So long Jack Hammer

A few days ago, the boys said goodbye to their amphibian friend, Jack Hammer. Jack and his pal, Fred Finklehorn, came to live with us back in October when the boys returned from a trip to the toy store WITH THEIR DAD. Their new pets looked pretty much the same to me, but much like the parents of identical twins, Sam and Fulton would say...Oh no mom! You can definitely tell them apart. Jack's got the tiny spots and Fred has the big ones! In just a few months they had grown to appreciate each frog and his particular characteristics. It was really sweet!

Sam and Fulton agreed that he needed a proper burial. So we did what every good frog owner would do... We wrapped him up in tin foil and dug hole. They requested to bury him close to Dixie and Linus. "We found the perfect spot!", Fulton said. They made a little grave and each each said a few kind words regarding his good nature and overall character. They followed up with a prayer and thanked God for giving us Jack to take care of. The sincerity was PRICELESS!

Jack Hammer

October 2011-February 2012

Now, Fred swims freely in his acrylic cube.

Shannon and I both commented on how skippy and happy he seems without Jack in his way. Hmmmmm?... should we conduct an investigation?

XO,

The Good Ol' Days

Remember cereal boxes with prizes inside?
They were the BEST! It was always at the very bottom of the box and may or may not have even been packaged in anything. My older brother and I were forever in races to see who could get the last bowl of cereal and ultimately... the prize. What joy a box of Apple Jacks or Cheerios could bring!

I remember my friend Margaret and I getting in trouble at her house because we dumped a FULL box of Froot Loops all over the counter just to get to the Neon Leon {remember it?} in the bottom of the box. Whatever trouble we got into was worth it because our bracelets were AWESOME!!! So the dirty cereal went back into the box, but we got our prize.

I used to cruise the aisles of "The Pig" with my mom when I was a child. I looked for the best prizes and that would determine which cereal we bought. Prizes in boxes are few and far between now. There are lots of "mail-in" prizes with 400 proofs of purchase, etc.

But that's no fun!

Why'd they change it? My kids don't look forward to the simple pleasure of digging through a box or anxiously awaiting the last bowl of cereal. The few boxes that do have prizes, they are all packaged up and taped to the side of the box, to eliminate digging, I suppose.

But that's no fun either!

The other day Oliver picked out a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch because it had the Justice League Superheroes on the front. He didn't realize there was a comic book inside, but boy did his brothers! Sam was so excited to be the first one to get into the box the next morning. The book was literally taped to the inside of the box. Totally easy access...BOO! The dig was so much more fun. Regardless, he got it and flipped through the comic and passed it off to Fulton, who flipped through it and gave it to Ollie.

It took me back about 25-30 years and reminded me of how simple surprises are often the best.

Whoooo's Ready for...

Monster Jam 2012????

Last Friday night we took the boys to Monster Jam. It was quite an exciting time for the Baker boys. It was my and Ollie's first experience. Sam and Fulton were so excited that we were joining in their tradition. Shannon has been taking them with friends since Sam was 2 {sorry, I wasn't blogging then, but here's 2007}. They really look forward to this annual event. This year we decided to make it a family affair. It was definitely worth it seeing Oliver's shell-shocked face.

As we walked into the Colonial Center and saw the dirt arena and giant trucks, all the blood left his face and his mouth just hung open. He was A-MAZED! Sam and Fulton are the old pros and showed the newbies the way. We went to eat dinner at their traditional hot dog spot and then armed ourselves with the appropriate protective ear-wear. They kept me filled in on all the significance of each "drive". I feel extremely enlightened now that I have experienced a real live MONSTER TRUCK SHOW!

On one of my 14 lovely days {the day before we went to monster jam}, I surprised them with a visit to see one of the trucks that would be participating and its driver, as he was parked at a local auto parts store...it was Rap Attack! Again, Oliver was motionless and speechless. So funny! Sam and Fulton were ALL-OVER-IT...literally. They were climbing all over the tires and even asked the driver if he could take them for a ride. Uuuuuuummmm...well, there's only one seat. Not possible, guys.

Any who...it was a night to remember for us all. I enjoyed being just one of the boys!

xo,