Flag Football

Little Thomas is growing so fast!  Check out his head control!

 

Looking so big!

This weekend Mason had his first flag football game!  Yes, we have spring football here!  It was COLD!  But that didn't bother him too much.  The night before we had to get his mouthguard to fit to his mouth and that was an ORDEAL!  Mason is a tiny bit strong willed and it took us about an hour and a half to get this accomplished!  The tensions were high!  But, I was NOT willing to give in and was determined to make him cooperate, and in the end it was fit to his mouth!  Funny, cause at the game he had NO trouble putting it in!  Stinker!  We were lucky that my parents were on their way back from Branson so they were able to watch the game with us!

Hearing all about the rules and sportsmanship

Team huddle.

He has only had 1.5 practices before the game, he wasn't quite sure what to do!

Playing Center

He got one "tackle"

Depending on Mason's mood at the moment...he might tell you he hates football, but he had fun, and he'll probably write about it tomorrow in his weekend news...but he still hates it.  He's a tough one, that kid!  Today we went to church.  The last month we've either been gone or someone has been sick on Sunday so we haven't been able to faithfully attend, and when we got there they asked the boys if they were ready to sing in church...say what?!?  Mason was part of that and you could tell he didn't know all the words, but I was proud of him for trying!

 

Singing...kind of!

After church we came home for a bit and played some football in the driveway.  It was Mason and Dad vs. Zane and Matt.  Such fun!

Dad and Mason planning their next move...

Zane and Matt's strategy was to block them...

Here they go!

Touchdown!

Now it's their turn on offense...

These two were making faces and noises to intimidate the other team...

It was nice to see Mom and Dad this weekend!  Too bad it couldn't have been a LITTLE bit warmer, but I think that's ahead of us for this week!

Spring Break!

We received the boys' spring photos!  How are they already this old/big?

 

Zane - 3rd grade - age 9

Mason - Kindergarten - age 6

To start spring break, Zane had a "field trip" with Scouts.  They went to an Army Reserve Center.  Matt met them at lunch time and snapped a few pictures!

 

 

On Tuesday it was a little bit cooler so we went to Science City and also the Extreme Bugs exhibit.  I must say it was very nice that the boys are the ages they are.  Being with them as the only adult, at least they were all old enough to listen, follow directions, and not just run off from me!  

 

Looking for fossils...

Find any?

Mason got ahold of my camera and he as our "photographer" for the day.  He first spied this spider!

Entering the Extreme Bugs exhibit

Creepy bugs!

The middle one wasn't so cooperative...

Ew!

Strange looking butterfly...

More creepiness...

How could you not love this spider?!?

A smile!

Entering Science City

Magnetic fun!

See their reflections on the screen?  Bryce LOVED this!  He kept marching across it!

Mason experimenting

Science City is so cool!

"Mom, a helicopter!  Can I get in it?"

Wednesday and Thursday were rainy and COLD!  Not what we wanted for spring break!  So we went to the library, hung out inside, and really just took it easy.

Friday evening we noticed Bryce's voice sounded funny...like when you have a sore throat.  He said his mouth hurt, so Saturday morning Matt took him to urgent care.  Sure enough, he had tonsillitis! You would never know...no fever, no complaining (other than when we asked), and played just like normal!  He's on meds so hopefully it'll clear up soon!

Waiting to see the doctor.  Matt said he was the most perfect patient ever!

This weekend we had the most beautiful weather!  We tried to get outside as much as time allowed for us to!  The older two are really into shooting baskets and now playing HORSE (Or Mason/Zaner, or whatever they want to spell).

HOOPS!

Today for lunch we went to Panda Express.  Bryce loves the fortune cookies and every time he tells us what they say.  Here he is reading a couple of fortunes to us:

 

 

 

Here are a couple of Thomas photos!

 



The Boys Meeting Cousin Thomas!

We were so excited for the weekend to get here because we were going to St. Louis to see Thomas (oh, and Aaron and Michele too)!  On Friday Mason said "Mom, where are we going?"  When I answered "to school" he said "Nope!  St. Louis!"  Then on the way to Pat's house Bryce asked me probably 10 times "Mom, I going to Thomas'?  Mom, I go to see Thomas with you?  Mom, we going to Thomas' house?"  Excited!?!

 

After school/work Friday we headed south.  We got out of town about 4:45, and of course hit lots of traffic so it was slow going at first.  I think we got there around 9:00 or so.  I'm not sure of the time.  But we went to their house first.  I wasn't sure I could be in the same town and NOT see Thomas until morning!  We stayed there a little while, then headed to the hotel.  

 

These Shock Top cars were in the parking lot of the hotel next to us.  They looked so funny!  Then on Saturday morning when we were headed out, they were all driving in a line by us!

Car with hair!

After our amazing breakfast in the hotel, we headed to City Museum.  It was amazing!  A friend from work suggested it to me and Michele seconded the recommendation.  I wish we would have had more time because we didn't get to it all.  The boys had SO much fun!

City Museum.  Stuff everywhere!

Too cool...

Everywhere you went there were tunnels, cages, something to climb on or through!

There was also an aquarium.  We saw some neat animals!

Walking through the fish and snakes!

Big fish!

Bryce says "Look Mom!  A giraffe!  Take a picture with me!"

Zane the scuba diver...

SHARK!

My biggest boys on a "boat"

Creepy lizards

Peek a boo!

In another tunnel!

Mason peeking through a propeller!

These chairs were FUN!

Except Zane doesn't look like they are fun!

We thought we were falling, it was so fun!

I couldn't believe that they wanted to try it all!

Crawling through wire tunnels!

Getting there...

CAGED!  No way was I going to crawl through to get them...

SELFIE!

Train ride!  He loved it!

 This REALLY wore them out!

 

HUGE ball pit!

Hi Bryce!

This was up in the air.

I don't know these people...just wanted to show you how amazing this was!  People climbing through these metal tunnels, in midair, it was so crazy.  I did NOT try this out!  But the boys wanted to!

This guy didn't even WANT to go here.  He thought it sounded stupid.  Doesn't look like he had fun at all huh?!?

Sweet boy!

After City Museum we went to Thomas' for some lunch.  I wanted to get a photo of all 4 of the boys.  Needless to say it was difficult and these were the best I got...

This one just makes me giggle...

And this is probably the best of the batch...

 

Mason decorated this for Thomas

Thomas LOVED Zane!  He just kept staring at him, like in this picture!

Chatting with the babe!

Oh Mason!

He wouldn't hold him, but posed by him!

In Heaven!

After our lunch date we headed back to the hotel to swim.  The boys LOVE this hotel because the pool goes inside AND outside.  This seems to be our go-to hotel in St. Louis!

 

Brycers with his toes in the hot tub!

My boys!

Saturday night Aaron and Michele had a date night while I forced myself to stay with Thomas.  It's safe to say he was NOT put down that whole time!  Loved every second!  We had lots of chats, sang some songs, read some books, and cuddled tons!

 

Little giggler



Pondering something...

Happy boy!

Just looks like he's talking!!!

And this happened too!

LOVE!

Sunday we woke up and had breakfast, then headed back to Thomas'.  They had hung up the sign Mason made on Thomas' door so Mason was excited!

 

New nursery decoration

Zane getting in some more Thomas time.  He's so good with babies!

Mason was photographing...caught Thomas in a yawn!

My sweet little nephew!

LOVE!

Aww!

He just kept smiling at Zane!

 Bryce loved the dogs!

 Matt even held Thomas!

My favorite place to be!

SELFIE!

After our last visit with the fam, we headed out.  We didn't really have plans, but Aaron had mentioned this restaurant  where they brew their own root beer.  Sounded like a great place, so we tried it out.  It was so fun!

Waiting or Fitz's

We lucked out and they were bottling Black Cherry soda while we were there!

Gave us something to look at while we waited!

To round out this post all about Thomas...here are the photos I got from them throughout this past week!