The Week Before Easter

Easter falls on Jordan's birthday this year. More accurately, Jordan's birthday falls on Easter this year. I feel like both snuck up on me. Last night we decorated Easter eggs. Ollie was a tinge bit under the weather and somewhat grumpy.

 

 He did enjoy putting faces on these egg guys though, mostly.

It has been quite hot, but the last couple days have been gorgeous. We spent most of our time outside yesterday. Ollie really wanted to play a game of hopscotch, so I obliged.

 

 Then later that day, we got irrigation. Ollie excitedly pulled out his rain boots and b-lined it for the water.

I remember doing this exact same thing as a young'un. I loved playing in the irrigation. I would b-line for my swimsuit and play in that stinky water as long as it lasted. Unfortunately, the thirsty ground drank up this water in about an hour. So we headed back inside and we will have to wait another two weeks for the fun to start again.

Riding Solo

 

One day, Ollie wanted to go play at Grandma Rogers' house. He really wanted to ride his bike down the street and I really wanted to drive so I didn't have to walk the whole ten houses back after dropping him off. {Yes, a little lazy, but mostly, just trying to take advantage of being kidless.} I told Ollie I would drive the car next to him while he rode his bike. He started to cry and got really scared. I told him he would be okay, and that I knew it was a little scary, but I knew he could do it. He wiped off his tears and timidly agreed. He started off super slow, but I encouraged through the window and told him he was doing so good and he could speed up. Little by little he sped up. Once he got to grandma's driveway, he hopped off his bike and was beaming with pride. "Mom! You said I could do it and I DID it!" It was really the first time {maybe minus learning to go potty} he had experienced such pride and accomplishment in himself. It was awesome.

He is awesome.

 {New neckties are coming...he has outgrown what he has, obviously. The perfect Easter basket stuffer.}

And thanks, for Ollie-sitting grandma! I don't think he had enough fun though...

 ♥



Ollie's Imagination

Oliver has quite the imagination. He LOVES to tell stories, makeup new games, and is constantly making us laugh with the funny things he comes up with daily.

He told me he was going fishing one day. He made his own fishing pole, err, Lego concoction and I obliged by tying a "fish" on his hook...

 Another day he came up with these silly guys...

"Ground Mr. Potato Head Guys!!"

 The kid can't get enough Silly Putty playtime or as he calls it "Silly Pud."

 Oliver and Cadbury have been joined at the hip as of late.

 Which is freaking adorable...

This next picture looks like Oliver is picking his nose {he doesn't pick his nose anymore because "boogers go in tissues, Mom."} but that is actually a "Mr. Potato Head Silly Pud Guy"...

It evolves daily...

 or digresses, I can't decide.

 The neighbors were out of town for a few days so we played with Daisy and their sandbox.

 

And even brought Cadbury to play one day.

 



The Best Day Ever

At the beginning of February, we decided we needed to plan a trip to see Jordan's sister, Jenny and her fam in Temecula. Slowly the trip evolved and we decided one afternoon a couple weeks before we left that we were going to do Disneyland. We never told Ollie about it and with all of us being sick, we weren't sure it was going to happen. We are so grateful we were able to make it happen. Jordan took a half day at work and we drove over. It was a great drive because Ollie slept for half of it! {And the other half he watched movies - so he was thrilled.}

We got to Temecula just in time for dinner. Jenny made us spaghetti with meatballs that were delicious. The boys came home from basketball games tired and hungry. As we sat around the table and visited we all watched Brock {12} pick up the water bottle to pour himself a drink, and poured the water into his spaghetti bowl. He got a good amount in there before he realized his mistake and we all got a pretty good laugh out of it. We kicked Wade out of his room and slept really good that night. The next morning we got up, got ready, and took off for my happy place - Disneyland!
We headed straight for the Dumbo ride because that was all Oliver has been talking about. He must have seen the Dumbo ride from a commercial - good job Disney.
Ollie loved it.

He sat on this watermelon in Goofy's playground like it was a saddle, threw his hands in the air and said, "Giddyup, pickle." It was hilarious.

 He loved, loved, LOVED the parade.

The weather was perfect, it wasn't too, too busy and our little three-year-old was a complete angel. He never threw a fit or got grumpy. It was seriously the best day ever.

Oliver loves the old black & white Mickey Mouse movies. He probably could have spent a lot more time just watching 'Mickey's t.v.'

 

 Don't hurt yourself, kid...

Ollie loved the daytime parade and we knew he would flip over the nighttime one. While we waited, Ollie fell fast asleep. We thought we would wake him up once the parade got to us so he could enjoy it. I picked him up, yelled in his ears, bounced him up and down, told him, "Ollie! It's Buzz! Ollie! It's Pluto!" Nothing. His head flopped around, his eyes never opened. He was sleeping like he had never slept before, thanks to an adventure filled day. So Jordan and I moved back further into the crowd, allowing children who were actually awake enjoy the fabulous light show parade. After that the unbelievably cool fireworks show started. Ollie slept on, but Jordan and I enjoyed every minute of it. We took a bus to our car, laid Ollie down in the back of the car to put on his p.j.'s and guess who woke up for the entire hour and a half long car ride back to Temecula. Ollie. Happy as can be and ready to party some more. I told him about all that he missed and he just smiled and shook his head like 'Yeah, that nap was totally worth it.'

We also headed to the beach for a couple hours. Ollie had fun digging in the sand, getting his feet wet, chasing seagulls, and being fed snacks by me because I didn't have sand on my hands. After a couple hours he said, "Can we go home now?"

"Life is simple. Just add water..."

We loved visiting with family and loved seeing more of Temecula. We went for a nice nature walk with the little squirts who loved digging in the dirt while the grown-ups enjoyed the rolling hills.

I wish these two lived in the same town! They are best cousin buddies even though Daisy is a girl {and Ollie is anti-girls. "Except for you, Mom," he tells me.}

 

 It really was a great trip.

 I can't wait to do it all over again someday!