PA in April

The boys and I have been in PA at my mom's since Saturday.
Jackson is playing hooky from preschool.
The weather was poopy when we got here, but it's turned out to be a beautiful and warm week with lots of sunshine :)

We went to Aunt Mary's tonight for dinner--girls dinner.
Bonnie made homeade linguini.
Chelsea made homeade eggplant marinara sauce and marinated artichokes.
Mary supplied the sangria.
I made a salad with homeade champagne vinaigrette.
Barb brought Meadows ice cream. Two flavors.

It turned out to be a very delicious dinner.

Bonnie's in the black and white serving up her homeade linguini that only cooks for 45 seconds.

It was divine.

Jackson was running around in my cousin Paul's, boxer shorts, who happens to be 18 years old.

And then there is this little man, Elliott, who slept through the cackling and jibber jabber of the ladies of the fam.

He is a chunk.

And a really, really good baby.

Cousin Molly, cousin Chelsea and Lana on the laptop.

Jenna, Molly, Jackson, Charlie and Carter enjoying their Meadows ice cream :)

My mom got a new lawn mower and the boys made her drive them in circles around the house in the trailer.

They had a grand old time.

That's Carter in the wagon, Chelsea's eldest son.
He's a firecracker.

Elliott stayed inside where it was quiter and oogled and googled at his mobile.

He's got the prettiest blue eyes...so jealous!

And then we come to these two monkeys......

Me: "Who in the world poured all of this water on the floor? Nonna is going to be mad!"

Charlie: "I didn't do it"

Jackson: "Charlie did it"

hmmmm......I don't think I had a hard time believing one of them....

Charlie: "Ok Mommy! I did it!" [insert melt your heart smile]

Playing tractors on Grandma Reeger's front porch. Lana and I chose to take advantage of the porch swing.

I had to get ample time in on that thing....it's my favorite.

A very fragrant, beautiful flower [I should know what the name of this flower is, but I'm drawing a blank] growing in the gravel in Grandma's walkway.

Jackson picked me a stem. It smelled so yum.

Overheard today:

Lana: "Get over it, Jackson!"

Jackson: "Well, that's not nice!"

Lana: "You're not nice!"

Jackson: "Sometimes I am!"

I have no idea what they were arguing about.

I didn't ask.

I thought that was funny though.

Jackson turns 5!

My sweet boy turned 5 on the 16th of March.

[Yes, I am super behind on posts, but I'm trying to catch up].

He woke up to his Nonna singing him "Happy Birthday" on Skype.

Good job, Nonna, on shedding no tears during your song.

Poppa wouldn't be happy if you shorted out his laptop.

Then he wanted pancakes. So I obliged, and went a little further and made him a "5" pancake.

He thought that was pretty cool.

Charlie was still sleeping and James had already left for work.

So it was just me who sang him his morning birthday song.

He requested the candles.

I had bought them for his birthday cake, but who cares...gotta make the birthday boy happy :)
James and I picked him up from school that day and took him straight to the golf shop. We told him it was a surprise where we were going.

Needless to say, we got an earful on the way. He needed to know where we were going ASAP.

When we pulled up, there was a big sign out front that said "GOLF".

We made him read it and figure it out.

He was squealing as soon as he did.

It was cute.
Once inside, he got measured and quickly found the set he wanted.

He took a few practice swings...

...and was pretty proud of himself :)

Sold!

Charlie looks like he's up to no good.

Typical.
Jackson insisted that James wear his birthday crown that the kids made in his class for him.

Real cute, honey.

Off to the driving range to test out those clubs!
This little man was so excited.

It was so fun to watch.

Like father, like son.

I love this picture.

At this point, Charlie came barreling out of the car and tossing golf balls onto the range.

He's got his own way of doing EVERYTHING.
Getting ready to swing!
Hmmmmm.....which club should I choose first??
James was quick to get in on the action too.
And then there's this dude.

Nice form there Happy Gilmore.
Note to self: buy my child some shirts that actually fit him.
He took the baseball swing approach.

I have to say, it didn't work out to well for him.

I hope he doesn't bite that tongue off in the process.
Finally, Daddy steps in and gives a little direction that goes in one ear and out the other.

He steps up and "smokes the ball" as he says.

"Hey mom! Watch this! I'm gonna smoke this ball."
And he did :)

I had to! I can't sit back and not!

James and I used to golf together when we were in college and I loved it.

I'm hoping to get back into it.

James bought me my first set of clubs two weeks ago.

I haven't gotten to use them yet. :(
But I have a feeling they will get used in the future.

Especially if my boys will let me grace them with my presence on the golf course.
Still workin' on that swing.
Charlie took a break long enough to give me some love.
After we hit all of the golf balls we walked up to the putting green.
"Look! Mommy! Look at my cwub!"
Jackson is an impressive putter, I must say....
Charlie just liked to gather,

well, actually steal everyone else's balls and put them into one hole.

My sweet boys!

After all that exhausting golf, we headed to Menchie's, our favorite fro yo shop.

Jackson gets the SAME thing everytime. Vanilla ice cream [sometimes he deviates and steps out of the box and gets swirl]...

...and tops it off with christmas sprinkles and gummi bears.

And he has to do it all by his five year old self.

birthday boy and Aunt Lana

The Fam.

Good to the last drop :)

So silly.

Jackson is growing and getting so tall.

He loves his brother [91.333% of the time].

He loves to play trains and hit baseballs.

He loves school and his friend, Tristan.

He's learning to read and can do basic addition.

He will eat all of his dinner just so he can eat dessert.

He will talk to NO ONE on the phone.

Not even his Daddy.

Don't get your feelings hurt if he won't talk to you.

It's just his style.

I love you, Jackson!