Jeff, can you build me a doghouse in one day?

A doghouse was needed for a certain April 1st adventure...and we were headed to the farm for March Birthdays the next weekend...so we needed to transport said doghouse......so we needed to build a doghouse IN A DAY...Jeff decided with the limited timeframe to check Craigslist first...and found a doghouse for sale UP IN OUR CULDESAC...so we took it as a sign and purchased it!

As seen in the picture, Gracie fell in love with it...and we thought this could be the first April 1st prank TO BACKFIRE...

Madness in March

Tis the season to check your phone for ESPN March Madness scores every ten minutes.  Ha!  Drew and Jeff were tied for 2nd at this point, and I think that's why Jeff took this screen shot of his phone.  I don't remember who went on to win...but if it were Jeff we'd see another screen shot...

The kids and I all did brackets this year.  Of course, Joshy picked BUTler to win it all.  (The only time he can say a form of that four-letter word in our house).  That kid cracks me up.

2nd Grade Basketball

This winter, Grace was on the same team as last year:  Grace, Gracie, Kayli, Addison, Brooklyn, Delaney, Emma, Emma, Cali, and Kayla were coached by Addison and Cali's dads.  It was a fun season of practicing on Monday nights at Midway and playing Friday nights at the Warehouse.  This was the season that we got the short end of the stick with jerseys...but the girls made the most of it by being the Brown Bears.

Science Night Out at LSE

Science Night Out at my school proved to be fun for the whole family!  :)  We got take-out and ate in Mommy's classroom...

This excited-faced picture was taken right after we got the text saying that Sarabeth and Joel had finished and turned in the first round of their adoption paperwork--yay!!!!!--so we sent them this SO EXCITED FOR YOU pic.

Oh, they're darling.

And right when we walked into the gym, the first grade teachers were making pinwheels right beside a box fan.  Guess who spent the whole evening at this booth?

Sometimes G'ma Dianne drops the boys off at LSE right after school on her way to one of Taylor's games.  Whenever we walk by the gym Micah says, "Can we go to Sci Night?"

Mommy, I want to sleep in yo bed...

So far, Micah is showing himself to be a slow waker.  In the morning, he'll lay in his crib for quite some time before he calls for us to come get him.  Most mornings he asks if he can come "sleep in yo' bed."  And he loves books!  He carries around a few in his "pack-pack" and then reads through them all.  His favorites are too many to list, but the ones that we've memorized from reading a time or forty-two are:  Goodnight Moon, What's Wrong Little Pookie?, Barnyard Dance, Thomas and the Troublesome Trucks, and Goodnight, Johnny Tractor.

Baby Wren's Shower in Boise

Little Baby WREN NOELLE is due to come in a few weeks, so it only made sense that THE MOSER GIRLS took the trek down to Boise to shower Wren's mom and dad, my cousin Zach and his wife Carmen, with lots of PINK LOVE.

Grace and I went down to the farm Friday night, after her basketball game, and got up early with G'ma Joan to start the bus route.  First stop, Ben & Kelly's to get Kelly and Miss Millie.  (Lolo got to stay home with Daddy, what fun!)  Then on to (what used to be) the Flying J to pick up Katie and Megan. (Abby had her first softball of the year, so she stayed home with Daddy, what fun!)

The trip down was great...three littles in the way-back, Katie and Kelly in the middle, and Mom and I driving VERY SAFELY to the southern part of the state.

We got there just in time for the party!  Megan and Susan (Carmen's SIL and sister) hosted the sweetest party (where Grace and I won the "Guess the Children's Book Title" game, but who remembers those things?!?)  Zach even stayed around to see what gifts were given and to then assemble them in the living room.

Aunt Christi and Zachariah T. Bottom. (only older cousins remember childhood nicknames...)

And is Carmen with all of the cousins' KIDS!  Millie, Whitney, Megan, Grace, and Conner.  Our girls were so excited to have time to play with Erin's kids...Conner always brings those magnetic blocks...

Cousins!  Kelly, Ellie, Katie, Erin, Megan, Zach, and Carmen.  (Well, cousins and in-laws...no married cousins...ha!)

Cousin Zach sent the baby Seahawks jersey for Zach's daughter...very fitting, coming from Garrett!

And this is my favorite part of Moser get-togethers:  standing around the island, talking.

...and eating.

We did a lot of that.  :)  Aunt Christi always puts out quite the spread!

Mom came with a lot of G'ma Caroline's novels that she just couldn't get rid of...a box of Nora Roberts for Cindy and a box of Debbie Macomber for Christi.  They were thrilled.  (Ha!)

Here are those blocks!

And while the girls were gone, the boys hung out in their jams all day watching soccer, playing technology, and playing with toys!  What fun!

A&W was the lunch stop of choice...and in my weakness I let Grace get an ice cream cone.  She was so generous to share with her little cousin, Millie.

It was such a great fun, quick trip.  We love to have happy reasons to get the Mosers together!

Hey, Hon. Look where my mental health day took me...

I am a big believer or mental health days.  So when Jeff sent me these pics at school, I was so glad he got the day that he wanted...riding his bike all over town and eating all sorts of delicious calories at The Scoop.

Normal Homework Days

Honestly, normal homework days never really happen, people.  This picture is what every teacher THINKS happens the moment kids get home from school, but I took this picture as though I were admiring a rare animal...  I've been reflecting a lot on the idea of homework lately, and I'm not sure I've come to any grand conclusions.  But I am feeling weary, seeming to always be asking Grace to 1) work on her homework packet, 2) do her math flashcards, 3) practice her piano, and 4) read!  I'd just like to let her play outside and fight with her brother more.  And unload my dishwasher.  I'm thinking my party platform, at this point, would settle on K-2's homework consisting of chores and reading.  Now watch me slip off of my soap box.

Janie turns NINE

This girl cracks us up!  She has a style and independence that is uniquely her own.  She loves family and lets her cousins be just who they are.  Happy Ninth, Janie Girl.

I love this face...

...shaggy hair and all.  This turned out to be not as cute as we wanted, so I took a little scissors to it a week later...

And at the same time I tackled Micah. I'd left it alone since August, so he was due.

 

And they both look another year older.  Just like that.  Sigh.