Holy crap, it's May!

And... as a bonus, it's actually starting to feel like spring. Even as Mother Nature continues to hint at throwing us another winter-like curveball, plants are blooming, trees are beginning to bud, and I'm actually enjoying being out in the yard again!
I got the mower deck succesfully re-installed on the tractor, so I was able to start mowing the grass again last weekend. I totally dreaded that endeavor, as I had only taken the thing off last fall and slid it under the boat in the garage figuring that when the time came, I would have to get the instruction manual back out and suffer through putting it back underneath the tractor. I did use the manual, but it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. Enough about my lawn mower-
We had a great time in St Louis last weekend - Ann and I both took Friday off and we split for the gateway city first thing in the morning. We finally got to meet Sammy, possible the most well-behaved munchkin around. We also got to see what Kim and Jim have done to their house, including the addition/entertainment center and Jim's "Castle of Fun" in the backyard. I got to help him put the finishing touches on the swingset deal just in time for the girls to go nuts on it. Nothing keeps Addie happier than being on a swing, I've discovered.
Then of course there was the Derby party on Saturday. Kim and Jim revived the annual tradition of drinking and eating for hours, punctuated by 2 minutes of interest in a few horses who's names we just pulled out of a hat. It was a great time, and good to see all of their family and friends again. It was made even better by the fact that the kids spent most of the afternoon and evening with babysitters who took them to Monkey Joe's (think bounce house x 100) and then Happy Joe's (home of the Taco Pizza).
The girls had a great time with Ele and her cousin Tommy, and had plenty of stories to share about all the fun when they crashed our party around 8 pm.
We capped the weekend off with a trip to Grant's Farm in St Louis Sunday morning - it's the old homestead of Ulysses Grant and his wife which was later purchased by the Anheuiser and Busch families. It's a huge property that largely is home to various wild animals and a beer garden. How completely St Louis. Hey kids, wanna pet some goats? Cool, let's get some beer. Free samples always brighten the day as well.
This weekend should be a nice, relaxing time of getting a bit more done around the house/yard. At some point I need to embrace the idea of starting to build our very own swingset/playhouse monstrosity in our own backyard. And probably sooner than later so the kids can actually enjoy it this season. Ugh. Not sure which I am fearing more - that or beginning to strip off wallpaper in the dining room. Anyone care to stick a fork in my eye?