Spring has most definitely sprung! We headed down to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn (our second annual trip) to gawk at the sea of vibrant colors. Well, Heather and I did the gawking, while the kids busied themselves with the pint-sized entertainment. Ayden was thrilled to climb all over the piled up hay bales that had large culverts in, under and on them. The kids also had a go at the water pump duck races, the Boisvert’s rode the “cow train”, and Ayden, Owen and I headed for the antique tractor parked midfield. The weather turned out to be great… overcast, mid 50’s and great light for some good photos! Check out Heather’s site for more photos of our outing too. If you’ve never made the trek down to Woodburn for this event, do yourself a favor and hit the road. During the week the event is entirely free and the scenery along the way (not to mention once you get there) does not disappoint! What are you waiting for?!?!? We can’t wait to go again next year! 
First order of business… Owen is 11 months old today! One year, here we come! He capped off the day with a record sprint to the top of the stairs - this is day two of his stair ascension prowess. There are a few photos of the triumphant event in the new gallery.
Second item on the agenda - to explain the title of this post. Ayden has recently taken a liking to the game “hide and seek” and has asked to play every evening for the past week or so. In the beginning, as he was still trying to get a grasp on how the game works, Patrick and I would work together by dialogging something like this:
Patrick: Where’s Ayden? Mommy, can you smell him in here?
Chloe: Yep. I smell him. [audible sniff]
Patrick: Oh, me too. I think I’m getting closer… [sniff, sniff, etc]
Somehow or another Ayden managed to interpret this version of the game with a new name… Smelly Stinkers. So instead of asking us to play “hide and seek”, we’re now asked to play Smelly Stinkers every evening!
Owen has finally managed to accomplish that which separates us from most of the other animals on the planet… he stands! At the end of last week he figured out how to crawl properly up on his hand and knees (rather than dragging himself across the rug with one arm). He’s gotten rather quick at that now and I’ve had to recommission the gate at the top of the stairs. So I’d say it was Friday that he had the crawling nailed, and on Saturday he experimented with pulling himself up onto his baby grand piano. He was feeling quite overconfident at that point and has several large knots on his head to prove it! Then the rest of the weekend was spent figuring out how to not trip over his own feet as he cruised along the ottoman, couch, bathtub, etc. I’m already having to move things up in the house that I haven’t had worry about in almost two years! The other unfortunate side effect to Owen being able to stand is that he can do so in his crib - though he can’t get back down. He therefore screams bloody murder until we come to lay him back down - or he ends up falling and adding another braille bump to his skull! Ah well, one step at a time I suppose! This too shall pass! Enjoy the newly added pictures from the weekend.
First order of business… a few photos from Easter through last night in the newest gallery. Enjoy!
Second order of business; I keep meaning to post a couple of funny tidbits about Ayden - so here they are:
1) Ayden received a big ceramic piggy bank from a neighbor for his first birthday. He’s always had fun putting random coins in whenever he comes across them, but otherwise hasn’t really paid much attention. Until recently. Now in the evenings when Patrick is putting him to bed, he asks Patrick if he has any money in his pockets, and if so, can he have it!!! The kid is only two years old! I thought we’d have at least another decade before he started asking for handouts!!! And so it begins….
2) I have no idea where he picked up this new mannerism (Lindsay maybe?), but a few days ago he started crossing his arms (complete with a lip-out-pout and the “hmph!” sound to go with it!) when he isn’t getting his way or I’m reprimanding him. Unbelievable! I asked him where he learned that and he said from Grandma Kelly! When I told Grandma about this, she denied that she ever does that - so I don’t know where he got it. Talk about a two year old with ‘tude!