Fun Outside With the Neighbors!

This weekend as we wrapped up Easter decorations and tripped over open plastic Easter egg halves after hiding them at least 50 times filled with anything from fruit snacks to cherios, we had a nice relaxing home improvement hanging out in the beautiful spring weather and landscaping kind of weekend.

Jimmy and I have great neighbors. Mike and Stephanie live next door with their four kids and Mike's mom.Thats them above and their whole family dressed as the cast of The Wizard of Oz for Halloween. They are so fun. Ironicly we all lived in Sharpstown when we were little, all graduated from A&M and all think the neighbor's teenage kids across the street might be selling something besides lemonade from their house at all hours of the night and day. Not the nice family with the baby, but that house with the hiteous blue door that everyone has on their street where you never quite know who really lives there, keep random large trash in their unmanicured front yard for months at a time, and have random cars at their house at ALL hours that only stay for a few minutes. The house you don't want your kids to accidently kick their ball over their fence and the one you skip during girl scout cookie season.

Good thing Jimmy's second job is the neighborhood watchman. He is always watching everthing going on and looking for something suspicious. He has caught three houses getting robbed. It goes like this, "Jimmy, what are you looking at" as he peeks quietly through the blinds in the front. Then he casually gets on the phone (he has the constable on speed dial) and says as he is already calling the cops, "The neighbor's house is being robbed." He calls the constable more than he calls his own mom. He also checks the neighborhood website every day and e-mails me about once a week to remind me to lock my car door and keep a sharp eye on my surroundings.

So back to our next door neighbors, Stephanie and I both teach in Spring Branch and love talking about how tiring it is to teach and take care of kids and we laugh about everything! Mike and Jimmy like talking about golf, or frying turkeys and boiling mud bugs. Mike posts hilarious pics of his kids doing the robot in HEB and man purse sightings on facebook. They are kind of a picture of whats to come for Jimmy and I as our babies grow up; carting kids from school, to dance, to baseball, to swimming, to church, and homework, and everything else. Busy and exciting times ahead! I love hearing their kids scream and laugh and play outside. It makes me feel safe, and it reminds me of my childhood having lots and lots of kids on my street that we always played outside with.
Every day June goes to the door many times asking for Natalie. That is their oldest daughter pictured above. She says "un Naleee" translated to (I want Natalie) She loves playing with her and follows her everywhere. Below is Lynn, her other bestie, who lives on the other side of us. She loves playing with Lyn and her little brother Kenny. Both of the girls are in fifth grade and really love Junie. Nice for me when I need a little break!






This is Christopher, Natalie's brother. He always wants to hold Shelby. June always says "You funny!" She calls him "Kwis"




Madeline is 4 and also loves playing with June. She cut her bangs recently and gave all her teddy bears a hair cut as well.




Matthew, below, is a handful, and full of energy.





Madeline is really stinkin adorable!

So, ever since a few weeks ago when I did this craft (below) with the kids, I am like the neighborhood art teacher/entertainment coordinator. Whenever we go outside, Kenny says.."Mrs. Natalie, we're bored can you make us a game or some art?"

Kenny really liked making this tree and hung it in his room and always talks about it.

So being the fun teacher I am, I told them I had laundry to do and took the girls inside. A few minutes later I heard a knock on the door. It was Kenny... "Mrs. Natalie I really love my tree and I also loved the popsicles you gave us. Can you come play with us?" It was such a pretty day, so I went ahead and went outside since June was whining for Natalie ever since we went inside. Then the kids next door came home and the whole crew was outside playing. I came up with a nature scavenger hunt for all the kids and they had such a blast! You would have thought I had brought out a giant inflatable castle by the sound of their squeels with excitement as they raced around the yards looking for random items on the ground. "I FOUND A FEATHER" I heard Natalie scream as though she had scratched a winning lotto ticket or something!

They ran everywhere, lifting up rocks and combing the grass for snails, worms, and bugs!

June followed Natalie around pointing at every rock screaming "DAT" like she was part of the team!

Shelby chilled the whole time on the porch in her bouncy. My little happy girl, just enjoyed hearing the kids scream and laugh and play. After the scavenger hunt, we had an Easter egg hunt and June was mad that the eggs weren't filled with candy. She showed her disgust by throwing the eggs on the ground that we tried to put in her basket saying"no no egg" "all gone egg" She was so happy though when Natalie gave everyone fun dips and jelly beans! Unfortunatly June has inherited my sweet tooth!