's definately progressing... just lacks a little confidence! But he is doing great in math... We just got his report card this last week, and his teacher said that he is so nice and considerate... and is a joy to have in the classroom... and she wishes there were more Joshua's in her class! That's the biggest compliment we could ever hear... and we're grateful that he is adjusting so well to school!

WAY TO GO JOSH!!!

T-Ball... first game of the season!

It's that time of year again... time for t-ball! Today was Josh's first game this year, and he plays with the "Knights"! They won! Well, actually, both teams won, as they still don't keep score yet... everybody bats, everybody runs in... they're still getting used to the game. But Josh had some strong hits off the T, and he did a great job fielding. Hopefully next game, he'll be in the infield so he can really show off his skills!

Mike is one of the coaches again... check him out as the 1st base coach! And Caleb is still Josh's #1 fan!!! He brings a bat and ball to every game and cheers from the side! "Go Josh!" One of the other kids brought a cone to use as a tee, so Caleb was in heaven!

And on a completely different note... last night Caleb pooped in the potty!!! Fortunately, I chose NOT to take a picture for documentation purposes... but we were all yellin' and screamin' last night when he did it! Needless to say, potty training is now officially underway!

Allergies are NOT only for NERDS!!

I never had allergies until I moved to Richmond! In fact, the only people who I knew who had allergies, were pathetic/nerdy characters in movies! My favorite character being the boyfriend to Meg Ryan in "Sleepless in Seattle"... you know who I'm talking about?? he was all decked out with vaporizers and nose sprays... what was his name?

ANYWAY, after living here for 8+ years, I have finally come to terms with the fact that I too... dun-dun-dun... have allergies! Just take a look at my car.... the picture doesn't do it justice... but this is not dirt or dust... this is yellow, sneezing, eye-watering pollen! And today, it is in full force..... you can see clouds of it billowing through the air! Yesterday my left eye had swollen up to half it's normal size... and on our walk to the park, I could barely open my eyes because there was so much pollen around!!!

It's enough to make me go completely crazy... I'm almost tempted to wear goggles and a mask everywhere I go! Now that would be a sight!

So what are my thoughts on SPRING??? Despite the cool weather, beautiful flowers blooming, smell of freshly cut grass.... Josh said it best.... "Mom, I hate spring!"

Bosom Brothers!

Lately, my favorite thing to do is just watch Josh and Caleb play together! They usually play so great... the exception being when one or both are tired, hungry, or just plain grumpy! But even though there is a 3 1/2 year age difference, they get along very well! And I'm so grateful for that! They truly are good boys, and I love them to death!!!

Here's a few pictures of my favorite boys!

Too Proud?... or Too Cold???

Yesterday (on Sunday), I actually felt on top of things... I was completely prepared for Sunday... diaper bag packed by Sat. night, the boys' clothes laid out on their beds, dinner in the oven by 10am, lunch ready by 11:30, and we were out the door by 12:28 (fyi: our church starts at 12:30), arrived at church to set up the RS room... and made it into Sacrament meeting by the Sacrament hymn. May seem like a failure to some, but I felt satisfied with my efforts.

I had a pleasant day at church... despite the fact that Caleb was going bonkers in the nursery! Sorry Heather (our fearless nursery leader, aka as "The Payne" according to Caleb!)

We came home from church, had home teachers at 4 pm, and were enjoying dinner by 5 pm. The boys were feeling quite restless... so a quiet Sunday evening at home, seemed impossible, so we decided to venture outside for a "walk", in spite of a few grumbles from Dad about it being too cold to go out and was against the idea from the start. I insisted that it wasn't cold and to just throw on a sweatshirt and come along... afterall, it was nothing compared to Alaska weather! So, we were on our way.... everyone was on some sort of wheels... big wheels, scooter wheels, bike wheels... I was sporting flip-flops and trying to keep up! It was crisp out, but comfortable... and we walked to a little park nearby and played for a few minutes. But on the way back, the wind kicked up, and it started to rain. Caleb's little hands were freezing, and he had to stop every few minutes to blow on them to warm them up. Mike in his sweatshirt, and I, in my flip-flops was now regretting ever leaving the comfort of our living room... but I (being too proud) would not admit that it was too cold and insisted that this would be a fun memory we would eventually all cherish.

Therefore, I am posting our story on this blog to remember forever... the Trentadue Version of Pride and Prejudice!

My new favorite thing!

I've heard of it before, but just thought that it was too good to be true... that it would still be a hassle... that it would still cost more then the old-fashioned way... and that it would be just another "lesson learned" about not getting sucked into the latest gimmick!

Well, I hope that I haven't disappointed some of you when I say that I am totally and utterly addicted to NETFLIX!!! And I can honestly say that it is so easy! So far I've already watched 3 movies for the monthly $8.99, and it's only been a couple weeks... I already have my money's worth. And I haven't had to leave my house! I know that some people enjoy the trek to the video store... but for me, it's just another errand to run with 2 kids in tow! Now, the only trip I have to make is to my mailbox! And there's no shipping at all!

Last night I just finished watching "Jane Eyre"... so good, by the way! ... and I'm already looking forward to the next one! Have I converted anyone yet???

Bugs and more Buggies!

It sometimes amazes me how kids can entertain themselves for hours with the simplest thing. Makes me feel good about our recent decision to cut back on the amount of toys we buy! They played with 3 worms, a ladybug (or Buggies, as Caleb calls them!), and some unidentifyable creepy, crawly bug with about 100 legs (not a centipede), for 1 1/2 hours! And I just got to sit and watch! But it's times like these that having boys is hard... I used to like to play with frogs and bugs... but I've lost my nerve! But I'm trying to be brave so that it doesn't affect them. But regardless, even Josh jumps a bit when the worms were wriggling around! And Caleb won't touch them with his hand.. only sticks.

Mount Vernon

Josh has been studying George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in school, so once he found out that George Washington's house was in VA, he insisted that we go there! How could I resist?? So we drove up to northern VA to Mount Vernon, the home of the General... which is where he lived during his married life up until he died. The line to get into the mansion was extremely long and very discouraging, but we couldn't come all this way and not see the house. So we stood in line for about an hour before actually getting inside.

We couldn't take pictures inside the house, because about 40% of the furniture and 50% of the artwork was original to the house. And the paint on the walls was original as well! George LOVED color.... because the walls were bright greens and blues... nothing neutral in there! But it was the most expensive paint and the most fashionable, so George had to have the best! Everything, (including the landscaping and grounds) was very European inspired, even though Washington never stepped foot in Europe. I think the boys' favorite part was seeing the toilets, which they called a necessary. It was about 100 feet from the house, and there was one at each end of the house (maybe women's and men's?) But there was three toilets in each... right next to each other... I guess they liked to go in groups???

But it's very pretty there... with a great view of the Potomoc River, with only one other house and dock in view.... Lady Washington wanted to preserve the view so they bought all the land in sight of the house! Okay, is that enough history for you all??

Oh, one more thing I learned. I didn't know how Washington died... maybe I'm just "unlearned"... But he died at home from a disease affecting his esophagus. He spent 36 hours struggling to breath before he finally died in his own bed. (the actual bed was still in the house) After he died, Martha (his wife) shut off that room, and never slept there again... she moved her room upstairs for 3 years until she later died. I thought that was interesting.

Okay, NOW I'm done with my report.... here's some more pictures!!!


Necessaries...

Caleb posing with Mrs. Washington (George's mom)...she was very cute and stayed in character the whole time... after we left, Caleb was so smitten with her, he wanted to go back and give her a kiss!


Josh loved the diaramas of the battlefields... reminded him of "Night at the Museum"...

George Washington's sword!!!

Zoo Pals

For spring break, we didn't go on any luxurious vacations.... or do anything amazing... but we did take a few day trips and did things that Josh has wanted to do for awhile now. He realized recently that we have never been to the Richmond Zoo... although we've been to the Alaska Zoo a couple times!

So, we ventured out and enjoyed a crisp day observing wildlife... if you call it wild... we saw monkeys (my personal favorite), rhinos, zebras, lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!), tortoises, penguins, bats, kangaroos, emus (including one with 15 large green eggs underneath), ostriches, deer, alligators and MORE! Here's a few of the highlights!

How fast can you type?

I tried this typing test, and actually surprised myself a bit... try it out!

70 words

Speedtest

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Easter festivities started a few days ago... when we got a fun package from Grandma and Grandpa Grover, complete with a easter bunny toss game, which the boys have been playing with for days!

Then on Saturday night we colored eggs! We tried our hand at painting Cammoflauge eggs... which actually resulted in nasty brown/green colored eggs! But we managed to get a few cool ones too. Josh and Caleb's favorite part was when we blew out some eggs.... gross! And we couldn't keep Caleb's hands off the eggs.... surprisingly, we only had 2 egg casualties!

Then on Sunday morning, they woke up early to see what the Easter Bunny brought... we did a little Easter egg hunt right before church. The pictures look lovely (don't mind all the yellow mulch bags in the background), but I was stressing the whole time that their Sunday outfits would end up a disaster! Once again, I was surprised that we made it to church almost flawless!

Then we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Trentadue's house for Easter dinner!

What a fun day!

Scootin' Around

These boys come with glasses!

Although Josh was recently diagnosed with 30/40 vision, and is supposed to wear his glasses when he reads/does schoolwork, Caleb still has 20/20! But he wants to be like Josh, so we got our hands on some frames (lenses popped out), and he often wears them everywhere! He even insisted on wearing them to bed one night... later that night, I had to pry them out of his sleepy kung-fu grip!

We're finding that even Josh's eyesight isn't that bad... and he can do just fine without them... but he carries them to and from school, and uses them if he needs them. But he does look very studious, don't ya think?

Visit to the Trentadue Battlefield

Conrad and Natasha came to Richmond on a Civil War Trip with their high school, and their teacher let them leave for a couple hours so we could hang out with them! We came back to the house and Mike showed off his grilling skills.... then they entertained the boys for a few minutes with the best pillow fight ever!!! I guess all the visits to the battlefields, brought out some aggression! After the kids went to bed, they wanted to play a really fun game... so I was thinking Pictionary or Taboo or Charades... you know, something with some action. But they were more in the mood for Scrabble! Go figure! So Conrad showed off his smarts and beat us all!

It was a fun night.. and we're glad that they decided to forego their friends to hang out with their ole cousins!

Cream de la Creme

I know that all you snow-blowin' Non-Virginians snicker when we talk about the winter here in VA. But the drastic change in humidity from summer to winter (from 100% to 20%) really does a number on your skin.... especially little faces! So we have to lather up with heavy duty Eucerine to keep the chappiness to a minimum! So every night, we turn into little clowns!