Double Time Out

In a rare occurence, both Brendan and Lauren were sentenced to their "naughty chairs" at the same time. As you may note, Brendan is crying and upset that he has been punished. Lauren's attitude is different -- she could care less if we are upset with her. The next six months ought to be interesting with her. 

HAPPY EASTER! It's Easter morning and the kids want to race downstairs to find their baskets.  

Brendan helped Lauren find her basket. She received a couple of her favorite things -- ducks. 

Brendan found his basket. He was thrilled it included a new dinosaur kite. 

Nothing says "Happy Easter" like duck and bunny shaped pancakes. 

Here we are outside waiting to start the egg hunt. Lauren found an egg on the deck and immediately opened it and ate the candy. She embraced the "let's get one egg at a time, eat it, then look again" approach.  

Brendan is chomping at the bit to get off of the deck and onto the grass to grab the eggs. He informed us that he would gather 100 and Lauren could have 10. He's so sweet. 

Here the kids enjoy our morning Easter egg hunt in our yard. 

Lauren is thrilled with her Easter duck. She loved being in her Easter dress. She twirled and showed Brendan her new shoes. 

Brendan thinks his cousin Catherine is hysterical. The feeling is mutual. 

Lauren begs us to please make this hug stop.  

Brendan's first time on a "real" bike and Lauren's first on her tricycle.  

Lauren has a need for speed. Everytime we pushed her on her tricycle, she kept chanting "fast, fast, fast" until we obliged. 

Brendan got the hang of it really quickly. He did not want either Brian or myself to "help" him. 

A beautiful day for flying a kite. We headed to our neighborhood park and tried to get two kites up in the air. I don't think both kites were ever simultaneously up in the air. 

Brian and the kids work on getting the kites up in the air. Lauren preferred the "Melmo" (code for Nemo) kite.  

Yikes. The kite-eating tree attacks again. We left the kite in Brendan's charge and within a few minutes, it was trapped in the only tree within a half mile radius. Brendan desperately tried to scale the tree to retrieve it. One week later, that kite is still visible in the tree. 

We are getting ready to visit the Easter Bunny. Lauren seems calm. Little do we know the terror that awaits. 

Brendan's first time enjoying the Easter Bunny's presence. Note the 3 inches between Brendan and the bunny. Brendan is gazing longingly at the candy bowl.  

Lauren did not like the Easter Bunny. The moment we approached it, she started screaming and crying. Grandma DuBay tried to soothe her with some fruit chews.  

We loaded up the kids in the wagon to head to our neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. Brendan insisted on wearing his bunny ears and Lauren was disappointed to not have a "hat". 

Preparing the masses for the Easter egg hunt. Luckily, no blood was drawn. 

Grandma Holt visited the kids and within ten minutes, both were cuddled up on her lap reading books.  

Brendan is delighted to have located a geocache stash in a log. He and Brian went "treasure hunting" alone in Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve. 

Here it is! Brendan shows off his first unassisted geocache find.