Zoo Fun!

We spent a lovely last day with Grandma and Grandpa at the Baltimore Zoo. I love Xander's piggy face!

Catching a ride with a big ole' tortoise.

Noah being Noah.

This grumpy rooster would have liked nothing better than to peck Grandpa's finger off!

Petting the goats...

and brushing them too.

The carousel is always a big hit with my kids.

Noah would make a great ape!

I swear there is nothing cuter to see at the zoo than zoo babies!

A very friendly giraffe.

I would definitely NOT want to meet that polar bear in the wild. He was huge!

Noah decided to take us for a spin in the arctic tundra vehicle.

What a wild bunch!

It is always such fun to run into friends. Roaring with the Maxwell kids!

Soccer Tournament Time!

Last fall my parents had made plans to come visit us specifically so they could see the kids play soccer. Unfortunately my dad got really sick and they were unable to come. Thank goodness Xander had a soccer tournament the Saturday of their visit and they could at least see one of the grand kids play. As soon as we finished with the Easter egg hunt, we quickly got everyone ready and headed out the door since the tournament was over an hour away.  An early start for a beautiful spring day but for soccer it's worth it.
Ready to cheer on the Boca!

Xander' team played three games total.  The first two games were tough and they ended up losing them both. 

Funny moment from right before the second game - the boys were gathered in a group watching the players from the team they were about to play warm up. They noticed there was a girl on the team but their coach told them to treat her like any other boy player. One of our players, Nick, who is apparently quite the little Casanova, said that he was going to kiss her instead. She ended up being one tough little player out there!

This is how Noah passes the time at tournaments - with his head under his sweatshirt playing his DS.

Xander's four-leaf clover that he found and insisted would bring them luck in their next game.

And it did, at least a little. They all played much better in the third game and it didn't hurt that we played a team that was more our level of skill.  The game ended in a tie!

Easter Bunny Day 2014

Dyeing Easter eggs is always fun but it's much more fun doing it with Grandpa!

Showing off our traditional dragon eggs.

Fun gifts from the Easter Bunny - Chima Legos for the boys and another Monster High doll for Savannah.

Let's get this egg hunt started! The excitement is all over their faces.

And it quickly dissolved. Could Savannah look any more thrilled?

The boys maintained it throughout the hunt!

Sorting through all the goodies.

And they even got some money! Not too shabby!

Ft. McHenry - Finally!

In the past nine years, whenever my parents return home after a visit with us in Baltimore, one of their friends asks them, "Did you visit Ft. McHenry?" and their answer has always been no. When my parents came out in April to see us we determined that THIS time we would head to Ft. McHenry so they could finally tell their friend that they had been there.
We started in the visitor's center and watched the great short film they have that tells the story of how "The Star Spangled Banner" came into existence. It was moving to watch as actors reenacted the Battle of Baltimore when British ships bombarded our men at the fort throughout the night of September 13-14, 1812. And then the thrilling scene where, through the fog, Francis Scott Key saw that it was OUR glorious flag waving in the dawn's early light.  It was wonderful and I might have gotten a little teary-eyed!

I swear that every time I have been to Ft. McHenry it has been on a cold day and this visit was no exception. Thank goodness there were plenty of chances to go in the buildings and get warmed up. We had fun wandering all over the fort, checking out the cannons and all the different displays.

Francis Scott Key's inspiration, albeit with a few more stars.

A cute little prisoner!

The original cross brace that helped excavators know exactly where the flag once stood.

It was a wonderful way to spend a morning with my parents!

Little No Turns 7!

How do I even begin to describe my little No? I'm not going to bother trying but will rather quote various lines from that famous song the nuns sing about Maria in the movie "Sound of Music" except I will substitute Noah's name.

     How do you solve a problem like Noah?
     How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
     How do you find a word that means Noah?
     A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

    Many a thing you know you'd like to tell him
    Many a thing he ought to understand
    But how do you make him stay
    And listen to all you say
    How do you keep a wave upon the sand

   Oh, how do you solve a problem like Noah?
   How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

   When I'm with him I'm confused
   Out of focus and bemused
   And I never know exactly where I am;
   Unpredictable as weather,
   He's as flighty as a feather,
   He's a darling! He's a demon! He's a lamb!

   He'd outpester any pest
   Drive a hornet from its nest
   He could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl.
   He is gentle! He is wild!
   He's a riddle! He's a child!
   He's a headache! He's an angel!
   He's a boy!!

All these lines describe Noah to a tee but this is my favorite:

     I'd like to say a word in his behalf...
    Noah makes me laugh!

And laugh we do - ALOT! He is crass, gross, hilarious, silly, a pure entertainer, and such a little ham.  Kids swarm to him like moths to a flame. He is like the Pied Piper and others just follow him! He makes me so mad one minute and then has me laughing hysterically the next. I adore and love this little guy so much and don't know what our family would be like without him.

Birthday morning balloons!

Noah wanted donuts for his birthday breakfast.

His favorite are the ones with pink frosting and sprinkles.

Noah's favorite present this year was that his Grandma and Grandpa Schaeffer were here to celebrate his special day. Oh, and that Ipod he got. Yes, we are cheap parents. David had recently received a new phone for work so I got his old one so we passed down my old, cracked phone to Noah to use as an "Ipod" for the games. He didn't seem to mind that it wasn't brand new.

Later that evening we had a family party and Noah got to open the rest of his presents. He sure loves his Grandma!

And Star Wars legos!

Gifts from siblings are always great!

And so is a Scentsy gorilla to add to his monkey stuffed animal collection!

Noah was soooo excited to get his favorite Orioles player's jersey (even though he keeps calling him Wieners).

My little soldier! He loved the dress up and struck the pose perfectly for the picture.

Blowing out candles! So hard to believe he's seven!!

7 Fun Facts About Noah:
     1. Best Smile Ever!!!
     2. Noah is a great storyteller and can really tell some whoppers. Thank goodness for his "lying" face because sometimes I need to know if he's making something up.
     3. Noah is an entertainer through and through. He has no problem getting up in front of tons of people and dancing, singing, or hamming it up and isn't the least bit embarrassed.
     4. He loves motorcycles and always insists that I drive very slowly as we pass the motorcycle shop so he can check them out.
     5. Anyone who knows Noah knows that he wants to be a soldier when he grows up and he gets very excited whenever he sees a soldier in uniform. As we drove through the base on Memorial Day his excitement was overflowing and he kept yelling out, "Tanks! Vehicles! Soldiers!" He is always bringing home books about soldiers from the library and he spends hours poring over them and pointing out all the specifics to me.
    6. Noah is a little artist and goes through tons of paper as he draws pictures of his favorite subjects which include knights, soldiers, and Star Wars guys.
    7. Noah is definitely not my healthiest eater, much preferring candy and snacks to a nutritious meal.

Noah's Favorites at Age 7:
     Animal:  monkey
     TV Show:  Chima
     Movie:  any Scooby Doo
     Color:  green
     Food:  pasta
     Fruit:  strawberries
     Vegetable:  carrots
     Sport to Watch:  baseball
     Sport to Play:  soccer
     Sports Player:  Matt Wieters
     Sports Team:  Baltimore Orioles
     Dessert:  pumpkin pie
     Candy:  Hershey's cookies and cream bar
     Book:  any Scooby Doo
     Song:  Take Me Out to the Ball Game (too cute)
     To Do:  hike
     Toy:  Legos (shocker)
     Holiday:  Halloween
     Season:  fall
     Restaurant:  Panera
     Place to Go:  Medieval Times (we were driving there as he answered these questions)
     Scripture Hero:  Samuel the Lamanite
     Temple:  DC
     To Be When He Grows Up:  Medieval Times Worker and a Soldier
     Best Friends:  Ava, Fin, Jacob, and Kellan