Lots of New Things at our House

This is what it looks like in front of my house right now! Joseph and I planted these tulips in September and we had so much fun watching them bloom. I didn't realize the the azaleas would bloom the same time. So colorful! Here's a taste of what our family room make-over is starting to look like. Here's our new furniture and tv and you can see the new paint on the wall and new rug on the floor. Now I get to have fun filling the shelves. I think I'll put some photos, planters/vases, and wicker baskets on them. Then I plan to get a matching ledge shelf to go over the tv. What do you think?We enjoyed a visit from my cousin Terri and her family. We rode the new Water Taxi across the bay where we rode the carousel and ate ice cream. Yum.Here's what our spring walks around the block look like now. It seems like just yesterday our walks looked like this. It's kind of freaking me out that they're getting so big. Joseph is apprehensive about taking off his training wheels, but I think I've got him convinced to try it out after he turns six next month. Justin rides this three-wheeled scooter like a pro.Joseph drives me crazy with his incessant need to make projects and create "formulas." Just about everyday on the ride home from school he tells me he's got the best idea ever. I think it's inspired by one of our favorite shows, Phineas and Ferb, who make an elaborate creation everyday. He's made tvs and laptops out of cardboard, bluetooth headsets out of paper, and lately he makes things for me to use around the house. This afternoon he made me some wood floor cleaner. This picture is Joseph creating some sort of gel to use in my hair. His ingredients include hand soap, toothpaste and lotion.And this is his can of paint. I love that he's being creative and inventive but it's getting tricky that he wants to save all his projects and keep them in permanent places of honor. When I slowly throw them away, he always realizes it and lectures me about it.And I finally got Justin to the dentist for the first time. He's been begging since he watched Joseph go. I thought maybe he'd back down when we got there, but he just jumped in the chair and let them do the whole cleaning routine! He was so proud of his new toothbrush and play dough he picked out of the prize basket. My baby is turning into a big boy right before my eyes whether I like it or not.