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in case you didn't catch the words to that song, they are:
Mr. Rhino, everybody knows
You got one tail, four feet, twelve toes.
Mr. Rhino, look what grows
Two big horns on the tip of your nose.
the next tune was Manamana (a vintage sesame street number)

this next one should be titled:
Don't Talk With Food In Your Mouth!

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April Already....

April is here and that means more time outside (if it ever stops raining...)

These silly kiddos have been cracking us up all the time...

Get a good look at Ralphy's "long" hair because I'm sure his Daddy will be cutting it soon (but I like it!)... Another Spring, another batch of chicks at Gram & PaPa's...(Spark and the hens are still doin' just fine...one of them is even laying eggs!)

on a sad note...

We lost Annie Goat Wednesday evening. We knew she had been "slowing down" lately, but she really showed no signs of being sick. She was 12 years old and she will be missed. Elli and Ralphy loved her and it will be hard for them to understand that she isn't there....

...hoppin' down the bunny trail...

We had a great Easter weekend! On Saturday, the kids had 2 Easter Egg Hunts (one at our church and one at the park). Ralphy knew exactly what to do and made Daddy proud by filling up his basket like a pro! Elli had a great time, too and got lots and lots of eggs. It was cold, but they didn't seem to mind.

On Easter morning, both kids were awake by 6:00 am (which is way too early, if you ask me!) We held the kids off until about 7:00 am, then turned them loose in the house to find all the eggs that were hidden. They found their baskets (which were also hidden) and dug right into the candy! We made it to 2 family get-togethers and the kids got lots of great stuff.

Now we have buckets of candy waiting to be eaten...I can limit the amount that the kids eat, but there is no one here to limit the amount that I eat, so I think I'll be sending it to school with Ralph soon!

the flood of '08

Everyone reading this blog is well aware of the flood situation around here the past few days. While we were high and dry throughout the whole event, many around us were not.

For many people, the rising waters either meant a big headache because of closed roads or an opportunity to "sight-see" and take pictures. For others it meant emptying out river clubhouses, moving all valuable possessions from basements, or sandbagging their homes or businesses, all the while wondering, "Will it really get that high?" For us it became an opportunity to help others by sandbagging in "old town" and in Ralph's parents' neighborhood where the water eventually crept into some homes.

Ultimately, the water did not get quite as high here as they thought it might. Many were affected, but many ended up dry. It was still amazing. It was amazing to look up and down Central Avenue and see people from all over town working to help friends, family and strangers. It was amazing to stand in the cul-de-sac in Ralph's parents' neighborhood and see so many people wanting to help and to realize there were more "workers" than "jobs." It was amazing to drive around town and see the water cover so much land. It made us feel proud to call this place home. This place where friends, family and strangers pull together to help each other. That's how it's supposed to be...

Here are some pictures taken on Friday morning...the water crested sometime early Saturday morning.

family fun

we got together at granny's on sunday for dinner and an easter egg hunt...and i actually remembered my camera! we got some good pictures...we have been trying to get these "four generation" pictures for quite awhile...

all of the aunts were there except one (we missed you, aunt puty!)

elli and aunt mary:

elli and aunt tina:

ralphy and aunt alice:

elli, mia and aunt margaret:gram and ralphy:

hunting for eggs...

over the weekend we celebrated max's birthday...he turned 6 years old on saturday! we ate cupcakes while max got a dog-treat-and-peanut-butter stack with a candle on top!

last night we colored our first batch of easter eggs...

and today i photographed two little monkeys jumping on the bed...luckily none fell off and broke their heads...

and here is elli wearing the jacket that belongs to one of our teddy bears...the hood has ear holes, so of course we had to let her "ears" hang out of the holes...very silly...

waiting for peter cottontail

the easter egg hunt at the park was cancelled this weekend, but wal-mart had some fun planned, so we went to see the easter bunny, baby chicks, ducklings and rabbits....since it was rainy, they cancelled their eater egg hunt, too, but they let the kids pick eggs from a tub (some even had tickets inside to redeem for fabulous prizes!) aunt tina was in town, so she got to take part in the fun, too...

ralphy really liked the easter bunny....from a safe distance...we didn't get a picture of him with my camera, but we did get one of both kids with another camera...he wasn't too happy about being close to that big costumed thing...
elli warmed up to the easter bunny and probably would have stayed all day...later she said, "that was just a human dressed up in a costume...do you know how i know? because it moved it's hand and i saw a real arm!" ralphy really liked the watering cans! they were much "safer" than the easter bunny... here are some pictures of the kids at home:


play-doh and pipecleaners


new pals arrived in the mail from aunt tina and uncle bob...in box 2 of 2, the big blue bear:
and in box 1 of 2, the softest rabbit (now named "carolina butterfly) and bunny slippers (along with lots of other great stuff):
all decked out...

being silly...

being serious...