Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Chase Rides Again

Chase started horse-riding lessons again yesterday, after about an 8 month break. He didn't want to take a break, but we were busy with the house for a while, and then he was sick for a while, then the weather was bad every time a lesson was scheduled, etc. We finally got him back to Mike's yesterday, and he had a great time. Mike no longer owns Buck, the horse Chase used to ride, so now he's riding Silly. I forgot my camera at home, but we're going back in 2 weeks, so I'll get some pictures next time.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Art Lessons

Today was Chase's 2nd art class, and he seems to be really enjoying them. He painted today, but last week he did a picture with something that looks like chalk. He got to bring that chalk-y picture home today. It is a bowl of oranges:


Imagining our next ER visit...

Chase and Cole were out playing on the back porch a few days ago. When I checked to see what they were up to, I found them like this:
They had tied themselves together around the waist with Chase's jump rope and were going to get on their bikes/scooters like that to see if Chase could pull Cole around the carport. They kept trying to re-explain their plan to me, like the problem was that I just didn't get it, and if I would just let them explain the genius of it all one more time, I'd let them do it.

Mustang (well, sort of) Sally

Cole has an imaginary friend. I discovered this yesterday when I sat on her. Her name is Sally and she's a camel (seriously. I couldn't make this stuff up.).
So all night last night, Cole kept climbing into my chair with me and making me scoot all the way over to one side so that he could pat on the chair and call Sally until she "hopped" up and sat with us. Cole had to stand in the chair instead of sitting because if he sat, there was no room for Sally, and I had to sit with my arms crossed over my chest to make more room. Every once in a while he would shriek that Sally needed to "get down" because ninjas were coming (long story, but Chase is a ninja for halloween and has been tip-toeing around the house in his hood carrying his sword and attacking out of nowhere. I think Cole has some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder from all the sneak attacks).
Anyway, Sally didn't appear to be with us anymore this morning. I don't know if he's forgotten about her already or if he lost her to a ninja attack and just isn't up to talking about it yet, but if she sticks around much longer we're going to have to get her her own chair.

Chase's No-Kill Trap

Yesterday afternoon, while Chase was "working" (helping himself to candy) at his after-school job, a customer spotted a mouse, so Chase decided to build a trap. He put a box upside-down under the shelf where the mouse-sighting occurred and propped it up enough so that the mouse could walk in. He then put a staple inside the box so that when the mouse entered the box, its fur would become entangled in the staple (apparently this is some long-haired variety of mouse) and the mouse would be immobilized until Chase arrived to tape the box shut and remove it from the premises.
Smart kid. Too bad he can't invent a way to get urine into the toilet without spraying down the walls and floor.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Cole Starts Preschool

Cole started preschool last week. He loves his "big boy school" and asks every morning if he's going there again. The bag he's holding in the picture is his tractor bag that he's SO proud of.

Monday, September 3, 2007

More Outdoor Adventures

Swinging. There's only 1 swing and both boys could stay on a swing until they pass out, so we had to practice taking turns this weekend. Miraculously, no blood was shed.


Riding Chase's 4-wheeler (really a John Deere power wheels, but Chase thinks it's a real 4-wheeler). We brought Cole's John Deere power wheels tractor, but he insisted on riding Chase's because it didn't get stuck as often as his did.

Occasionally, the 4-wheeler would get stuck and Cole would have to hop out and push.

Pool Sharks

Chase and Cole spent a lot of time playing pool this weekend. I played with Chase when Cole was napping. He's a tough competitor. He makes up his own rules before the game starts, and all kinds of exceptions to the rules come in during the game.
"Pool Shark" -- see his shirt?



As usual, Cole is a problem-solver.

Silver, the Humpless Camel

This weekend at the camp, Chase and Cole got to spend a little time with Silver the horse. They brought out the bag of horse treats and fed him way too many. Watching them feed him was hilarious. Both of them were really eager to feed him, but as soon as he would reach for the treat, they would jump back and drop it. Then they'd pick it up and try again. At one point, I guess Silver got tired of the foolishness and he reached through the fence and grabbed the whole bag and pulled it over to his side of the fence.
Chase is pretty used to horses since he took riding lessons for a year or so, but Cole hasn't had any real experience with them. Every time he'd see Silver, he'd start squealing with excitement. Cole kept running around, showing off for Silver. There were lots of ant piles along the fence line, so every few minutes one of us would get into the ants and we'd have to stop and take off our socks and shoes and do the ant dance. Anyway, after I stood in the ants twice, I'd had enough, so I dragged Chase and Cole back into the house. All the way in, Cole kept wailing incoherently about talking to a camel. I figured I was misunderstanding him. Anyway, when we went back out later, he said - perfectly clearly - I want to feed the camel. So I asked him which camel and he said "Silver." I explained to him (without giggling too much) that Silver was a horse. He said "Ohhhhh," nodding very seriously. I explained that camels have humps and that Silver didn't have a hump. He seemed to accept this explanation. Later on when we were inside and the kids were playing with playdoh, Cole brought me some playdoh and said he wanted to make Silver a hump out of playdoh. He's definitely a problem-solver...

Here's Chase, Cole, Mrs. Mary Grace, Sasha, Little Bit, Tootsie, and Silver. The dogs knew there were treats being handed out and wanted in on the action.





Once I told Cole we couldn't go back to see Silver because he had too many ant bites already, he decided to outsmart the ants and take Chase's 4-wheeler to go see the camel.

Weird Kids

Chase the contortionist


Chase practices escaping from his handcuffs

I bought this walker when we were evacuated for the hurricane and Cole was too little to sit up on his own. He never wanted to be in it then, but this weekend at the camp, he kept climbing in and "walking" around in it.

Cole pretending to sleep in the walker.