You call this fun???

So somehow, someway Nathan agreed to get shot at by Doug using his own air-soft rifle.  Sometimes I just don't understand what makes the male species tick.  Then again, I was the one taking pictures of the event. 


Nate is the little figure to the left of the big tree
Doug is, obviously, holding the air-soft gun





he got hit!




laughin all the way back




obviously got hit in the shoulder



Put me in coach

Ezeekai had his first, official baseball practice.  Wahooooo!  I feel like this little guy has been waiting
for-evah to play this sport.  Seriously, I do.  Yet I realize he is only 6.  No, I'm not dramatic at.all.  Enjoy the pictures!

warmin up

checkin to see how fast he can run



throwin from 2nd to 1st



playin outfield



oops.  he missed it



We're playing basketballlllllllll

So we have been in basketball heaven these last few months.  No, seriously, we have.  I love basketball.  I love watching basketball, playing basketball, and coaching basketball.  That's right, I said coaching basketball.  This year I got to get back into the game (pathetic pun, i know) since Maggie said she wanted to play.  Unfortunately, I have taken quite the hiatus from the sport.  Like a 15 year hiatus, (Ugh...the fact that I can say I haven't done something in 15 years makes me want to cry!!!)  which made me feel a bit out of touch when I first started.   Like my friend Nicki has told me, "it's just like riding a bike."  So i went with that little saying and jumped back in.  I loved coaching maggie's team and I am hoping to be able to assist an AAU team this spring.  Not sure if it will work out since we've got quite a few things going on.  Here is our list:

     Ezeekai's baseball

     Nathan's AAU basketball

     Corey's AAU basketball and his baseball

     Maggie's horseback riding

     Jaida's piano

     Fahnta's cooking class (maybe, haven't signed her up yet)

Sounds like a busy spring but it is so much fun to watch our kids doin things they love.  Speaking of things and love.  This song!!!  I remember when this came out on the radio.  I remember watching the video on MTv.  I remember singing the song on busrides home from basketball games.  I didn't remember how bad the video actually was.  Yeah, 1984 wasn't a good year for music videos:-)  But, I did want my kids to see a little piece of MTv history.  Haven't broken out the Michael Jackson "Billy Jean" video yet, but i am sure Kurtis Blow is a close second!!!   

     

Saturdays are for...

CLEANING!!

  

Yeppers that's what I said.  Is that what my kids like to hear?  Heck no!! You would think i asked them to mix up their own cleaning solutions, sew their own rags, and vacuum the entire house with one of those little tiny vacuums like the one I had to clean my gremlin that plugged in to the cigarette lighter. --->

So much to their dismay, this is how we spend a couple of hours on our Saturday.  Yep, only a couple hours out of 24 that is given to cleaning this house.  

Some quotes from my kids:

Saturday cleaning (fill in the blank)

     from corey:  "it stunk"

     from fahnta: " i like it a little bit"

     from maggie: " its okay"

     from ezeekai: " its kinda fun"

     from jaida: " is good"

Corey claims he is the only honest one in the family!!!  I think I believe him!

Nate's music choice while cleaning.  He also got
pumped up with a little
"Eye of the Tiger" but I heard that from upstairs and
didn't get there in time for a pic.



the shop vac is a popular tool on saturdays





Totally.thrilled.



The chicken vs. the rat

This is what our kids do when they are bored:-)

HaPpY fAmiVeRsArY!!!!

Today is March 1, 2012 and we are one happy bunch of people.  Today we celebate the 4th anniversary of Fahnta and Ezeekai coming to America and meeting their new family (us) for the first time!!  Just pleased as punch here cuz we are people who enjoy a good celebration!!  Traditionally we eat Liberian food on this day, but I let Fahnta and Ezeekai pick what they wanted to eat and they chose pizza and wings.  Fahnta did add rice and greens too, but wings were a total and complete crowd pleaser!!!
So today we celebrate them and the joy they have brought to all of our lives!!!!



Fahnta and Ezeekai 4 years ago



Ez eating the crowd pleasing chicken wings

Fahnta with a bit of hot sauce from the crowd
pleasing chicken wings

Fahnta on her 11th birthday

Ez's 1st day of 1st grade

Fahnta's 1st day of 3rd grade



It's Like Black Friday @ Wal-Mart

I am quoting Doug in the above title because yet again, the man has gone cah-razy!  He made a trip to Knisely's today.  Yep, to Knisely's.  Apparently many people made a trip to that farm store today.  Sooo many people that doug texted me saying that it looked like black friday at wal-mart in that place.  He made a similar trip to Knisely's around this same time last year and it resulted in this...

our first chickens...they didn't last long cuz of a neighborhood fox

  Soooooo, the trip this year resulted in this...

We've got 5 brand new baby chicks and they are adorable.  The very first batch of chickens we bought last year had got eaten by a fox so Doug replaced them immediately with 10 new ones.  Well, one of them got drug away by a fox this past summer so we presently have 9 chickens hanging out in our back yard.  Seems like a rough place to live if you're a chicken.  These poor little guys don't know what they are in for! 

The kids are beyond excited!  Chicks have been claimed by children, names have been given, and said children have been pooped on!  Its a good day in the Thomas house.

first pooped on hand