The best day ever....or at least for a 4yr old and 2yr old!!

Almost 11yrs ago a Grandfather bought a metal swing set for his Grandson! He bought the biggest one he could find! His 2yr old Grandson thought it was the best gift ever! Now for the life of me I can not find a picture of the old swing set in my files anywhere! You would think I would have one of the boys playing on it at some point and time in the life span of the old swing set....but alas I can not find one! So here is one of the same set as ours was except for one part the little see saw swing by the slide...ours had a two seat glider swing instead.....please note...that is not our house or our kids!!

Grandpa did good 10 + years go!

 That swing set has great sentimental value to a almost 13 year old.......why??? Because his Grandpa is now gone..it has been almost 3 years come November. Prince #1 was very mad at the fact Grandma was going to have the old swing set replaced. He has been mad for weeks...hearing us talk about the new one and what is going to happen to the old one...etc. He has been mad since the boxes arrived over a week ago! And he has been mad at each and every step as the new one went up! Prince #1 feels that if you take way what he feels important that no one cares about what it means to him. But what he doesn't understand is he is not the only one that felt sad at the old swing set coming down...I just don't show it. So over the last few days I have decided to try and figure out what we can do with the old parts to the old swing set......something that would be just for Prince #1....something he would find special! Now just to figure it out!
I will share with you the pictures of the New Swing Set going up! I don't have any of the old one coming down because my other camera's (which I hate) battery was dead as a door nail!! So I only got these!

Stage 1! Framing!

Stage 2! Starting on the fort part!

Stage 3! Almost there!

Stage 4! Just missing a few things!

DONE!!!!!

Let the fun began!!

Having a good time!

More Fun!

They will be tired tonight!

Now it only took a few days for our awesome Daddy to build this! I actually put on the climbing rocks with a little help from prince #2.....somebody had to hold then in place while I tightened the bolts!! But he was helping and he loved it! Now if you look closely in the 4th to last picture you see the 2 for fun glider leaning up against the post there (it is yellow by the slide...not prince #1 but just below him)...well it seems that when all was said and done we were missing 2 bolts and the parts for them.....go figure! Well I emailed the customer support for the company that makes this swing set and they are sending out the parts we are missing ASAP!
Now I said before that Prince #1 has not been pleased about this new play set....he has complain and moaned and groaned for weeks now........but who may I ask was in three of the pictures....and who was playing on it with some of his friends.....and who did I hear say "Whoa this is really fun!!" Oh yeah that's right the almost 13 year old who was mad and pitched a fit many a time that's who!! In the end I knew he would get over his hating the fact that the old swing set had to come down and I knew he would actually really like the new one! Now if I could just figure out how to get him to do school work.....Hmmmmm.

Nicknames!

Well seeing as how my beautiful wonderful new camera took a noses dive on our Beach Vacation.......I have not wanted to use my old camera! It stinks and I mean stinks royal! I now remember why I wanted a new one! My boys are very active and so getting a pic of them is not a easy task at all....so I needed a camera that would take a shot just as fast as they move or pretty close to it!! My old one does not do this....so I have a 100 or more blurry shots that would have been so awesome if I had had a different camera! But I have taken just a few lately with my old one because well I had to or miss out on stuff.......so I will share a few pic's of  the boys. And this one of Pigpen ...I mean prince #3!

 

Pigpen

 Now we only gave him this nickname because well.........look at him! The dirt literally attacks him with in minutes! And it finds him no matter where he is!! Now the reason I so aptly named today's blog nickname is well we have given our boys nicknames....but for the life of me I am not sure why I never did give one to prince #1...shhhh he has one but he would not like it if I told you.......ok....."love bug"...shhhh don't tell him I told you! But Prince #2 was give his nickname only after the fact that he had to have his "nigh nite" 24/7.....and well it is blue....so he was dubbed "Luis". Prince #3 was dubbed "Pigpen" because some how some way that kid has dirt on him...and 99% of the time it came out of no where! It was and still is crazy! Other times it was self inflicted! Here are a few shots of my Pigpen..and you will see just what I mean.

PB&J attack!

Dinner attack!

Now I will give him the fact that these did involve food.......but he always looks like this! Well maybe not always! I do get some rare shots of him all cleaned up and looking mighty handsome....I will share a few of those too!

Handsome Boys!

Still Handsome!

Low key Handsome!!

My little handsome Pigpen!!

I may be biased but I do believe my prince's clean up rather nice!! I mean even the oldest does! See! (prince #3 did not want his brother to touch him.....hence the look on his face...he was mad!)

Handsome boys!

A little disheveled by still handsome!

No matter if my boys are dirty or spiffed up they are my boys......and I do love them each for who they are and who they may become. I can not change what they like or what they may do with their lives but why would I! They are all different in personality as much as they have different likes and dislikes! I love them and that is what matters most!
I had many a nickname growing up.....mostly from my dad.....who if I could hear him call me "skinny or Olive Oil" one more time I would take it. Some people think that nicknames are mean and to be honest sometimes they are especially if they intend to hurt someones feelings.....but I believe that if a nickname is used as an endearment toward someone you love and not in a hurtful manner than by all means love your kids give them a loving nickname! My Grandpa had give all us grand kids nicknames and for the life of me I wish I could remember every one's I only remember a few. Those are memories that should be remembered and cherished...and I really hope my boys will remember and cherish theirs!

Super Mom??? Really not so sure about that!

I guess being super busy in Mom duties can be a good thing...especially if you are trying to make your days go faster or you feel like you really are accomplishing something! But in reality....it just feel wrong to me!! I know crazy right?? But I love spending lazy days with my princes and hate that summer comes and goes so quickly!
Prince #1 has started back to school (home school but still school) as of Monday and it hit me this morning that in just 5 weeks I will have a TEENAGER!!! Those of you who love me please pray for me now!! Now don't get me wrong I love him to death but because of the "mood" he gets in 99% of the time...he drives me crazy too!

What were you thinking??? You are stuck aren't you!

 So much has taken place in the few weeks before school has started that I am not sure where to even start!!
Now I know that I had mentioned Prince #2 was potty training and that we have been doing it now for a while. As of last week he is wearing big boy underwear!! And only has one accident a day...if even that!! So our potty wall of cars is slowly becoming less and less! At least until Prince #3 decides that the potty is not so bad!! Yes folks...it seems that Prince #3 is now terrified of the potty as well as all the other things! I will say this he has gotten over one fear...over the weekend we stayed at a hotel were the boys were more than ready to swim in the pool! It took a few times but Prince #3 is now in love with swimming in a pool!! Here a few pic's of them swimming in the pool that Grandma took with her camera!

Loving the hot tub!

Wish it was not blurry Grandma!

Not so bad!

"I swim in da pool Mama (aka Grandma)!"

 

Prince #2 could be a fish...he loves the water!!

I hate that our Summer is over....and that Fall and Winter are just around the corner! But it is and I will have to just endure the cold snowy days ahead! SIGH......Oh well I will share more pic's in the days to come of my princes but for now I really need to get a new camera...I miss my old one....and I now remember why I wanted a new one in the 1st place...my old old one is not good at all!! Blah!! But I will soon post pic's of the new swing set that Grandma bought for the boys. Dad already has taken down the old one...I would have pic's of that but stupid old old camera was dead as a door nail......and so I have none! Oh well so is life! Until next time!