It's a Boy!

I THOUGHT my post title might draw you in! : ) It IS a boy - but of the canine variety. Meet Maverick the beagle!

Ryan's Eggcellent Adventure

Last week Ryan's class had their Easter party and egg hunt. Ryan wasn't too sure what to do last year - he called the eggs apples and after finding one, he sat and feasted on the contents, oblivious to the other eggs. This year was much different. He was a master hunter and took more than his share. I couldn't decide if I should be embarrassed or proud, but honestly - I was beaming with pride! : ) Fortunately the mommies divide the eggs so everyone goes home with the same amount. It's all good.

Pre-Egg Hunt Snack. Ryan carb loaded with a cookie and cooled off by squirting himself in the face with a juice box. Time to hunt!

Shortcut down the slide.

Same thing every year - all the moms get their cameras out and snap while the little ones harmonize "CHEESE" until they run out of breath.

Showing their bunny ears!
Crazy wabbits.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday started with the boys checking out their Easter basket loot. Lots of chocolate, sticky sweets and sidewalk chalk. I see messes in my future.

Next the boys hunted for the Easter eggs they had dyed the day before. That tricky bunny had hidden them around the house. Fortunately the bunny took good count so no hard boiled egg would be left to be found by scent days later.

Love the funny morning eyes!
After church, we headed to John's parents house. The boys were ready to shed the Easter clothes and hunt more eggs, but momma made them pose for a few more pictures.

The boys with MeMaw, John's grandmother.

MORE EGG HUNTING!! Ryan is pondering, "If I were an egg, where would I hide?"

Reagan the Engineer

Ryan loves trains tracks, but would prefer someone else build them for him. He asked Reagan to set him up with a track in his room, and here's what he got. I think Reagan used every Geotrax piece in the house and I also think he set to the bar too high for train tracks. I am not as skilled as my six year old and Ryan is bound to be disappointed by my next creation!

Spring Break Ski(ish) Trip

We loaded up the boys and my parents last week for a ski trip to Ruidoso, New Mexico. The rationale: Ruidoso typically has great snow and it was the easiest skiing we could get to by car with two little boys. We should have known...John and I are infamous for bringing heat waves to our vacation locales. There was the Boston Heat Wave of 2006 and No Snow Colorado 1999, etc... Despite our plans to ski and play in the snow, Ruidoso has not had snow since the first week of February and it was as warm there as it was at home. It was a bit like skiing on ice cubes, but Reagan didn't know the difference and didn't seem to mind. Ryan stayed back with the grandparents and took nature walks and gondola rides. We ate lots of good food, managed to do some relaxing and took plenty of pictures. Good times!

Even if he doesn't take to the skiing, he certainly looks the part!

Only 20% of the mountain was open - you should not be able to see the brown ground there!

The biggest challenge was just getting Reagan through the ski lift line. Without poles to help him push and balance, he was dependent upon John and myself to shove him and hope he didn't fall before we caught up to him. Once we'd get to the chair, he did great. I was much more nervous than he was. I kept telling him, "Sit back! Don't lean forward!!" :)

John and I took the same picture probably 13 years ago. I'd do a side-by-side, but that would just be too depressing.

Taking a gondola ride.

Again my fear of heights left me yelling at my kids not to get close to the edge.

Right after this I took the boys to the restroom. They had these environmentally friendly potties that did not flush, but were like a bottomless hole. When I leaned over to help Ryan, my new sunglasses fell and fell and fell down said pit. NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You might be asking - if it wasn't a bottomless pit, would she have gone after the glasses? Ummm...NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

John was brave and skied down, but the littles and I and took the easy route.

All over Ruidoso, they had these tree carvings. Most were of bears, but this was a giant vegetable. So corny.

Enjoying some pizza at Casa Rio. I know, the name doesn't seem to fit, but the pizza was d-lish.

I felt like I was the only person who hadn't had their picture taken in front of a bear. So, here is me reenacting the final scene from Legends of the Fall. "It was a good death."

We taught Ryan how to play Farkle.

Blowing on the dice.

Ryan's poker face.

The last day we tried snow tubing at Winter Park. The lack of snow made dragging the tubes a lot of work. I didn't expect to sweat in New Mexico.

Reagan working to keep his balance on the ramp.

Ryan was like an old pro. Guess it helps when your center of gravity is 10 inches from the ground!

Ryan didn't quite get the concept here.

John and Ryan waiting in line. Reagan and I were headed up to the big slope.

Alien sighting in Roswell, NM. Guess I never imagined extraterrestrials to be so fit. Check out his killer abs.

This is how we all felt on the way back.