Life with the Wood Family!

PE

2008-10-03T15:10:00.003-10:00

Today we had PE in the morning.

swimming

weight lifting (sand or water)

the turtle crawl team work

sand castle building (and a volcano with lava)

the band

2008-10-02T08:12:00.004-10:00

For some reason this cleaning frenzy is lasting longer than I have ever had a cleaning frenzy...nesting you say? Well I still have too many weeks left for that. Unless the nesting stage happens earlier and earlier with each pregnancy. But lately I've wanted to get everything organized....NOW. Poor Jason then gets to do all the fun heavy lifting stuff and moving heavy stuff (because I'm pregnant and can't move or lift heavy furniture)...but he is kind of an organization geek anyway, so he actually enjoys putting things in their place.

So as I was putting our kitchen items in our new/used cabinet (thanks to Craigslist.org) I came across a harmonica that the kids got from their Grandma a while ago. It was stuffed behind some canned goods in the top of our old storage cabinet...and now that I think about it, I think the noise of the harmonica had gotten to me and I probably confiscated it and hid it in that spot. Only I forgot about it and it's been collecting dust there ever since. Well now that it has been rediscovered, Ethan hasn't put it down. He's even written a few songs he has entitled, Hula Lei, Tula, Calda and The Parade Song. Jude was then feeling a little left out so he pulled out some other musical instruments and they now have started their own band.

I must say I am one proud mama...but I don't think they will be taking it on the road anytime soon.

my little student

2008-10-01T08:16:00.003-10:00

I am writing this post not because I think I have a prodigy of a child or that I think I'm a great teacher (although having great curriculum helps big time), but I am writing this post to say how amazed I am at little brains. The whole argument of "it shouldn't be academic at an early age" or "they won't understand such abstract concepts at an early age" is really ridiculous to me. I was worried about some of the content I was going to be covering with Ethan this year and wondering if it would be too hard (based on what I hear from schools, articles I've read, etc.) but he actually is absorbing everything I give him. Nothing is forced on him for school. He loves the challenge and is motivated by it. We go at his pace. When we finish one subject we move on to the next...so our school day is no more than an 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I am constantly amazed at how quickly he can pick up concepts and how quickly he can memorize.

These are his addition facts which he can quickly jot down the answers to and get them all correct...without my help. I thought he would be counting on his fingers or needing manipulative's to find the answer (which we did in the beginning to learn what addition meant) but he doesn't. He also is connecting addition with other parts of his world (5 fingers plus 5 fingers is 10 fingers, 5 cars plus one more is 6, etc.) It is so neat to see Ethan grow and develop and also to be teaching him about this great world that God made and how He created a world of order.

"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." Genesis 8:22

sharing the gospel

2008-09-30T08:49:00.002-10:00

I overheard Ethan this morning while playing with his cars...

Ethan: "If you believe in God with your whole heart, you get to go to heaven."

Child-like faith is a beautiful thing, even when it is being explained to inanimate objects.

fall is here...

2008-09-30T08:21:00.006-10:00

...or at least until the sun comes out and it stops raining. We woke up to a chilly 78 degrees this morning in our house...mainly because it was raining. I love cool weather. So Ethan was asking for socks because his feet were so cold. And then after that didn't help he put on another pair. And what is the best way to warm up on such a chilly morning?...a hot beverage. I never drink hot beverages here unless I am in a Starbucks because they crank the A/C up so high that it makes you want to drink hot beverages. So the boys had their hot chocolate and marshmellows (Ethan's favorite since he had it at Mimi's house this past February after coming in from the snow) and I had my cup of green tea with milk (a weird pregnancy craving...I never used to put milk in my hot tea before).

Now I'm off to do some laundry and this cold weather is making me want to work on some sewing projects. I love cold weather!

road trip

2008-09-27T16:08:00.006-10:00

What do you do on an island when you want to "get away"? You go on a road trip. There is no need for maps on this kind of a road trip. No need to pack your bags...because there is one road that goes around the island and it only takes about 2 1/2 hours to travel the whole thing. So today we decided we needed some good family time and we headed up to the North Shore. As you can see in the video Ethan and Jude had no idea what a road trip was but they humored their mom anyway by saying "Woo-hoo!". About 15 minutes from home Ethan then told us "wow, we are so far from home"....poor kid, he doesn't even know what a real road trip is.

We loaded up with drinks at the local 7 Eleven (a Harris tradition for road trips...except it's usually a QT stop) and we were on our way. Our first of many stops along the way...because someone had to keep stopping to use the restroom (I won't name any names except that it involves a baby kicking someones bladder)....was Chinaman's hat. Across the street are some ancient ruins...okay maybe not ancient, but they're from an old sugar mill in the late 1800's and pretty cool to see.

We then made our way to Shark's Cove (you should have seen how big Ethan's eyes got when I told him that's where we were going) to do a little bit of swimming and exploring. They have great tide pools which make it so kid friendly...if it weren't for all the rocks everywhere. This is why water shoes were invented. Jason took the boys out to go explore the "cave" on the other side while I hung back and watched the fish swim around my feet.

I also had fun taking shadow silhouette shots of my prego belly.Then we spent the rest of the time collecting cool rocks and shells before we packed up for lunch.Our next stop was historic Halewia Town (a.k.a tourist trap) and had burgers at the Kua Aina...the best avocado/cheese burgers around.

You can't go to the North Shore without stopping to get a Shave Ice, so we of course had to stop and get one of those too. Ethan thought it was great after I explained to him it was kind of like eating snow. (side-story: the other day I made a comment about how I love Hawaii and Ethan said "yeah, except there isn't snow in Hawaii")

And to top off our road trip adventure we stopped at a road side stand to get some fresh pineapple, which we snacked on all the way home...since it was only about 45 minutes away. Yes, this is the road side stand we bought it from but....

it's fairly normal to stop at a run-down truck (or shack) on the side of the road, here in lovely paradise, to get a bite to eat....such as this "shrimp out of a truck". So see it's not so weird.I forgot how fun road trips were.

the party's over

2008-09-24T12:24:00.003-10:00

Birthday is over. Back to normal life. Not sure why but I woke up this morning with the urge to clean...not just the basic cleaning, but bring out the old toothbrush and clean baseboards, screens, fan blades, grout, etc. Well 3 1/2 hours (and lots of sweat) later my house doesn't look that much different but I know that the dust bunnies are swept, soap scum is scrubbed away and dirty baseboards are clean (plus clean bathrooms, carpets vacuumed and floors mopped). This is when I'm thankful for my small Hawaii house.

Ethan and Jude even joined in the "fun". They got out their little mop and broom to clean off the front lanai. Such big helpers.

happy birthday to me

2008-09-23T19:48:00.003-10:00

This is the only picture I have to document my 32nd birthday. Not flattering but kind of funny. This was the cake Jason made me...he asked what kind of cake I wanted and I told him German Chocolate cake. Later I found out that he doesn't like coconut and won't eat any of it. So the boys and I enjoyed our cake and ate it too.

Jason and the boys got some great gifts for me. Jason got a Kitchenaid ice cream maker that I had been wanting and Ethan and Jude gave me a jewelry box that they painted themselves. Ethan was so excited for me to open his gift. And the first thing I saw this morning when I woke up was a beautiful bouquet of flowers that Jason left for me to find in the morning.

It's funny how birthdays just come and go when you get older...life just keeps going. Although I am thankful that I didn't have to cook or do dishes tonight.

the gecko

2008-09-22T12:53:00.005-10:00

When you live in Hawaii you have to be okay with living with nature...not outside but inside your house. There are the geckos, cockroaches (not due to lack of cleanliness), ants (also not due to lack of cleanliness), centipedes and the occasional bird that has flown in our open door. It took a little while for me to get used to the geckos that come out at night and chirp. People kept telling me they are good because they eat all the bugs (especially the mosquitoes) and they're harmless. So I tried to accept these little creatures sharing my home with me....because no matter how hard you try, you can't keep them out (thanks to the lovely jalousie windows).

So each night we are greeted with a family of geckos that come out of the light fixtures, behind picture frames or where ever else they hide and wait for their meals to come crawling by (and every once in a while chirp to one another). After a while I stopped jumping every time I saw one scurry across the ceiling or wall. But the part that was okay with me is that they hung out in our family/kitchen/dining room that has a vaulted ceiling....lots of space between me and the geckos. So this has been a good thing we had going for about 3 years now. But of course there will always be a rebel among the group...one that doesn't want to do what everybody else is doing, wants to be different...and has ventured on back to our bedroom to claim as his home. This is not okay with me. First of all I don't like sleeping knowing there is a reptile crawling around my room and could possibly fall on my face while I am sleeping. Second, geckos leave little deposits all over the place (which is highly annoying/disgusting to clean up especially in my bedroom).

This is what I get to clean up now. Do you see it? Gecko poop on my walls....

...and on my window sills. This is not okay with me. I might have to figure out a way to capture this little gecko friend and find a new home for him elsewhere...unless I can train him to eat the cockroaches...then he can stay.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

2008-09-21T14:08:00.002-10:00

I think I've blogged this hymn before but I really love the words to this song:

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin, and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.

Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

what is classical education

2008-09-19T12:59:00.004-10:00

My friend Lori has been doing a series on what Classical Education is. So for those that wonder what it entails...especially if you don't have time to sit down and read books on it...she has been outlining it in a "to the point" condensed way. If you want the "nutshell" of classical education check out part 1. Here's a little snippet of part 2A:

"All free men, regardless of the work they will eventually pursue, need a measure of knowledge, understanding and wisdom which will enable them to lead virtuous lives. Therefore, classical ed neglects, for a time, strictly utilitarian, job-specific skills in favor of cultivating a mastery of language, perspicuity of thought and purity of life."

She goes on to say:

"The goal, then, of Classical Education is not for its students to achieve high SAT scores, be accepted at an Ivy League school, obtain a particular job, reach a certain level of financial gain, or to be labeled as successful, but rather to acquire wisdom which will enable its possessor to live well in every capacity of life - his home, his workplace, his neighborhod, his community, and his world."

In part 2B she also covers the goal of Christian Classical Education, to "live well", by saying:

"It means to manifest honesty, integrity, faithfulness, sobriety, respect, determination, compassion, charity, patience, generosity and selflessness....In order to last, true virtue must be rooted in Christianity. Unless firmly grounded and held in place by a system of belief, it will be blown about by every new wind, or blown away like chaff."

Lori did a good job clearly explaining Classical Education (and is continuing to) on her blog. So if you're curious, do read it. I get asked a lot about what Classical Education is and I don't feel like I explain it well...as I'm still learning about what it fully entails.

update

2008-09-16T09:38:00.004-10:00

Well this blog post doesn't have any pictures but I thought I would give a quick update (random thoughts/facts too) on the Wood family:

Our baby girl weighs about 1.5 lbs and is about 13 inches long (according to estimates). I definitely feel her moving around...she is quite the acrobat now. My pregnancy continues to go well and all is healthy and growing...other than the sore hips, weird muscle pains, etc.
Jason has hit the realization of how time consuming it is to be a headmaster/teacher/student in seminary. He's fighting a cold right now but continues to really enjoy his job...especially the teaching part of it. Seminary has been a challenge lately as he is taking his Greek course. But somehow he gets it all done and still manages to get sleep and spend time with the fam.
We are now re-licensed as of yesterday to continue with fostering. I don't know how much we will actually be able to foster in the coming year (with new baby and all) but it's easier to get re-licensed now instead of having to go through the whole process again in a year or two. Ethan keeps asking when the children are coming over to live with us. It's so interesting to see what questions come out of a 5 year old when they're learning about the reality of life and how every child doesn't have parents that can or do take care of them.
I'm feeling a bit homesick with Fall coming...it happens to be my favorite season. It doesn't help that stores have all of their red/orange/yellow decorations, linens, etc. It of course is still hot here...stinkin' hot actually and not Fall-like at all.
I'm already sick of all the political bashing, celebrity stupidity on politics and the liberal media....November 4th can't come soon enough. I just can't even watch another news program or read another Internet article. So I am sticking to watching forums and town hall meetings only. I know who I'm voting for (that's an easy choice) and that's all that matters.
I found a great baby sling wrap for our baby girl. Moby slings...check it out. Can't wait to use mine in a few months.
Ethan continues to love learning. This homeschooling thing has really been fun (although some days I wish I could nap instead of teach...but you can't always have what you want all the time). I'm learning more and more about the benefits (for boys especially) on this way of schooling and learning at this stage, that it makes it all worth the stress and chaos it can bring. We'll take each year and see if we'll continue with homeschooling, but I am thankful that this year we are able to homeschool...and that I got to experience, with Ethan, the firsts of learning that Kindergarten brings.
I picked up crocheting again. I made a little baby beany hat for the hospital and might try a few other things. It's nice to sit down in the evenings and relax with my yarn and crochet hook....anything where I can sit and put my feet up is relaxing, actually.
Ethan is in the other room right now belting out our bug song from Science..."head, thorax, abdomen, abdomen; head, thorax, abdomen, abdomen; eyes, antennas, mouth and palps; head, thorax, abdomen, abdomen" (to the tune of head, shoulders, knees & toes, knees & toes) and Jude is shhhing him....which of course causes Ethan to sing louder. Ah, brotherly love.

Okay I don't need to bore you anymore. Congratulations for reading through my ramblings to the end.

a little more nature

2008-09-11T14:53:00.003-10:00

So this is the post on my newest endeavor to be a horticulturist...thought I would hurry and take pictures while everything still looked green and lush. Here is our grape tomato plant...green and thriving. I've heard that grape tomato plants do well here in Hawaii. Plus I think grape tomatoes have the best flavor.
See all of the flowers on it. Very promising!
We also planted some basil (once again), eggplant and golden zucchini (yellow squash). Now I realize that squash plants like lots of room so hopefully they'll enjoy growing up along the railing for space. We'll see. But zucchini and squash are so expensive here that I hope I can just grow my own.
Our neighbor gave us a sprig of her spearmint (which is the only variety that seems to grow well in Hawaii...Kentucky something variety) and our faithful aloe plant that has lasted through the many plant killings over the last few years.
The boys picked out two flowers each and we planted them in this flower pot here. Quite a variety but they enjoy watering them.

new feathered friend(s)

2008-09-09T19:15:00.002-10:00

These beautiful birds are called Java Sparrows. They heard the news of some great bird seed and decided to drop in today to check it out. So now our feeder is a bit more populated. I love watching the birds (I think that comes from my mom).

The birds were a bit timid before they started chowing down at the feeder...checking out the surroundings before they swooped in. Their coloring is so interesting to me. But I think their experience was good and they will be back.

Sorry that my blog has turned a bit nature-y (is that a word?). It's what we're up to lately with school. Coming soon are pictures of our plants...yes, I like to torture myself and think that I have this amazing green thumb...and once again kill off some perfectly good plants. But this time I think will be different. I am actually remembering to water them. Stay tuned.

our two feathered friends

2008-09-07T21:10:00.006-10:00

A week ago the kids and I went out and bought a bird feeder...partly for school (Science) and partly to see the amazing tropical birds that find their home here in Hawaii. Well apparently native Hawaiian birds aren't big seed eaters...probably because they have all the food they could ever want year round...berries, fruits and plenty of bugs. So all we have attracted to our feeder is this beautiful Cardinal and his mate...which I'm pretty sure aren't native to the islands. But we have enjoyed watching them come and enjoy their meal. Ethan has enjoyed learning a few bird names as well. The common birds that we see the most have been the Dove, the Myna bird, the Egret and the Cardinal which funny enough aren't tropical birds. So if you think we're surrounded by colorful tropical birds all the time...I'm sure they're out there but they're definitely not attracted to bird seed.

thank you Jude

2008-09-05T14:48:00.005-10:00

My gift to myself, for making it through the potty training experience with Jude, was to get a new rug for our family room. I didn't want to get a new one before he figured out those important muscle control skills...for obvious reasons. So I figured that would be my goal, something to shoot for. Our other rug was filled with stains...more than I could spot clean. And it got that matted down, worn look that didn't even fluff up after being cleaned or vacuumed. So now that Jude is officially potty trained, I went out soon after and got a new rug.

As you can see Ethan enjoys the fluffiness of the new rug. He makes rug angels and hand prints. My favorite feature (besides the fluffy part...who knew shag was back) is that it is multi-colored, which hides stains. So if you ever want to come and enjoy sitting on our new fluffy, multi-colored, shag carpet with us, feel free to stop by.

giggle of the day

2008-09-03T09:20:00.004-10:00

(I received this in an e-mail today)
Sometimes I think Maxine should run for president. She was right on with this one!

Everyone concentrates on the problems we're having in this country lately: illegal immigration, hurricane recovery, alligators attacking people in Florida ... Not me. I concentrate on solutions for the problems. It's a win-win situation.

+ Dig a moat the length of the Mexican border.

+ Send the dirt to New Orleans to raise the level of the levies.

+ Put the Florida alligators in the moat along the Mexican border.

Any other problems you would like for me to solve today ? Yes!

Think about this one:

1. Cows

2.The Constitution

3. The Ten Commandments

C O W S Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.

T H E C O N S T I T U T I O N They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq .... Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.

T H E 1 0 C O M M A N D M E N T S The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this: You cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal,' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery,' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians...It creates a hostile work environment.

anniversary celebration

2008-08-30T21:22:00.005-10:00

Well it's been a month since our anniversary but we finally had a free weekend to go out and celebrate. So we used a gift card someone gave us and went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. We had a nice dinner, with great conversation and amazingly yummy food...can I just say chocolate coconut cream cheesecake. We were so giddy people were asking where we were from...they thought we were vacationing in Hawaii. "No we actually live here" we would say...we just don't get out much, just the two of us.

After seeing that taking our own picture wasn't turning out to be very flattering, we finally asked someone to take our picture for us.

This was our sweet ride we had for our date. A friend of ours who was recently deployed to Iraq asked if we would drive his car around while he was gone. So Jason said goodbye to our "free" Ford Explorer (that was breaking down at least once a month) and now cruises around in this...

...yes those are low profile tires.

the game of 5

2008-08-29T18:40:00.004-10:00

It's my first time being tagged....so here it goes. Just so you know I won't be following rule 4 and 5...not because I'm a ruler breaker but because I'm one of those people that never forward the e-mails when it tells you to either. So if you would like to tag yourself, feel free.

How it works:
1. Post the rules of the game at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read the player's blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.

What were you doing five years ago?
I was a very new mom and very panicked. I was probably crying at this exact moment 5 years ago. Who knew Ethan would turn out so laid back and easy going. I was also in a home that had air-conditioning...I miss air-conditioning.

What are five things on your to-do list for today?
1. buy a bird feeder for Science...check
2. sweep the floors and mop...still not done
3. drop off old clothes at second hand store...had to make an appointment for Sept.
4. do school with Ethan...check
5. drop off something I borrowed from a friend of mine back in March...check

What are five snacks you enjoy?
1. chocolate
2. ice cream
3. dried mangoes
4. English muffins with peanut butter
5. hummus and french bread
(Hey, I'm pregnant...what can I say.)

What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire?
1. buy a house here in Hawaii...with it's own laundry room, garage and yard
2. set up college funds for our kids
3. give to missionary friends
4. buy or build a building for the new upper division of Trinity Christian School
5. fly my family to Hawaii whenever they wanted to come

What are five of your bad habits?
1. eating too much chocolate
2. procrastinating when it comes to cleaning
3. wanting to be comfortable instead of growing through life's challenges
4. being a control freak
5. checking e-mail or blogs too much during the day...that's the bad thing about fast Internet-it's easy to check e-mail "real quick"

What are five places where you have lived?
1. Fort Hood, TX
2. Manassas, VA
3. St. Louis, MO
4. Lookout Mountain, GA
5. Chattanooga, TN

What are five jobs you've had?
1. life guard
2. waitress
3. 1st grade teacher
4. tutor for an inner city reading program
5. camp kitchen worker

dinosaurs

2008-08-27T08:40:00.005-10:00

Well it's been a while since we've had some crazy splish-splashing tub pictures. So here are my two crazy kids with mohawk hair...actually Ethan always corrects me and says they are dinosaurs. So here are my two crazy kids with dinosaur hair.

And it just got crazier after that...Then Jude joined in with his "say cheese" face...This craziness must be from their dad's side of the family...okay maybe not.

boys weekend

2008-08-23T15:57:00.007-10:00

Jason wanted to take Ethan camping for his 5th birthday. So this plan has been in the works for some time now (Ethan asked every day how many days were left until they could go camping) and Friday afternoon they headed out to the woods to be in nature. Yes, this is the nature they were in.

They did stuff like fish....not your typical bass or trout...they were more like goldfish. But these fish were trained to bite. So Ethan got to experience catching his first fish...which he told me later was bigger than dad's fish.
They took a hike too...yes, not your typical hike. But it is Hawaii. Ethan was fascinated by the moss on this tree and wanted Jason to take a picture of it. They also saw some pretty amazing flowers and plants.

Ethan found a heart shaped leaf that had a Velcro-type back to it and placed it where his real heart would be...and then wanted Jason to take a picture.

They then set up their tent and slept on the ground. Jason told me that Ethan's bedtime story before turning off the flashlights was The Epic of Gilgamesh (what Jason is teaching for the 7th-8th graders) and I guess Ethan was pretty captivated. Later they found out that their waterproof tent wasn't and woke up a bit soaked. But Ethan didn't complain and Jason said he slept like a champ.

They also cooked their food over an open fire and then once it rained...over an open flame on the kerosene stove. Ethan told me his favorite part was roasting marshmallows.

Ethan even took a few pictures too. So this happened to be about the only picture of Jason.

His other pictures included things like this...

and this...

So even through the rain it sounded like camping was a great experience for all. Ethan is already talking about when they go next time...maybe Jude could go too.

milestone

2008-08-20T12:39:00.003-10:00

Just to warn my readers, this post is about potty-training so it may not be of interest to you to read on. But if you are a young mom who feels like their child will never use the potty until they're 18, then be encouraged and keep reading. I can officially say that Jude is now potty trained. Will there be accidents in the future? Probably. But I think he passed a huge hurdle yesterday when we were at a friends house playing outside and he came running up to me saying he had to go "poo-poo". Previously if he was distracted and having too much fun, I ended up cleaning out underpants and shorts. But this time he was able to stop and recognize the "sensation" and come tell me. After about a month of potty training and me almost giving up at least twice (well, more like everyday I had to clean up an accident) and trying later...things have finally clicked. This is the only time I use rewards for our kids....not a believer of the behaviorism (manipulating) thing. So what motivated Jude for going #2 (little pieces of candy worked for going #1) was a Lighting McQueen car and lolli-pops. This is the first time in 5 years that I have not had to change a diaper...until December when this baby girl of ours is born. Praise God for 4 months of being diaper free!

So this post is for Jude...Congratulations, our big boy!! Mommy is really excited for this milestone in your life...really excited!

the short "o"

2008-08-18T20:20:00.006-10:00

This is Ethan's first reader for his Phonics program. It focuses on the short "o" sound. We've had about 30 days of Kindergarten so far and it's fun to see how much he has learned already. I look forward to seeing all that he will learn this year and am thankful that I get to be a part of it.

happy 5th birthday Ethan!

2008-08-15T21:40:00.010-10:00

Ahoy, mateys! Welcome to the Wood Lair. Captain Ethan sent a secret message to invite his buddy's to go in search of the hidden treasure....either by reading it backwards or using the secret decoder...a mirror.

Once they were outfitted with balloon swords and bandannas they were ready to follow the clues on their old, worn treasure maps to find the secret treasure.

It led them to the Lagoon sands to where they found the big red X. After much digging they were able to retrieve the treasure box with much pirate's booty (not to be mistaken for a person's backside) to be found inside.

After dividing the spoils, they headed back to the Wood Lair for some feasting and celebrating. They topped off their meal with a Pirate ship cake (the only picture I got of it before it was devoured...actually I didn't get many pictures of the entire party...that's the problem with being the host).

To conclude all of the running around, silly laughter and crazy fun, Captain Ethan opened his gifts from his fellow mateys. The rest of the pirates then headed home to their own Lairs with some crazy sugar energy and hopefully went straight to bed.

Happy Birthday Ethan! We are thankful to God for our sweet, thoughtful, adventuresome boy.

flowers & pink & dresses...oh my!

2008-08-14T14:23:00.004-10:00

I can tell already that it is going to be a weakness of mine when it comes to buying girl things for this little baby of ours. I bought these adorable little outfits at our thrift store here for .50-$2. This is so fun!