365 Days of my Life: Happy Belated Mother's Day!

I apologize for the HUGE gap in my blog. I have just been so busy with the boys and traveling, that I honestly have had no energy at night to write. So, a bit of catching up is in order.

We started off the week by visiting a local field that was full of daffodils. This field began in 1941 with the planting of a few bulbs, and it has spread over at least a few acres. There is a pond there, and it is right next to the Laurel Ridge Beef Farm. To say it was beautiful would be an understatement. Words cannot express the pure beauty and zen like atmosphere that surrounds you. Both of the boys had a blast, although it was hard for them to not pick the flowers. I completely understand...if I were 1 and 3, I would want to pick them too. Heck! I did want to pick some to take home! We randomly met a friend there, and had a great time chatting while the boys all played together.

Last week was amazing weather which lead us to having a picnic at Nystrom's Pond. It was a perfect 82 degree day, and it was awesome to pack up our lunch, eat on the beach with the dog, and then play in the water all afternoon. Both boys have come so far in the imagination department, that sometimes it astounds me with what they have developed. For instance, the sand was really compacted at the beach, and their ride on excavator could not break it up. So, Pierce man rode the excavator into the water, and started scooping water instead. They then were filling up the back of the dump truck, to take it and dump it in other places. Pierce also wanted to try to catch a fish with his bare hands, so we tried to stay still long enough for the fish to come up to us. Every time we almost had a fish, Carter would start laughing hysterically and run out of the water saying, "No fishy! My toes!" It was awesome.

We then had a fantastic play date with one of my fife and drum friends and her 10 week old little boy. If you are ever in the Colonie, NY or Albany, NY area, check out The Crossings at Colonie. This park is beautiful! There is a pond in the middle that is abundant with fish, turtles, geese, ducks, and a few water fountains. There is also a walkway that not only surrounds the pond, but also goes all the way around the park. There are a few pavilions that you may rent if you choose to, and the play ground is magnificent! It is specifically made for disabled children and non-disabled children, with a HUGE variety of climbing structures, slides, swings, and a massive sand box. I forgot sand toys, so the boys had to use their manners in order to share with other children. I have to admit, they did pretty darn well considering their ages. Pierce also went on a tire swing for the first time...and LOVED it. The faster he went, the happier he was. Carter refused to use the baby swings, and used a regular swing. I did not push him very high, but he was so proud to be sitting on a regular swing like Pierce does.

Following that play date, we drove to my best friend's house to unload our stuff, and then go hiking at this little place called Indian Kill. It had a nice little water fall, a place for the boys to cool off a bit, and they were able to see somebody fish. Pierce is still talking about how "messy" the fish were, and why would somebody want to eat messy fish. Well...let's put it this way. The mess was red...and in a bucket. Need I say more?

On Saturday, Pierce had his first performance carrying his drum. He was so excited and ready to play. I was so proud that he stood there almost the entire time with his drum on and a huge smile on his face. Carter even stood for this one...not in one place, but he did not stray too far. :) After we did our standing performance, we were able to go play on the Grand Eerie (a decent sized boat), and ride the Hudson Canal. We did a little concert on there as well...but the boys were way more interested in how the lock worked, and how the canal was. To be honest, I was amazed at how he lock worked...I had never been in one before.

For Mother's Day we went with my mom to Six Flags to have a little family fun. Of course Dan came too, and we all had a blast. It was much warmer this time, and Pierce is now tall enough to ride the raft ride. He was beyond thrilled he could go on a grown up ride with my mom and I...Carter was heart broken that he could not come with Ga and I. Dan and I even caught a little break and were able to ride Bizarro, while my mom played with the boys in the kid section. It turned out to be a 5 minute wait, and we had a blast! We sat the third row back, and I screamed like a girl the whole time. It was nice to not be super dizzy when I came off either...lately I have been dizzy coming off of roller coasters.

That is where the last 9 days went for us. And of course the regular household chores, meal planning, activity planning, and working took place as well. To my boys, thank you for an awesome trip to NY, and a fantastic Mother's Day. I love you both so much, and I always say I am so proud to be your mom. Don't ever forget that! To everyone else, I hope you all had a great week as well, and I will attempt to update in a couple of days. I have a cool activity planned...just have to see how it works out. :)