First grade research project-pick an animal that lives in the rainforest, do a report/presentation including a diorama/game/poster.
Peter picked poison dart frogs, yeah! He did a great job with the reseach and his best penmanship on his report and I was happy to help out with the hot glue gun. Look carefully, how many frogs can you find?
Jamison picked the harpy eagle and wanted to make a statue....so out comes my paper mache skills! He wanted it life size! Those things can be up to 3ft tall!
"Jake" was escorted to school on presentation day...didnt think it would have survived a bus ride with 50 students!. Harpy eagles eat sloths and monkeys....maybe he might gobble up a kindergartener! I was planning to go to school and bring him home after Jamison's presentation but as I watched the boys get off the bus....Jake was in Jamison's hands! Jamison assured me that it did not eat any kindergarteners.
The boys got ahold of the camera...there are some wonderful shots of Jamison!
I chaperoned Jamison's class to Olbrich Garden and Aldo Leopold Nature center. At the gardens we had to find a word for every letter of the alphabet...it took us a while to find the Zinnias.
For lunch they stopped at a park...had to make the kids sit for 15min before they overtook the playground! I didnt know you could fit 5 kids on a tire swing!
At the nature center we went hunting for life under the water! Dragon fly nymphs and water scorpions! I am in my element. I think the leader was surprised by Jamison...he knew all the answers to her questions!
A few days later I chaperoned Peters class to the Henry Vilas Zoo! First stop the herpatarium....thats my boy!
Memorial Day we headed up north. We thought the boys were old enough to try real fishing...with hooks, bait and everything! They LOVED it! Peter caught his first fish and has a story about a 18" walleye that got away. I wonder if it was 18"...maybe 8", you know how fishing stories are. Jamison had some good bites but was not able to land the darn thing.
So he posed with the one that Gpa caught. Better luck next time!
Jamison was curious about the lake and wondered if he could jump in. We said go for it!....Unfortunately, right after this photo he freaked out, forgot how his life jacket worked and started screaming thinking he was going to drown. After we calmed him down we talked about how he was never in danger of drowning and he has to trust the life jacket. We convinced him to ease back in the water and feel how it makes him float. I dont think he is all that convinced....we will have to try it again.
The boys tried to get Pat to tip over....no luck. We had a blast up at the cabin! Thanks Gma and Gpa.
Peter SO did not want to go to the parade. I dont know why really...there are only a handful of clowns, tiny horses, large machinery, and you can see trucks and JohnDeere tractors modified to suit all your "needs." 
Pat was impressed with Grandpa's Little "dear" tractor. Looks very home made. 
It had two car seats (kid on the right of the picture is fast asleep and very sweaty) and a hay bayler type thing that dropped candy! Pat was like a kid at a parade! I think we have 10 pictures and 1 movie of that thing. 
After the frolic parade we prepared for the BBQ. We buried money and marbles in the sandbox (that is the only way i can get kids to play in the thing) and filled about 400 water balloons. The camera was put away for that....i think I was the one that got the most wet. 
I love getting to see the kids have fun and meet the parents! One teacher even showed up...but she stayed on the deck for the water balloon...she sent her daughter in as a decoy. 
Hopefully the kids can keep in touch over the summer with playdates and park/rec activities! They are a great group of kids! 
After a very needed shower, Jamison felt he had another tooth ready! and sure enough. Come on down tooth fairy! Peter still has all of his teeth BUT one is super loose and should be out soon. Only 4 more days of school left....boooo.
German chocolates! A package from Heike. We love presents! Thanks Heike! the boys have enough sugar to last them a good long while. 
Jamison has been focused on extra jobs around the house to earn a couple bucks. He really wants to buy another beyblade so he offers to do extra jobs. Here he is trimming the grass that the lawmmower misses. 
This is what Peter does while Jamison is working. He is playing with his beyblade. He is going to be one sad boy the day that Jamison earns enough money and he didnt. 
This weekend we tackled another tree. We are hoping to thin out some of the pines behind the barn. There are a lot of dead branches back there...and it will free up some space for the boys to mess around in the "woods" with out getting lost in Stewart Park. 
Jamison is an awesome worker. He spent three hours hauling branches on the trailer and then off the trailer at the compost pile. He earned enough money for his toy and wanted to go to Target right away, mud and all! Peter did eventually start to work and did a great job cleaning out the garage. He unfortunately did not have enough money for the toy he wanted and had to borrow money from me.....now he is my slave!
As a kid we would ask my dad what he wanted as a gift and he ALWAYS replied "good kids". Rarely were we able to deliver. I was pleasantly surprised by the boys as they were fun, happy and all around great kids! and I didnt have to ask! It was awesome. They played well with each other and did not fight and were helpful around the house! It was the best present ever! I also loved their cards and presents made from school! Happy Mother's Day to my mom and all the moms out there!
The weather has been trying to turn around. It was nice enough on saturday to have a picnic dinner outside. We sat outside to enjoy the sun. I just wished the boys would finish eating before they laid down. 
The latest obsession.....beyblades. Basically tops that would "battle". Last one standing is the winner. They can battle for hours! and there is no trickery or manipulation....which means no fighting or complaining that someone is not being fair. Of all the crazy kid crap for collecting, I think this might be my favorite one.
On Sunday we went hiking at a state park that we have never been to before. 
It was Jamison's turn to take some photos with my camera. He stuck to more trees and plants. 
Peter did see some rocks that he needed to take pictures of. I am so glad we have a digital camera. We have A LOT of pictures of rocks. 
This one had a lake where the boys could get their feet wet...and eventually their bottoms. The water was pretty cold but that did not seem to bother the boys. 
Man, Peter's hair is getting long. it will be interesting how summer goes, it is getting to that length where it is in his eyes all the time. 
The boys had off of school on friday which gave us a great opportunity to color eggs! The was the best year ever! declared by mom. The boys listened well to instructions, no eggs were damaged in the process and they all turned out really well!! 
Cant wait til that raskily wabbit comes and gets these! 
Friday night we thought it was fitting to play poker with dad's psycho rabbit chips. Nothing says Happy Easter more than a crazy rabbit skull and crossbones. Jamison reluctantly played. He is a pretty sore looser as well as a sore winner. 
I set all the baskets and eggs out for EBunny to come and pick up. Well he came and got them...but seemed to be in a hurry to get out that he scattered eggs all over the yard. We think he remembers that we have a beagle. They had a run in a couple years ago and I dont think EBunny has forgot. We even kenneled Wini for the night. Still didnt work, eggs everywhere! 
Look at the cheeks on that kid. He could not stuff the candy in fast enough!
There was even money in some of them! Woohoo! and now that I look closely at this picture...Jamison's cheeks are puffed out also! 
Peter remembers that EBunny usually puts a basket in the shower. So Sunday morning the shower was the first place he went to and this is what he found! EBunny took the sign Peter made from the fridge telling Ebunny where the real eggs were and wrote his own little message to the boys. I guess EBunny is a lot like Santa, all knowing and all hearing! 
Happy Easter Everyone! (this is Peter and his first experience with Poprocks!) Now only if the weather would get on board.....it is suppose to be spring!
So as a Peter day activity he picked out 5 of his to get split! There were not many people there at the time so he got to turn the crank himself! 
It takes a lot of muscle to break open rocks!
They were all solid but still really cool to see the patterns inside! 
For Peter day meal we had homemade waffles, bacon and strawberries. Yum! and for dessert pink and green mint icecream! 
For his special gift I picked out some treasures from Cave of the Mound to add to his ever growing rock collection -green calcite, smoky quartz and aragonite. Aragonite is even florescent under ultraviolet light! We will have to set something up to check that out!
And the final touch...doughnuts for breakfast! Breakfast of champions! Overall a pretty fantastic Peter day with exception of the weather. 
Isnt this nasty. Snow in April. Fortunately we are getting ice and slush....just north of here they are getting 6-9inches of snow. Yes you read the correct. Hey Keiko, so you miss WI now????
They were tested in a number of martial arts styles including muay thai, taekwondo, jui jitsu just to name a few. Enjoy some of the videos.
The family had to go and capture him....but the boys thought this activity was for toddlers and were not all that excited to do so. Even when I said we could get an icecream cone. 
I guess the bribe of icecream doesnt work for them anymore. It still works for me! 
Earlier in the day we went on a hike at Blue Mounds. Another activity the boys were not all that excited about and complained about most of the time. Come on guys, the sun is out, and it is warm. Lets get out and enjoy it! 
Peter showed interest in taking pictures so I gave him the camera and he proceeded to take 95 pictures of rocks. no exaggeration. He wants to print them out and make a photo book out of it. Good idea, but that is a lot of rocks. 
Some examples of Peter's photography.
And a future senior picture. Peter liked the moss pattern on this one. 
After the hike the boys pretended to be dogs and played "fetch" with each other. Pretty entertaining! 
All of Peter's free time has been spent outside playing basketball or tossing the baseball. Hey Uncle Matt- heads up Peter has a nice arm! you might get a baseball player in the family!I love this picture as it shows how shaggy Peter is getting! Man I want to cut that hair!