A few weeks ago, we were in the front yard, and Austin wanted to water the plants.  Yes, he was wearing his pj's.. he's very into that still.  Yes, he was wearing his "good" shoes..  Yes, the watering got out of hand. 

Turns out, no surprise, that Buster cannot. stay. away. from. water. Period.  So in just a couple of minutes, both of them were fully soaked.  No use making them stop.  So they just played and played and played. 

Buster ended up getting some shampoo dumped on him and getting an impromtu bath.  Might as well.  He was that wet. 

Chris ended up teaching Austin how to cover the end of the hose with his thumb and squirt the water really high. 

(I think next time I'll dump some soap on the car, too, and teach Austin how to wash it----have to take advantage of these "learning opportunities".)

Fun was had by all.. except I did realize that the washing the dog idea ended up being REALLY alot of work!!  So much easier to drop them off at the groomer and pick them up all dry and fluffy!  He is getting so big.  As in, BIG.  There are no pics of the bath, b/c we were all soapy and wet and exhausted and the camera was in a nice dry place.

Bonus pic:

"MOMMY, take our PICTURE!"

Bonus pic #2: (and 3 and 4-ha!)

This is how I spent my birthday/Mother's Day.  Eating cupcakes with this little face. 

This is a kid who loves a cupcake.  If you squint your eyes a little, you might get a glimpse of the man he will become someday, with a 5 day shadow or a beard.

Isn't this gross?  But I wouldn't have wanted to spend my day any other way.  And for the record, that was all brushed off of his teeth that same day! Ew. 

Today, my Dad will be a pall bearer at a funeral for someone named Chet Floyd.

(pics are from 2007)

Chet was in his early 90's, I think, and his wife Paulette had preceded him in death several months ago. I believe she was in her late 80's when she passed.

They were a special couple.  I think anyone who knew them felt that way.  I didn't get a chance to meet them until my parents moved to Missouri in 2003.  They were members of the Leawood Village Church of Christ where my parents have been attending since moving.  

I wish I could have known them longer.  I was blessed enough to visit with them a couple of times at length.. I wish it could have been more.

One visit was at Kentucky Fried Chicken, where they loved the lunch buffet.  In that visit, I learned that they adored their Boston Terrier Sophie.  And that Paulette brought a zip lock bag in her purse to take her scraps home to Sophie in. 

I also got to hear the story of how they met.  Chet was a WWII veteran, who served in France.  That is where he met Paulette.  He didn't speak French, and she didn't speak much English.. He fell for a young French girl, she fell for the American soldier.  I asked how they communicated if there was such a language barrier, they said they just did.  I asked them if they spoke the language of LOVE, and I think they both blushed.  They were the sweetest elderly couple you could ever meet!

Another time we went to their house for a visit, and Paulette had made a plate of sandwiches and a cherry cake.  They showed us pictures, and told us stories.  It was so much fun.  Paulette had a very thick French accent so it was hard to understand some words but such a joy to listen to.  Chet told us that Paulette's mother hadn't approved of their courtship at first, and how she wouldn't allow them to marry until Paulette was 21 I think?  So he stayed on in France after the war and waited for her. 

Paulette told us of  the Nazi's coming through the neighborhoods during the war and stealing from all of the families and just taking everything they had.. but how when they came to her house, she got soooo mad and she was so sick of the way things were, she shook her finger in this Nazi's face and said NO NO NO NOOOO!  (in her accent is was more like .. noh noh NOHHHHH!) She didn't care if they were gonna kill her, she didn't want them taking their furniture and everything they had, and then a higher ranking Nazi came in to see what was going on, and told the other one to just leave her there, so they moved on to the next house.   Can you imagine?  She was a tiny lady, too.. and so sweet.. and kinda one of my heroes.  I mean, she wagged her finger in the face of a NAZI.

We saw pictures, and learned that Chet was a race car driver after returning to Kansas after the war.  So cool.

They told us about not having kids.. Paulette said, "I wait and wait for my baby, it never come."  They told us of having a foster daughter that was about 13 or 14 years old, but that it didn't work out.  And they didn't have much family left.  But they had each other.  And their church family was their family.

They doted on Austin, and sent a card when he was born.. I have a dishrag that Paulette knitted. . I will treasure those two things.  They were just the sweetest, thoughtful couple who had lived through so much.  They adored each other.  Aww. I'm kind of sad.  Sad that I won't see them at Leawood Village anymore, and sad that I didn't get to know them for a longer period of time.  But with the hope of Heaven, I hope Chet has a grand reunion with his love, Paulette on the other side. 

I've been conflicted all along about Austin going to preschool.  I can totally see the pro's of it all.  Learning to be around kids, learning to sit still in a class-like setting, etc.  I even posted a question about it on Facebook, and all of the comments I got were "YES" for preschool. 

But one thing just nags at me...  once he starts school, he will be going to school for years and YEARS.  Can't he just be a carefree little boy while he still has time to?  He goes to gymnastics, and storytime at the library where he learns to be in a group and follow a teacher's instructions..  fun things that he would have to give up, if he went to preschool every day.  He knows his ABC's and some simple math like 1 + 2, using his fingers of course.., colors, shapes, including hexagon, octagon and oval.. I can't see him lagging behind in Kindergarten just b/c he doesn't go to preschool.

We decided, though, that we would probably send him, since it seems like the thing to do, but not until he's at least 4 or 4 1/2.  I mean, some moms at storytime are really serious about it.. one told me that she had checked out all of the preschools in the area and had copies of their curriculum. Wow.  I would have never even thought far enough ahead to do that.  I don't even want to send my kid to preschool... Am I weird that way?

But here's where things just fell into place.  Perfectly. 

We happened to be near a Gymboree Play and Music play gym, and Austin was BEGGING to go and look inside.  I told him no b/c he already goes to a gymnastics class..

(stretching at gymnastics with Bella and Talisa, twins who also have a Newfie, named Dylan, a Landseer )

(pull-ups with his teacher, Felicia)

(jumping kamakazi off of the cube)

(learning to balance on diff. things)

..and to storytime

(his storytime buddy Caleb)

and we don't need to sign up for something else.. but he persisted with wanting to go in, so I told him that we could just look in the window.  And there it was.. a flyer in the window, at my eye level, announcing their new "school skills" class for 3-5 yr olds.  ONE day a week, for TWO hours a day.  Drop-off.  So he could learn to be independent.  And did I mention only one day a week?  This makes me happy.. he can still be a little boy on the other days, w/o the responsibility of going to school every day.  And it's really economical, and he loves it, loves being around the kids, and wasn't even upset about us leaving him there the first time.  In fact, when we picked him up, I thought he'd be glad to see us, but he gave me a look and then looked away.  As in, "If I don't look at her, she's not really here."  OUCH.  Because he didn't want to leave the fun.

This is his sweet teacher, Miss Grace..

We were talking about it at storytime, and one mom asked me how long we were going to leave him in that class, and when we would start "actual" preschool..  Wow, this preschool peer pressure is intense. ha!  I think as far as we're concerned, this is actual preschool.  It's just enough.  It is the perfect happy medium for us.   Something led me to that window.. and there was my answer.

They learn a new letter every week, and do some sort of art, read a story, have a snack, and play on the play gyms..

Here is his first day.. so proud to use his little backpack (that was a shower gift from Leigh and Kelsey --it is perfect for him now!)

His first art picture.. "alot of paw prints" .. guess what's on his mind?

One day we picked him up and he was playing with his backpack on.. he told his teacher he wanted to wear it while he played b/c he was "traveling". 

And look Uncle Bryan!  He made a necklace!  You'll have to get together and compare your necklaces.

Oh, and did I mention it is right next to Rubio's, our fave place to eat?  And a fountain that Austin loves to kick around at.. and some really great shops?  Here he is having fun before class..

And beaming when we picked him up.  He had planted some peas in a cup that he decorated with stickers.

Since he started going to school skills, he has started sounding out all kinds of words when he's talking.  He'll say, "Mommy are we going to the store? ... sssss-tore.....ssssss.... Hey! Stores starts with.... SSSSSssssss!!!!"  So fun!! For now, I think we'll stick with Pretend Preschool.