Zach has been a vegetarian for a few weeks. He’s a really good vegetarian.

I’ve been trying it for a day (and a half). I’m a really horrible vegetarian.

I just keep dreaming about steak.

I dislike Boca burgers.

I feel hungry a lot.

I know a lot of you are vegetarians so throw your sister a bone. How do you do it? Will I always feel a little bit like I’m missing out on the very best of life?

What do you cook? I’m certain I’ll never last if I eat only rice, noodles and the same veggies over and over and over and over and over.

So recipes? Blogs? Tasty non-steak steak?

Kthanks.

Off to *hopefully* not have the same weird steak-filled dreams I had last night. Seriously, cows talking? Asking me to eat them? Weird.

Tariku has been begging me for cornrows for months. Since I didn’t think I could do them, and didn’t want to pay the upwards of $40, I waited until I could find some poor sucker woman to do it for free. Thursday night one of the Y childwatch employees braided a few rows and it looked GREAT. For the next day she and I went back and forth trying to figure out when I could bring him by for her to finish. It was just a hassle.

this spring break. In fact, we’ve cleaned a few rooms I needed cleaned/organized. I created “the fun room” for the kids by moving stuff around and by giving away some of the stuff we no longer need.

But perhaps most importantly, we prepared the garden for spring (I mean real spring, not the spring we are currently witnessing with snow and frigid temps-grr).

This will be the first year for the garden. Last year I had Zach set up old railroad ties for some raised beds but then I found out we’d be traveling to bring home the boys during summer and I just didn’t want to put anything more on my plate.

So we had to start from scratch.

My favorite, most amazing hubby keeps it classy even in the midst of physical labor.

I do too, obviously, just some good old fashioned basketball shorts and cowboy boots.

With the help of “Prancer” from camp, we were able to prepare both raised beds. Next week we’ll take some soil that’s been mixed with horse shit manure and fill in the rest of the beds. Very exciting stuff!

It did come at a price, though. A branch of some sort scratched my eye (can I also blame that for the wrinkles, freckles and wayward eyebrows?) Serious stuff, right? 😉

Zach claims he got scratched on the finger…though I’m pretty sure he just used it as an excuse to flip me off…tough to say.

Don’t let us fool you, we’ve been having plenty of play time. We (with my mom) even took the kids bowling for the first time. Oh yeah, and Zach cut Trysten’s hair. A zig zag mohawk. My girl Chrissy dyed it blue too. Well, why not?

The concentration.

The cuteness.

I seriously love these people.

I never want spring break to end. Never. Ever. Love having all my babes home.

Every night at dinner we do the whole “what was your favorite part of the day/what was your least favorite part of the day” business. Last night we went around, everyone told us their best part. We get to the least favorite…

Daddy: “Binyam, what was your least favorite part of the day? What made you sad?”

Binyam: “Daddy I am NOT sad! I AM HAPPY! All day I am not sad, I am happy!”

Oh he’s precious.

and it brings Topless Tuesdays!

So it’s here. World Water Day.

There are so many “Days” now, right? All worthy, all good in their own right, but really so many. What does one do for Presidents Day anyway?

But today, today is essential. Because the water crisis isn’t being solved as quickly as it needs to be. This is a crisis we can solve in our lifetime. Read that again, a crisis we can solve in our lifetime! That’s HUGE!

My friend, Jody, helped start The Adventure Project (TAP) a few months ago. I’ve told you about it before. Great group of women, great group doing great things.

Their newest project is about water. You can read more about it here. And if you go to Jody’s post here you’ll know why I’m blogging.

TAP has found a partner who will match donations today. So they are asking bloggers to designate a post today and ask beg their readers to donate $20, or $10, or $5, whatever. But we want need you to donate. If $10,000 is raised, it will be matched. You read that correctly, there is an opportunity to raise $20,000 in one day to bring clean water back to hundreds of people.

We simply can’t let this opportunity pass us by. So donate today. I am going to, you need to as well. Go to The Adventure Project’s website and donate. What an awesome, awesome opportunity for us to celebrate World Water Day.

Speaking of World Water Day…

of course we are thinking about it at Water for Christmas as well! The Colorado contingency of our group has been hard at work on something exciting. It’s going to launch on April 1st so great ready for that as well. But for good measure, I’m donating there today as well. Feel free to follow suit. 🙂

I would LOVE to see the blog world light up today. Like it did for Martin Luther King Jr day and the like. I’m showing my kids videos about water (the videos from charity: water are great for kids!), I’m letting them “consider” donating some of their saved money to the cause as well. This is a real opportunity to create little water advocates in the next generation.

So happy water day to you. Pass on the passion.

Baby Cash (and Frankie and Emily) came over to give “The big 3” their presents.

Baby Cash is sooo cute. Today I was looking through old pictures and found it remarkable how much my nephew (Cash) looks like one of my sons (Trysten). Amazing.

No matter, my camera was lovin’ it some Cash-y!

Dailah couldn’t get enough of her little cousin either, imagine that.

Uncle Zach played with the little guy. I think Zach sometimes misses having a little baby to “throw around”.

Zach even did the traditional Klipsch trick with his nephew.

Of course we had to go outside (Spring has sprung! And the thermometer was hovering at around 70 degrees!) Do you see those eyes? Do you see those dimples? Do you see those little teeth. Oy!

And then the big 3 with their new shirts from the Frank Klipsch family. They were perfect (and adorable).

Yesterday was one of those days when I was just looking around me and thought “This is my version of the most perfect day”. The big boys were playing with their new basketball hoop -also from Frank Klipschs- the littles were playing with their various bikes/lawn toys, I had my nephew on my lap and a beer in my hand. My favorite man in the world (that’d be Mr. Hotflawedmama) was across from me and 2 other people I love so very much (that’d be Frank and Emily) were there too.

It was just one of those times when I knew it was entirely possible to bring heaven to earth in a multitude of ways. So, so thankful for that.

On Friday I got a note from Trysten’s art teacher telling me that one of his pieces (yes, they are called “pieces” even when the artist is 8!) was chosen to be showcased at our local mall. I was excited to see what he had done, as he wasn’t for sure which piece had been chosen.

Then in the car he said, “Oh yeah, I remember, I think it is my self-portrait!” Which made me even more excited.

Drum roll, please…

I know I’m partial but I thought it was amazing, especially for a second grader. I got a wee bit choked up when I read this.

And then clutched my chest to keep my heart from bursting forth with love goo when I saw this.

Love him, so proud of him.

I’m certainly to the point where if I never hear “Happy birthday” again, it’ll be too soon. We finished all of the boys’s celebrations this weekend with a family party at a local bounce house. Whew. No words. Just pictures. Ok, maybe words, definitely pictures.

Papa spoiled with one more dinner/presents for Tariku.

Dailah with her new hair cut (be still my heart).

Push up contest in the restaurant. You guys do this too, right? With mom (me) as the judge as to whether or not they are legit push ups. Mmmk.

The men at the bounce house.

Pizza after. Or for these two, chips.

The birthday boys.

The most amazing wall hanging my mother-in-law created for Tariku and Tomas.

And then Zach put the two littles on top of the car. Because why wouldn’t he, really?

Done…until July. Oy.