Zoo Dayz

I forgot all about posting this and, even though the photos are not good at all i still wanted to post :)
My awesome college friend, and now fun momma friend Emily and I took our kiddos out to play at the zoo a few weeks ago when the HOT weather finally gave us a break!

BooderBean had a hunting day with daddy so it was just me and my little man headed to meet pretty little Hadley and her momma.

The weather was perfect and the kids had so much fun playing and seeing the animals. We took a picnic lunch, rode the train, saw the new baby elephants that were recently born, and just spent the whole day hanging out.

And i think we got by with only 2 fits from the kiddos the whole day :)

OH and Emily and i got our work out on as well--do you even know how worn out you can be from pushing a 30lb kid in a stroller all over the zoo?? we do!!

(they loved the bouncy gym!)

The photos are really not that good, i mean really! But oh well-it's memories :)

FIVE in FIVE days

My big man will be turning a whole hand full of fingers-FIVE-in just 5 short days!

He's pretty pumped to be able to give a high 5 and that be how old he is, or so he tells me :)

here are some amazing things this boy can do now:

• he can count to 100 without any help (and probably higher but we stop there).
• he can color very well now, staying in the lines is his new favorite thing to do.
• he can get him self completely ready for school in a very handsome outfit and always makes sure it's done "the way a cowboy would do it".
• he is getting really good at reading, memorizing, adding, and spelling.
• he has the best memory of anyone i know, he can remember something we did years ago and will have the littlest details to remind you.
• he is such an amazing big brother-BrotherBean loves him so much and wants to do everything he does just to be like his big brother.
• he loves whole heatedly and shows it in big ways.
• he has the tightest bear hug of anyone, and can squeeze a neck in a hug like no other.
• he knows just about as much as his daddy when it comes to guns and ammo and hunting, he can tell you exactly what to do and how to do it and be precise.
• he is friendly and outgoing and shy and quiet all at the same time.
• he enjoys books and puzzles so very much.
• he loves to have you tell him stories about "things that happened to you when you were growing up".
• he knows that if momma has a headache that all he needs to do is lay in her lap and her headache magically goes away ;)
• he is getting very good at his chores now: setting and clearing the table, gathering trash on trash day, getting his items ready by the door for school each evening.
• he still has his favorite stuffed animal and blanket that go EVERYWHERE with us, they are simply referred to as "pig and home blanket".
• he would wear boots and wranglers every day of the week if he was allowed.
• he is becoming a master roper and bull rider and practices daily.

Country Kids

Part of me wishes I could tend to a garden and keep a garden the way my amazing father-in-law does. Each year he plants a wide variety of vegetables, watermelons, and pumpkins on his farm.  I don't know how he keeps up with it with the ease and grace that he does, he also has a couple hundred cattle and a more acres than i can count of tending too as well!  I love this man, I can't say it ENOUGH, i truly was a blessed and lucky woman on September 4, 2004 when i gained him as my Father-In-Law.  This man is a saint I tell you, a saint!!

BooderBean was SO proud of his watermelon picking with Grandpa

BrothrBean adores those two!!

BrotherBean learning to use the outside faucet, he was obsessed!

BooderBean has definitely fallin in his fathers and grandfathers footsteps and picked up the gene of gardening and anything outdoors, and BrotherBean is always right behind him following and doing EXACTLY what big brother does.

Some of the vegetables and watermelon were ready for picking last month so we headed over one evening to let the boys help grandpa get to pickin'.  They had a blast and were SO proud of themselves! and let me tell you, those were THE best onions I have ever ate!

BooderBean picked every one of these

I know these are tons of photos..but I couldn't narrow it down for the post :)

School Daze

Yup, Mr. Big Boy BooderBean is considered a "schoolager" now! He finally got to join his friends and jump into the next milestone of his big boy life:  First Day of School: Pre-K style.  \

Although mom did not win and get to purchase the adorable plaid backpack i have had my eyes on all summer...Dad and big man won and he got to pick out his own cool backpack. Maybe i can still get that cutesy one and carry it myself! Man i need a girl huh :) 

The drop off was a bit harder than his momma would have liked, i guess i didn't really prepare myself for tears and clingyness.  But when i showed up at 3:15 to pick up my big man he was all smiles and proud of himself as he strapped his backpack on and showed me all around his classroom and the play area.

Here are a few of the highlights from his day, ALL in his words mind you:

• "my favorite thing we did was play outside at recess. that's what they call it at big school, recess, not just playground time"
• When MilitaryMan and I were asking him all of our 100 questions about his day we could tell he was getting annoyed because he then said this "is this how it's going to be EVERY day? that you ask me every single question about my school day over and over?" hahaha!! sorry son, but yes, your dad and I care, and that's our job :)
• When we explained to him that he didn't have to play with the mean little boy that is now in his class that was also in his daycare class, that he had a whole new class of friends he could make and he could play with all of them, he then said this "well i can't because they all speak Spanish or something"...oooooh boy! well not ALL of them do, but a few do and he must get his over exaggeration from me :)
• "look mommy they have a race track INSIDE and a one, two, one, two like we have at home!!" (a one, two, one, two is "Hopscotch")
• "I like Mrs. Alred, she is nice, she told me i didn't have to fall asleep at Brain Break like you said i did, she said i just needed to rest"
• "I got to see HENRY and MiKayla!!!!!!" and then "hey, did you know i have been friends with them since we were in diapers" hahah seriously? what an adult thing to say!

He had a great day and was really looking forward to going back today! The drop off this morning, on day two, was much smoother! Not one tear from him at all, now me? I walked myself strait to the car had a good ol' cry that my little boy is growing up!

I remember thinking that the moms that did this were silly!! Of course kids grow up, they have to, hello?? but Man, you become a mom and, it hits ya hard!

So happy he is enjoying big school--he even said he thought it would be cool if little brother could come soon! Slow that one down buddy!! :)

The call we've been waiting for...

Mr. Big Man BooderBean will be starting Pre-K on Monday morning! I'm sure you remember my previous post about us stressing out over the Pre-K issue, well our prayers have been answered-the district here opened up an additional Pre-K class and most kids on the wait list will be starting on Monday.  Looks like it was a good idea to take off on Friday for a BooderBean and Mommy day after all :) We have some shopping to do!

(Huge thanks to Amie Haar for making a spur of the moment cowboy day into a fabulous photo shoot!)

Stay tuned next week for "first day" photos!

S-E-V-E-N

SEVEN years!! That is how long I have been able to do the following items:

• call myself Mrs. Krout
• snuggle up with a married man ;)
• kiss my best friend and know that I'll be able to do that anytime I want to
• use the phrase "i don't know, let me check with my husband and I'll get back with you"
• use the phrase to the guy that changes my oil at the mechanic shop "oh i have no idea about any of that, my husband usually takes care of all the vehicle stuff"
• buy an anniversary card
• celebrate the Labor Day weekend with an added flare

Thanks for SEVEN years of memory makin' baby! Thanks for putting up with your sometimes crazy, emotional, stressful, goofy wife!

September 4, 2004 was a fabulous day!!