I've Moved!
I've taken the plunge to my own domain name.

Please visit: DykstraDash.com

Don't Worry - everything is there.

As if AJ alone doesn't go through them fast enough.

Marc recently discovered cashews. Tonight as he is snacking on them he states, "I feel bad for me that I've been missing out on them all my life."

Happy Thankgiving!

'Tis the Season...Andrew's Christmas List

I have no Baby, but my baby carriers are still being put to use…

How else could they hold their Nerf Guns during battle?

Second Grade Math Homework

Dot = 1, Line = 10, Box = 100, Get it??

Sugar Rush!

Happy Halloween!

I love it when…

….our Andrew preaches to us about how showers aren’t a very good use of our natural resources right before taking a 25 minute long one.

My Mom Rocks!

Shining, Sparkling, Spectacular Swordfish!

Have you Tried this Chocolate? I can't seem to get enough of it!

'cause You can make Anything New!

This is AJ's new favorite song. Right now it get played on the radio all the time. And either with the radio or without, AJ can belt this out. 

I keep trying to catch that on video, but of course, as soon I whip out the camera, he clams up. Someday I hope to record it while he's still willing to sing it out... it's awesome!

Little ArtPrize-ing at the Gardens

PJ's & Cardboard

The boys found a couple of boxes, some paper, tape, & matchbox cars... And they were busy all morning.

(note the football medal Andrew is wearing with his PJ's first thing in the morning.)

Introducing Number 9 for the King Sharks!

Never Forget.

Simple Pleasures of the Young

After finding a box of Ritz Bits in our pantry that is 'earmarked' for school lunches/snacks, Andrew jumped up and down and declared,

"This is going to be the best school year ever!"

Mother of invention

I recently have been watching a newborn darling for a friend. This baby LOVES his bouncer and is very content in it while I need to get lunches made or attend to other boys.

The other day, the beloved bouncer was accidentally left at home and baby boy was in no mood to simply be put down... So we had to get creative.

A tipped backward and propped up car seat, some string, and three baby spoons were able to buy me the time I needed.

Camping with Tough Boys

The rough and tough boys roughing' it!

Joe Cool

Instead of having quiet reading time this afternoon, Andrew came downstairs like this.

Happy 11 Year Anniversary to Us!!

Aren’t we a cute couple!

Happy Birthday to Marc

It’s late but a few weeks ago we celebrated Marc’s birthday.  The boys and I surprised him with sugar cookies.  I decorated some and the boys decorated some.  See if you can tell which ones are which. :)

We celebrated by getting a sitter, going out to dinner….and running errands.  But even errands were really nice to run, when it was just the two of us

Football Practice

Impromptu practice.... Before the craziness of our real practice schedule beginning.

Test post from phone

This is a test

The Falls: Then and Now

Sticky

Latest Stunt

So…. Marc thought the boys needed a bike ramp.  This is a the first prototype and after several test runs, we realized it needs revamped a bit, however, the boys LOVED testing it out.

And yes, we did already have a nice wipeout.  Poor AJ.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

Every May, Andrew’s school has Grandparents day where Grandmas and Grandpas are invited to come to school for part of the day.  The week before, the art teacher asked each student to draw one of their grandparents.  Andrew choose his Grandpa Dykstra.  This is for you Grandpa!  Have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Anyone still There….?

I am going to try to do better posting here.  I have a lot, so I will try to get caught up.  No promises, but I’ll try.  Here’s a little something from our recent vacation in the U.P.

Book Report: The Help

So, life has been crazy.  Crazy in the sense, that I haven’t even read a book since last December.  Crazy, in that I haven’t posted to this blog in WAY too long.  Crazy, in that my house is never clean.

But summer is here and school is out, and I had the “opportunity” to travel to Ohio for nine days of necessary down time.  I had wanted to read The Help for a while, but it was never available at the library and because of where we live… requesting a hold isn’t as easy as it should be any more.

But on a last minute library trip before we traveled, it was sitting right there on the shelf waiting for me.  I picked it up and barely put it back down. 

Oh so good!  So believable.  The characters are lovable and relatable and hate-able.  The points of  view are enlightening, humorous, and cringe-worthy. I stayed up way to too late trying to finish it and then was sad the next night when I didn’t have it to read.

For a debut novel, Ms. Stockett wrote a book I highly recommend!

Mother’s day 2011

I know it’s a week late, but here a little of how we celebrated Mother’s Day. 

I have a couple beautiful Gerber Daisy on my table.  Many wonderful homemade gifts made at school.  And flowers for my lovely flowerpots.  (and I bought myself a new dress from Marshall's the weekend before….we are counting that, too!)

We also went to Olive Garden for a nice Mother’s Day lunch with some great friends.

My boys!

   

The promise was from Andrew to “Mow the Lawn”.  He might be a bit young for that promise…. but I’m sure I’ll hold it to him someday.

 

Andrew made me this ‘growing’ flower.  I realized the picture didn’t catch all the text.
It states, “Thanks for helping me grow!”

AJ’s decorated cup from church, and both boy’s preschool planter with flowers.