April 2016: The Magic of Spring

April was a time for sports, celebrations, outdoor activities, and magic.

• Lacrosse season was in full swing.  No pun intended.  The flow was definitely working for both boys as the pictures show.  We were winning games and life was good.
• We had lots of fun in Louisiana with all of Jeremy's siblings, spouses, and children.  The boys enjoyed a magic carpet ride, courtesy of Mer and Pop.  The wedding festivities were perfect, as was our time just hanging out together.  We don't get that kind of time often enough (maybe once a year if we are lucky), but we sure make the best of it when we do.  
• Mighty's birthday celebration began with treats in his classroom.  His teacher lets students choose the way the birthday song is presented.  He chose "tall."  Everyone stood on their chairs and sang to him.  We followed the classroom party with a family gathering at home.  His birthday dinner was fried shrimp with Gooey Butter for dessert.  (Our boys sure like seafood!)  The best part of the night was when Mighty tried to guess one of his presents.  One gift was in a super long box.  He wanted to know if we got him a lacrosse stick for his birthday.  I said yes, and he couldn't stop talking about it.  He couldn't believe I would ruin his present by telling him what was in the box.  Klein even played along.  When Mighty asked for details about the stick, Klein volunteered that he had strung it with a Hello Kitty string.  Needless to say, the birthday boy was a bit distraught.  He was relieved to open the package and find an airsoft gun he had wanted.  Later that night, he asked if we would get him a lacrosse stick.  The answer...absolutely.  We were hoping this day would come.  
• We celebrated Jackson's birthday with a herd of 6th grade boys at Austin's Park and Pizza.  They played laser tag, rode rides, and just talked.  We learned that a herd is not always a good plan.  It was hard for them to keep up with each other and hard for us to keep up with them.
• Dave invited us for a crawfish boil.  It was great to catch up with everyone and enjoy some yummy food in the process.  Mighty and Calvin caught fireflies at dusk.  It was magical.

March Madness 2016

As Emeril would say, we decided to "kick it up a notch" in March.  It was literally madness but in a good way.  We were able to spend lots of time with family and friends both near and far.  And...we actually remembered to take pictures, an improvement over the last two months.

• The annual school Science Fair was replaced with Stemfest, which made both the child and parents in our household very happy.  Mighty created a Lego set that does not currently exist to go with one of his favorite books, The Night Gardener.
• We were able to kick off a lacrosse season like no other.  Many games we were able to see two Wilhelmi boys midfield for the face-off and playing as teammates throughout the game.  This may never happen again, so we made sure we treasured every moment.
• Klein's dirt bike gear came together like a champ.  His bike, however, took a little longer to make an appearance.  Repairs that take all of your birthday money and then some aren't always quick.
• Sara Benolken has a way of getting even the hardest of eggs to crack at her Easter egg hunts.  This year was no exception.  Our bookends were smiling.
• Mighty's class took a field trip to a YMCA.  He thought it was going to be terrible, but he actually had a great time.  I was glad to be there for his change of heart.  
• We celebrated Nan and Gran with family and amazing friends from far away places.
• Easter was awesome.  Parker and Ben joined us for P's first egg hunt.  
• For Jackson's 12th birthday dinner, he chose fried shrimp.  We kind of twisted his arm a bit so we could eat together.  He loves shrimp any way it's cooked so I don't think it was a big deal.  He also chose his favorite dessert over a traditional birthday cake...Gooey Butter.