Wyatt the Explorer

There is no inch of the backyard that has gone undiscovered by Wyatt this Spring. High, low, North, South, under, over, and in between EVERYTHING in the backyard.  I'd like to tell you that even though he's everywhere, he stays clear of the bird bath and would NEVER be caught taking a drink from it, but...  

A favorite place to play is on the swing set and especially down the slide.  He's fearless!

I just can't believe that baby Wyatt will be TWO in just 6 short weeks.  He is still our baby though!  He has changed over the past few months from our sweet easy going baby, to an opinionated almost toddler - he walks around here shaking his hands and saying, "no, no, no!" when he doesn't want something.  Who knew?  Wy-wy has ideas of his own!

And on to these hoodlums...  Chasing each other around the back yard with a rope, taking turns being the good guy and the bad, tying each other up with a rope, and getting loose and escaping.  Sounds like a good afternoon to me!  Whatever keeps them busy.

Remembering our Grandpa in the Ground

With memorial day fast approaching, on Saturday afternoon, we piled into the car and drove up to the cemetery.  We normally try to go earlier so that we are the only ones there, but time got away from us.  It's such a natural thing for us to go up here - once we put out flowers, we are at the cemetery every 3 or 4 days all summer long, and the kids are very comfortable - they run, play, and leap frog headstones with joyful abandon.  When other people are there, I never want to distract them or want them to think that we are being disrespectful.  It's just that they have been coming here ALL of their lives.  Hey, I've been coming here for half of mine!  To us - it's normal, and a fun thing to do together as a family, and to remember their Grandpa.  He is still known as the "Grandpa in the Ground" by Wayne - if we just call him "Grandpa" then Wayne gets pretty insistent on heading up to my Dad's shop to make sure that he's okay, and that he's not the Grandpa that ended up in the Ground.  Kids!  How their little minds work always amazes me.  

Wyatt was really into helping this year, and we put him right to work.  I used to work, but now I get to just take pictures! 

 Dad and his helpers.

 I still have no idea how Wyatt managed NOT to pour this whole can of water on his head.

 A mole came up through the hole, so they were clearing it out.  All eyes were on the hole, they wanted to see if the mole was still there!

 My niece Megan is buried next to her Grandpa, and Wayne has taken it on himself to always handle her headstone.  He's getting pretty good!  Trims the grass, sprays the stone, scrubs, and rinses it all away.  No help needed.

 Weston got a little distracted with a sword fight with an imaginary bad guy.

 Awww... Dad and all his boys!

 And there was a family about 50 feet from us, watching and pointing and talking about how cute it was that all the boys were helping.  When I took the above picture of Tyler and the boys, they insisted on taking a family shot of all of us together- how sweet! 

I hope you all have a memorable Memorial Day!

The Yard ~ May 2011

We have been in full blown *OUTDOOR* spring cleaning mode, and are down to just a few projects left on the list!  What have we accomplished?  We've put compost in all of the flower beds and done some spring trimming/clipping.  We've replanted the North flowerbed in the backyard, I've done all of my pots, and he pots for the cemetary.  We've done an initial spraying/pressure washing round of the concrete, and I hope to finish that up in the next week or so and seal the concrete.  I've also done a ton of reseeding, switching the type of seed up a bit.  Whew!  I think we're almost ready to set up the pool.  I think by the first 80 degree day, that's what we'll be doing. 

This is what I look at out my kitchen window.  My mom helped me to design the entire area for the kitchen window view, and I LOVE it.

This yearr's pots.  So pretty! 

And the new flower bed!  It has some growing and filling in to do, but it looks so much more natural than the old kryptomaria.  They have a new home, and so do these lovely rocks!

What do you think?

Planting a garden, or playing in the mud?

There is no soil that can't benefit from a yard of mushroom compost, and when it comes to our garden... it NEEDS it!  Poopy river soil is what we've got around here, so the key to a good garden is to amend, Amend, AMEND!  Wayne was more than happy to shovel the compost.

 But then he got a little distracted with rescuing his tractors from the monsoon he created with the hose.

 The soon to be beautiful and delicious garden.

 Still working to rescue them.

And then later...  planting time!  We raked it all out smooth after the rototilling, and then the boys "helped" plant all the seeds. No guarantees that we'll have straight rows this year, but it was fun to have everyone help. 

 This is what Wayne and Weston do when they catch on that I am taking pictures of them... they charge the camera, and half the time knock me on my rear.  Sweet boys, aren't they?

 See how big our garden is going to be? 

School's out for the summer!

Yesterday was GRADUATION day around here - Wayne's last day of preschool!  He was so excited going into the day, but once we got home...  not so much.  He was MOPING around the house all afternoon, sad because he realized he wouldn't see his friends all summer.  Poor little kid!  He was also pretty excited for his PROGRAM.  At the end of their first song, everyone clapped, and Wayne, the ham that he is, took a bow and said, "Thank you, thank you very much!"

Teacher Pam is AMAZING - I debated and debated sending Wayne to preschool - I needn't have been worried, Pam is doing EXACTLY what God has given her the talent and ability to do - teach kids!  And she adored Wayne all year.  In his memory book, she wrote, "Wayne you have a heart that is pleasing to God - open, honest, and trusting.  I pray you will want to serve Him wholeheartedly."

Too much cuteness for me to stand...

Wayne was thrilled to show me his letter book - he has been working on it ALL year, and it's finally finished!  He spent an hour during nap time just studying the book, and sniffling a bit.

Wayne and Kasey - Kasey and Wayne.  They were pretty good buddies, and often switched names during class.  When I picked up Wayne, they made me say, "Kasey, it's time to go!"

Wayne was super thrilled to see Grandma - she watched the program from the back row, holding Wyatt.  Tyler had Wyatt, but once he caught sight of Grandma, he ditched Daddy pretty quick!  I tried to catch Wayne feeding Grandma is cookie, but this was the shot I got. 

Can you believe this is what he looked like at the beginning of the year?  Four years old.  I'd say still an overgrown toddler.  

And now?  He is grown taller, (4 or 5 inches since last summer) and his limbs and face are lankier and leaner.  He's talking so clearly now, and is a DELIGHT.  People are always telling me how kind and sweet and wonderful he is - by the grace of God!

 

Dear Wayne,

Your last day of preschool has now come and gone.  You LOVED preschool, how independent you were, all the friends you made, and you LOVE learnin'.  Science might be your favorite subject right now, but you love to read too.  I have been counting the days until we reached our first "summer vacation" where I get you all to myself for the next 3 months.  I am so excited!  I miss you when you are in school and having you home all day every day ALL SUMMER long seems like a dream come true right now.  We are going to have such a fabulous summer - full of playing outside (hopefully in the sandbox and not the mud!) swimming, going for bike rides, visiting parks, going for ice cream...  I've got lots of ideas!  I want to cherish every moment we have, and make TONS of memories for you to tell your new kindergarten teacher and friends about when you inevitably go to school in the fall.  Until then, we're going whoop it up, and have the best summer ever!!!  

I love you forever, I'll pray for you always, forever my baby you'll be!!!

Mom

Scrapping the Spring away.

Since the Spring has been colossally...  bad weather I have actually had a chance to scrapbook for a bit.  Right after tax season I went for a day at our local coffee shop, and then little by little I've been working through pages.  As of today, I am through March 28, 2010 - and since I want to always be within ONE YEAR, I've got some catching up to do!  Here's a final peak at the memories we created last year!

two new fishies in the sea

Wayne and Weston started swimming lessons this past week.  They are in a class of four at the YMCA - and LOVING it!  I have zero expectation that they will learn to swim, and they are not afraid of the water.  I have never had lessons either.  The reason we are doing them?  As a reward!  Wayne has worked hard all school year, learning to read, and has been such a help around the house lately.  Weston has worked incredibly hard at is words, and is sleeping through the night... so it's time for the Silves boys to have some fun!!! (and a good time show off their matchy-matchy swim trunks from Grandma!)

 Weston so excited...  he could hardly contain himself!

 Wayne was such a good big brother - helping Weston and encouraging him in the water when he was a little nervous about putting his head back to float on his back.

Mom and her two BIG boys!

 Ethan is taking lessons at the same time, on the other side of the pool, since he did a session this past month too.  Between soccer and swimming, these big boys have been busy!

 Look at those precious smiles?  They light up the girls locker room!  :-) 

 Dad, Wyatt, and the rest of the Scheib's were all waiting in the observation room, and Tanya and I joined them after getting the boys to their teacher.  We could watch everything from up here.  Funniest thing?  As each of the boys did their back floats, they would wave to us non-stop - and when sitting on the side of the pool, they kept waving to us again, and Wayne would give us the "thumbs up."

 There they go!  Off to class!