They're lucky they're cute (and smart, and funny, and creative, etc. etc.)

I can't think of anything super clever to say here. Mostly because I feel this swelling of pride over my kids and the other is because my brain hasn't checked in via Four Square just yet. I'm tired, y'all. (you can say that in Paula Deen's voice if you want to.)
My kids can be the most infuriating creatures on this planet. They don't often keep their clothes stain free and I have to remind them constantly to pick up after themselves. They're loud, they scream and yell, and well, I feel like I'm living Lord of the Flies in my own house sometimes. (Remember, the fat kid dies in LotF)
But, they're also sweet, sensitive, protective, empathetic, have a dry/great sense of humor, and are often polite to others while maintaining a respect for their dad and me. But, what continually amazes me are their talents. Where did they get this?!
Ethan is so intuitive and loves to dig deeper into his learning. He abhors math (that used to be me before I started teaching it) because he can't do it quickly and mentally. He devours every non-fiction book, documentary, or random fact. He's also artistic, creative, and sees beyond the dimensions of his vision. He is a deep thinker.
Caden is my logical thinker, my fiction story fanatic, my musician. He can remember song lyrics, keep rhythm, and makes up his own stories in his head. He can count to 20 in Spanish, higher in English, and is able to add and subtract already. He writes, draws, reads, and calls himself an "artist".
Ethan created a piece of art that was placed into the RISD All-District Art Show. The story behind his art made my jaw drop. He takes a piece of knowledge and runs with it. I wish I had time and space to write down everything he does, creatively speaking, that astounds me both as a mother and as a teacher.
Caden had his spring show for pre-school. His class had tons of artwork displayed along the walls and in the classrooms. He has such a creative group of kids in his class. Their artwork was amazing! After parents continued with the gallery walk, they were then led to the gym where the students serenaded them with songs such as, "Zip-a-dee doo-dah!" I wasn't able to attend because of state testing, but Brian was. He recorded it for me. It was so cute I wanted to vomit. For real. Caden was so into it. He did the motions to the songs and sang unto the Lord with all his might!
Man, I love these people...even if I do think about drop-kicking them every now and again.

I maybe, might, sorta, kinda like living here...maybe...

Last month, Caden and I attended Ethan's 2nd grade field trip. We had a blast at the Arboretum! Caden just enjoyed being with the "big kids" and having a day off from school. I'm not going to lie, I did too. While the city I dream of living in is more San Diego than Dallas, I do have to admit that there are times I truly enjoy living here.

Then, later that week, we attended the Kids' Festival at the Trinity River Audubon Center. This was our first time to ever visit the Audubon Center. The DMA, Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas Zoo, Nasher Sculpture Center etc. were all on hand. They had stations set up around the place where kids could do tons of make and take crafts and activities. The Audubon Center brought in different breeds of birds, one of which was a snow owl, so that people could see them up close as well as learn a little more about each bird. The kids had a wonderful time and Brian and I found ourselves wanting to visit again.

Dallas definitely has a ton of stuff to offer. Also, my children are pretty dang awesome.

Pretty Much

like running to catch the bus and, yet, never actually catching the bus. *cue the theme from What's Happening? here and picture ReRun trying to catch Raj and Dwayne in the back of the pickup truck*

It seems like I can never sit down and blog about what's been going on. Then again, this is coming from the girl who dropped some dough on a great camera and I never remember to bring it with me.

Things have just been that hectic around here. The remodel on the house is going well and my patience has been in check, so that's a plus!

This week the boys and I were off for Spring Break. Brian took a couple of days off to hang out with us as well.

Here's the run-down:

Monday-we let Ethan cash in his birthday present and we attended the Mythbusters show. He was engaged the entire time. Can't say I wasn't either. Those guys are smart AND hilarious. Ethan is highly intrigued by science and nature. This is going to be the kid with his own show on NatGeo or Discovery.

<

Tuesday-the boys and I met our friends Katie and Abbie at the Dallas Zoo (even through the crowds) and had a great time. We got to see the sweet, new koalas in their habitat. They were precious. It made me miss the San Diego Zoo and wished my boys had been able to see it. (Thus, started our trip planning to CA for next summer.)The weather was beautiful and we even got to eat our packed picnic lunches by the giraffes. Two even came up and ate just a few feet from us! The best part was the bird show. Ethan cracked up at the fact the 6 seagulls were named after the cast of "Friends" and Caden was in awe at the fact that he got to see an owl "for really in real life!"

Pretending to be elephants

Wednesday- was our day of rest. We needed it. The boys slept until 9:45 or so and it was AWESOME. Later on, the Bradens came over for dinner and we took the kids bike riding and to play at the park. It was a "Byoooful night!" as Caden said.

Thursday-we rested again and just slugged out around the house. It was nice to stay in our pjs all day.

Friday- Brian was off again and we took the boys to Studio Movie Grill to see "The Lorax" (which was a great movie!) and to eat lots of junk. We came home and repainted the laundry room and started the refinishing project on the cabinets.

Saturday- more resting and more project-y stuff. We took the boys to Bass Pro for their Kids' Expo thingy. Both boys made a craft and went fishing where Ethan managed to flip his fish off his line and onto the floor where it flopped around for a while. It was hilarious! He caught two or three. Caden, for the first time ever, caught a small but significant fish. He was so proud of himself!

Sunday- we went to Denton to visit my sister. We ate at Rosa's. I'm still trying to figure out why Rockwall (or Dallas for that matter) hasn't built one. That place is THA BOMB, y'all. From there, we went to the Square and had dessert at Beth Marie's and walked around for a while. We ended up in a used bookstore that I could've spent forever in that place. It was the right mix of quiet and intriguing. I figured out what people mean when they say, "nook and cranny" cause that place was FULL of them with books everywhere. We stopped by a candy store where my sister bought my kids any and every type of candy their little hearts desired. We walked to the old courthouse for some fun. The boys found they could slide down the cement banisters and enjoyed every minute of it.

He is fascinated by Albert Einstein.

All he needs now is a monocle.

Aunt Jamie bought us an extra bowl of sprinkles.

Cupcake ice cream and Campfire Marshmallow ice cream, respectively, from Beth Marie's.

Sadly, tomorrow we are back to the daily grind of work, school, homework, and jam-packed weeks. I just got a taste of all the shenanigans we could get into during summer which only makes me want to start summer NOW!

**ETA: These are taken with my phone. They're not the best, but it's what I had on hand.