I love April

April is one of my favorite months. Basically because I can go outside without 20 layers of clothes, mittens, hats, handwarmers, earwarmers, scarves, boots, wool socks and wool underwear. Just kidding about the underwear. That'd be a little itchy in all the wrong spots-especially with 20 layers on. Well, our spring started with the first annual spring clean tournament. Team Palmer against....team Palmer. We're quite competitive you know. Our mission: to organize, deodorize, anti-bacterialize, de-dustifize and anything else -ized. The best event was window washing. Landon led the team with his expertise on using Windex. Needless to say, team Palmer won a gold medal equaling fun times at an indoor water park. Team-mate Erin had too much school responsibilities to participate much, so Landon and I decided to invite him to come with us to the water park for his birthday. This was Erin's birthday weekend at Red Jacket Mountain Inn in North Conway, New Hampshire.

Our hotel and sunset seen from our porch. Landon woke up the following morning and said he wanted some "alone" time out on the porch. Don't know why--must've been too cooped up this winter.

Erin looks like a perfect dad. I look like their older sister. Sheesh!

Landon was playing the "Boombas" aka drums

Taylor got used to the water park about 30 minutes before we left.

One of the highlights (mostly for the boys) was the arcade.








We celebrated Erin's 35th birthday when we got home. We also got a surprise package in the mail. It didn't say who it was from and we weren't expecting it, so Erin wanted to send it back. I said "why not?" And this is what he pulled out...

...a popcorn maker (for camping) and a hat. We were laughing so hard. Who would send such random, but great birthday gifts? Only one person--Erin's dad. Thanks!!

Why not?

In new England, winter is oh, so long. So our time is spent mostly inside. What do we do inside, you say? Well, so much fun can be had inside with our dearest little ones, if you can only say "why not." Or as Landon would put it "What the heck?!" From an indoor wading pool being used as a human mouse wheel (and many other things as well) to the magic blanket, when it's cold out, you're pretty much forced to depend on imagination. One of Landon's favorite activities (especially with Toby) is tying the house with yarn. It's a great game for anyone 6 months pregnant with a sore back carrying around an 18 month old.

One day, Landon thought it would be fun to put an old coffee table slant-ways on our couch to make a slide. He did all the work and even went down in a laundry basket. He tried sticking Taylor in the basket and giving her a good shove, but I saved her.

March Madness

No, not NCAA type madness. Do you think I really know about that stuff? We're talkin' Palmer March madness. We started our spring with a family night about testimony and faith. We planted some basil, chives, and tomatoes and then made edible gardens. Boy, was Landon excited--mostly about his edible garden. But our plants/herbs are a success! Later on Landon and Taylor wanted to be wrapped up in toilet paper. Looking back, I should have kept wrapping them up nice and tight until only their little eyeballs could be seen. That would've been fun to see.

Moving on...oh, I took a moment to take some pictures of Taylor looking out the window. She gazed at the cute little Joyschool girls for quite a while and I'm sure, longed to be with them.



So, Easter was a fun event in March. Erin's parents and brother Thom came down from Ottawa to visit us. We went on a few hikes. Landon really enjoyed his uncle Thom. He says some day he will have long legs like Thom, so he can climb really big rocks in one step.



Landon and Taylor both enjoyed their grandparents. Taylor's newest best friend is her grandpa. She really got attached to him during their short stay. And after they left, Landon said he wanted to marry his daddy's mum. (He changed his mind though, a few nights ago, and told me he wanted to marry Taylor because she's nice and doesn't smoke cigarettes--not that his grandma does).





And I really enjoyed spending time with Landon exploring nature. This was some stump he found just lying there. He wanted to see if he was strong enough to move it. Then he lifted it upright and pretended he was playing the bongos.







Every March, in the great city of Revere, MA, there is a Carnival that comes. And every March our poor Landon sees it and begs to go--every single time we pass it. So, on a whim, Erin said "Let's go to the carnival!" Aside from the fact that Erin wanted to give every employee there his Tufts dental business card, we had a great time. Who can complain when it was only $1 to get in? Landon's favorite's were the catepillar rollercoaster and the bumper cars. Taylor would have gone on all the rides except she's a little short. Her only happiness was in the horse on the carousel.

Stone Tower

We've found some pretty cool hiking places around here. In the fall we went to Lynn-Fells Reservation on a friends suggestion. He told us he and some buddies were mountain biking and all of a sudden they found this door in a huge rock. The door was open so they went in. Inside was this little cave. Later they researched what the cave was and apparently, in the late 1800's, a pirate ship came into the Lynn, MA Harbor and a pirate hid treasure somewhere in the area. This cave was one couple's attempt at locating the treasure. They used dynamite to blow through the rock. The cave ends abruptly--they ran out of money to buy dynamite. But it's still cool.



So, last fall, Landon and I went into the cave with our headlamps to check it out. It was short but pretty sweet. Landon got only a little spooked. We tried again this winter,

but the door was locked. Instead, we headed to this old lookout tower close by called Stone Tower. Landon liked the name because Stone is his middle name. It's pretty fun to
hike here, because there are a lot of old standing buildings, towers and caves with a lot of history. Anyway, here are the pics.

Quarters and dimes

Tonight Erin put Landon to bed. Landon asked him to sing the "Quarters, nickels and dimes" song. Erin said "But I don't know that song." (Neither of us have ever heard this song). So Erin asked him to sing it. This is Landon's song:

"Quarters and dimes.. . . Quarters and dimes.
Slide 'em in my piggy bank.. . . Slide 'em in my piggy bank.
And if anyone comes and tries to steal'em, I'll take out my gun and shoot them.
And if you want to steal more. . . just take it from your parents.. . La la la la la....."

As violent as he seems, he can be quite the sweetie. The other morning he was reading on the couch and I was doing dishes and he says "Hey mom?! I have happy feelings in my heart for you right now..." Ohhhhhh. What a sweetie. We hugged and kissed. I love my boy!

Am I a cow?

We were at an appointment today waiting in the waiting room. All of a sudden Landon yells "Hey mom, you have teets!!!" Ah, that poor old man sitting right next to me. The only response I could think of was, "No, no, cows have those..."

Sake

There's this Japanese restaurant called "Sake" about 2 minutes from our house. Every time we pass it I want to go try it. Erin never wants to go because there are no windows. That's what he says, but it's really because he's scared. You see, Erin is "tight" with his money. He wants lots o' food for little money. And he wants it to be tasty. Hard to please, I tell ya! So tonight we went on a date. We had no plans so I said "Lets go to Saki." Hesitantly, he agreed. The entrance was a little sketchy, but once inside he became Saki's newest regular. He loved it. It was quiet, the food was excellent, the price was good, and the Japanese servers were wearing cute little Japanese dresses. He couldn't stop talking about it. Well, he went to pay while I went to the ladies room. When I came out he kept complimenting the workers on how great of a restaurant they had. In the car I asked him how much the dinner was. He said "Oh, $47. I think our meal, though, was like $33..." If you can't do the math, my tight wad husband accidentally gave our server close to a 50% tip. He said she had a nice smile and a cute Kimono.

Baby #3 is....

A girl!!! Poor little Landon. No boy buddy to rough around with. My girls will be tough though. They'll take him on.

Differences between boys and girls

Landon and the boy gang


The other day Landon chose to eat a cookie during the day instead of having a "special" treat after dinner. Come dinner time he finished his food expecting to get the "special." Well I ain't no push over (ok, only sometimes) and I didn't give it to him. So he ran to his room and yelled "I want Daddy, Taylor and me to all be alive and I want you to be DESTROYED!!!!" I don't know where he came up with that word, but he used it quite well. Other words in his vocabulary include:
1. "Dude,"
2. "Oh, man,"
3. "Boys are strong and girls are weak,"
4. "Rock and roll,"
5. "I am speed,"
6. "Look at my muscles,"
7. "I am impossible!!" (he meant 'invincible'),
8. "Ah, dang it!"

Here's a picture of Landon doing his "boy" thing. He wanted a car lift so he could lay on his back on his skateboard and slide under his dumptruck to fix it with his tools. Not a bad mechanic, eh?

Taylor, on the other hand, is....well...not a boy. Her vocabulary is small, but definitely different:
1. "Daddy" may be interpreted as daddy, Landon, ducky, or doggie
2. "Ba-bye"
3. "Hi"
4. "Thank you"
5. "Meow" used for any animal. Usually cats and dogs or any four legged creature
6. "Baby"
7. "Pee-pee" used for pee, or poo

She likes to dress up. Hats, shoes, socks, and jewelry are her usual favorites. But she recently found Landon's goggles and one of Landon's old Halloween costumes.

What do you do in your free time?

Boston is a great city. At least we think it is. We're not quite sure. In fact, we have no idea. In our free time, we don't go to the city. We do other things...

Such as going to petting zoos with
unicorn cows....





Attending crash up derbies
(aka demolition derby; herby derby; whatever
suits your fancy)...





Camping at Hermit Island, Maine (it rained the whole time)...




Chillin' at Melrose, Wakefield hospital...




Ah, yes...the beach. One of our favorite places...




Hangin' with Ozark Mountain Man
(Erin grew this out when I took the kids to
Washington for 2 weeks.
It was like kissing a new man--although quite ticklish)






Some of our free time we spend in Ottawa Ontario Canada.

The Parliament buildings. Many U.S.ers don't
know but, Ottawa is Canada's Capital.

This is the family I married into. You can
see why I tend to like them.

A favorite Canadian past time--curling. We play
every Christmas with Erin's family. And
you think hockey's rough...

Ottawa is a very "active" city. I ran this race last year.
I'm the one in the red shoes--#11...Just kidding. I almost puked
running this race.


And finally.....where Erin spends all his "free"time.


The End.