AHS Walk in the Rain

 Yes, We're crazy.

 We went on the Walk for Animals this weekend...

 Despite April Showers...

 But we weren't the only crazy people...

 Or the only animals...

 Out on such a lovely day...

 Can't wait for next year!

Easter Final Part

Then there was Easter with the Cooley's after naps were taken by all...or at least Daddy and Doodle...

TIGF

I am thankful that Riley's sling is gone. She is a happy kiddo with two wings again!

Easter Part 3

Then there was getting ready for church. The Ty bunnies are from our little neighbor girl, Emily, who used all her school points to "buy" Rowan and Riley Easter presents. So nice!!!

Easter Part 2

 Then there was our family Easter in the morning.

 Never seen anyone so excited over a frying pan in his Easter basket...no really, I'm not being sarcastic, he is so darn thrilled with the dang thing!

Easter In Review - Part 1

Easter Started at Schuster's on Saturday. Here's a recap of the kids with their egg hunt and baskets. (And maybe a little cake!)

Misc. Easter Favorites:)

By way of a preview, here are three pictures that I LOVE and thought they needed their own post. More Easter to come this week!

Puppy Conference

You can't see it, but there are 3 dogs at this conference in the corner. Ellie May in the back yard, Crosby behind the brown privacy fence and Lily...the only dog missing is the sharpei in the other corner.

Happy Easter!

Doodle Plays Funky Town

As requested, here is video of Doodle and the musical cards.

Doodle Updates

I should post a bit of what Rowan is up to these days in terms of milestones.

He walks and climbs like a pro. He is working on running, but loses his balance and falls into walls frequently:)

He is using something closer to words and communicates pretty well with pointing, nodding his head for yes or shaking his head for no. In fact, we are officially calling his first words "no-no"  - said in church with head shaking and a pouty look during a quiet moment that made a lot of people laugh.

He plugs his nose for "PU Stinky!" and he says "Upa" for "up" and "ba" usually means banana, but can mean "I want THAT" if he is just pointing in any general direction.

I know there are more "words" but I can't think of them now. Mama and Dada are pretty regular.

He gets excited when Josh comes home from work and loves musical birthday cards. He "dances" as he carries them around. Oh and he loves game shows (The Price is Right and Let's Make a Deal, specifically). Mostly because he loves to clap:)

He's a happy guy except when the teeth bug him. He now has 3...that's it...just 3...He has had 2 of them for over 4 months now so he's slow in getting his chompers. Doesn't stop him though. He eats EVERYTHING!

He gives big open mouth kisses and frequently wants to snuggle, hug or give his big sister kisses. He finds her very funny too.

He also follows instructions better than big sis. He will help you clean up blocks (only to dump them out again so he can "help" some more) and he will go get his stuffed puppy, blankie, pluggy etc. if you point to it and show him where it is.

I think that's it. He has a 15 month appointment in a few weeks for the stats, and Riley will have an appointment to check her broken collar bone soon too. So more updates to come.

TIGF - Earth Week

I know Earth Week is next week, but so is Easter, so this week's TIGF. I am thankful that Champlin has upgraded to a better, more effective recycling program that started this month. I already love it! Now if we move, I hope we find some place that has the same great commitment to helping the planet!


Earth Month Green Living Tips - Water 
These tips will help you to identify things that you can do right now to help reduce water use in your home and to keep our waters clean and safe.

Take short showers (10-15 gallons of water used) instead of baths (30 or more gallons used) for one person.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save up to 240 gallons a month or while shaving and save up to 300 gallons a month.

Replace your showerhead with a water-efficient model and save up to 750 gallons a month.

Repair leaky faucets and toilets. A single dripping faucet can waste up to 200 gallons per month.

Don't rinse your dishes (just scrape off food) before placing them in the dishwasher. This saves 6,500 gallons of water per year.

Choose a low water use plants (such as native plants) and save up to 550 gallons each year.

Water your garden in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation.

Set a timer when watering your garden to remind you to shut off the water. A running hose can discharge up to 10 gallons a minute.



"Do It Green - Minnesota" newsletter

Just When You Think Doodle is the Scary One...

 So I always thought Rowan would be the one in the ER with a broken bone, given how much he crawls on things, like the kitchen table and the dog kennel...NOPE! Had Riley in the ER last night. Broken collar bone:(

Auntie Meg stopped by today to make Riley's sling a little more fun. She added some bling so our broken girl can show off when she goes back to school on Wednesday (Yes, those are rhinestones!).

We kept her home today for a day of movies and spoiling. Back to reality...a little slower and more deliberate...tomorrow. Poor girl! Spoiled rotten though. Thanks everyone!

Naughty Doodle!

I can't turn around for one second anymore...