And just like that...

... we have a nice, big, outdoor, optionally Kiwi-free zone! Graydon is excited because I said the first thing we'd get was a sandbox for him!

Operation "Protect the Deck"

We got tired of chewed-through garden hoses, tattered grill covers, punctured balls, holes in the play structures, maimed flowerpots, and other damage. Not to mention the complete impossibility of hanging up laundry, or putting out real patio furniture, a sand box, and other playthings.



Phase I is complete: one of the two sets of stairs from deck to yard has a functional gate. It's still missing a latch, but the hinges are self-closing and it opens to the outside, so someone with the equivalent of a two-year-old's intelligence and no opposable thumbs shouldn't be able to open it from the outside!



Phase II is well underway. Kiwi gets to keep the portion of the deck under the roof where her house and water bowl are.



Meanwhile, the troublemaker (her middle name *is* Trouble, after all) is sitting in the yard - you guessed it! - chewing on scrap lumber!!

Easter Egg Hunt

Graydon's school had a "spring" egg hunt today - what fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dypfWWwH5xM

Two Minutes of Babyness

Just in case you were wondering what a five-week old fella does with the approximately 5 minutes a day when he is not sleeping, eating, screaming bloody murder, or pooping...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frSQWBJG1VA

And here's a short clip of the full-body sneeze:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6pvKm2bl-E

Big Brothers Can Still be Little Boys, Too

Concerned Dog

She comes running every time he fusses and licks his feet (or whatever else we let her get to...).

Brothers

Graydon has been practicing holding Wiley!

Hay Ride with Gramps

We helped Nana and Gramps clear some long grass and take it to the burn pile. Graydon got to ride along!

Equal Opportunity Eater

Wiley got his first bottle today (filled with Mami's milk). He seemed to think it was just fine. He did need topping off directly from Mami though - those two ounces (60 ml) weren't nearly enough!

Playing in the Yard

Kiwi and Graydon Playing with Cars

She seemed to enjoy the massage!

Green Eggs and...

... strawberry bread. Graydon requested the green eggs after reading - you guessed it - Green Eggs and Ham. We didn't have any ham, though.

A Running Start at the Stomp Rocket

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPOdjNt-kOA

Digging in the Driveway at the Lake

Graydon is making good use of his tractor!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRoVkSU7GYs

Posing for Mami

Too bad he didn't smile for the camera like he did a second before I pulled it out (must have been gas, but it's still awfully cute)!

The Tractor has Arrived!

Nana and Gramps got Graydon a very exciting gift to help celebrate Wiley's arrival. It was displayed at the feed store in Burnet and was heavily discounted after the holiday season (so they say) so they "just couldn't help it." It will live at the lake, where it can dig in the sand by the beach.

Cutting open the big box (it barely fit in Nana and Gramps' car)!

Peeking inside...

Pulling out all the pieces...

"Helping" Daddy assemble them all...

Working the front-end loader bucket...

... and the backhoe portion.

Graydon dug a lot of trenches in our play room last night. "Just like in Mighty Machines!" he said.

A Different Kind of Milestone

I fit into regular jeans today! They are what my friend Teresa calls "transitional" jeans (thanks for those, by the way) and a couple of sizes larger than my regular jeans, but still - it's been at least five months since I've worn anything without an elastic waistband. :) 

(And, no, there will NOT be a photo associated with this posting.)

Basketball Part II

More fun on the deck! We've also made it to a total dribble count of over 40!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPQ5pJASbgs