Do you want to know how get 4 and 6 year old boys worked up?
Well, let me share how I do it. First let the boys spend a good hour building a fort for the “good guys” – complete with a dropping floor that leads to jail for the “bad guys”. Once they finish and leave the room to go and find their cowboy hats and swords, you go to work. As fast as you can add pink blocks to the top. I also recommend adding little white picket fences and flowers around the perimeter of the lookout tower. Finally, round up all the single ladies and set them all over the top. These pictures don’t show it, but I also gave each gal a weapon and a coffee cup…so they didn’t fall asleep defending the tower.
Here is the fun part. When the boys return they will have looks of shock and panic on their faces. When they ask what you did, simply tell them, “The girls defeated the guys and took over control of the tower.” When they ask where their LegoMen are tell them, “They fell threw the floor and are in jail.”
They will quickly find their guys and remove all the pink and flowers…a little annoyed with you, but I promise it is worth it. Funny stuff.
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Big Brother was very proud of himself after he removed all traces of pink & girls from the tower.
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His sword is always in his back. I’m going to miss it when he grows out of this phase.
This is such a perfect picture of summer and boyhood to me. I really, really, really like this photo of him.
We took crazy to see their new cousin…they came bearing these and these. I am thinking she is going to like having these boys as her cousins.
She kills me. I probably drive her parents crazy with how much I rub her cheek next to mine. My do I love her.
And the newness wore off and they went their ways…
Is it redneck to leave lights on your Sycamore tree all year long?
Because I leave my Christmas lights on my sycamore tree all year long and I know all the words to every Brad Paisley song….
(here’s to all my sisters out there keeping it country…only about 10 you have any clue what I just wrote about)
That last photo is also a peek at Monday’s post….hmmmmmmmmm
by AshleyAnn
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Bridget - Redneck or not, it’s puuurty! And i am looking forward to knowing what this outdoor Dr Seuss action is all about. I love it!
Christa - Redneck? Only if your hubby checks you for ticks.
kristin kanner - I knew exactly what you wrote about and laughed! Love the lights on the tree…festive all year round. Beautiful pictures and beautiful baby!
Cara - You ought to get some of those cool bigger barebulb lights you see at outdoor cafes. Not so christmasy. Or you could just not care. I vote for not caring! You gotta have light under you big ol’ tree!
BTW, I’m super-jealous of your big ol’ tree.
Shannon - Cute! Now I need to get some pink legos…and for some strange reason we have NO girl lego people! Maybe it’s because the majority of our legos came from a garage sale. Hmmm…Christmas gifts! Ha!
Love the sweet baby visiting pictures. It’s so nice that y’all live so close so that your kids can grow up as friends. Priceless!
Rachel - I love that your daughter is pointing to your sister’s baby girl…like “look what I found”!!
Jodi - Let me get a “Hell Yeah”. I grew up riding horses and listening to country music in a little town in California. I get it! I love it.
I am so intrigued by your movie night under the sycamore tree! Your kids are going to have the best memories.
Congrats again on your little niece. She is adorable.
Colleen C - I totally keep it country all the way up here in Massachusetts. Had a flatts song as our first dance song. Woo! Also, that photo on the swing is beautiful.
Anna Joy - You little “Redneck Woman” you! I think the lights on the tree is awesome. White Christmas lights are good all year round. Now the color ones….maybe not so much. I can’t wait til I get to pull those types of pranks on my little guy! And Paisley is oh so precious!!
anne c - If redneck is keeping Christmas lights on your tree all year long, then I am really redneck. we have Christmas lights hanging around the top of the living room all year long! people always look at me crazy…but those lights relax me for some reason..I think it reminds me of the Christmas season..which is the most wonderful time of the year!
Elisabeth - Definitely get it and I love the screen on the green you’ve got going–we do that in our backyard, too!
Sarah - Biggest Brothers sunglasses on his shirt crack me up! He looks like a little man. Too funny
Sarah - Oh I know exactly what you are talking about! Of course it’s not country to leave your Christmas lights on the tree! It looks beautiful; not Christmas-y at all!
j cole - Baby P. will also like having Firecracker for a cousin! They will be great friends. Also – LOVE the pink legos!
Lindsay - Yay for google reader working! For now, right?
I LOVE the lights. If I had a sycamore tree… or a house for that matter, I would have lights on it all year round too. The tree, not the house.
Kelly Clarke - Laughed so hard about the pink Legos! Loved the sword pic, too… reminds me of a classic boyhood photo that he’ll have for a lifetime and show his son/daughter someday!
jody - Where’d you get your movie screen? did you make it?? LOVE it!!!
Lori K - Oh, I bet they were surprised to see those girls! how funny. I do funny things to Sterling all the time. just to mix it up.
That photo is precious -a boy and his childhood. And yes, I was raised in Oklahoma, lived in Texas for over 15 years so I can keep it country. I like the lights. (movie night is awesome) you are great at creating family memories.
Kara P - Love Gretchen Wilson (at least that song)!!
Can’t wait to see Monday’s post- it looks fun!
Jenna - Love the lights! Nothing wrong with having a little redneck in your blood.
MGF - Legos are an everyday thing around our house. But no pink legos to torture them with
robyn - i love this post!
have you read “wild things: the art of nurturing boys”??
its an amazing book about raising boys! your pink lego coup made me think you would enjoy it!
enjoy your niece… nothing better than being an aunt. its like the fun of parenting without the immense responsibility!
Jessica - oh i love it! the sweetest little family. her birth pictures were really precious too. can’t get enough of your blog.
Cathy - You go Gretchen!
Cathy – from Nashville, TN
the inadvertent farmer - I had some smart arse kid comment once that lights are only for Christmas I responded ‘not if you’re a hick’…
From one hick to a fellow red-neck…good post! Kim
Julia Crigler - PS…I LOVE Brad Paisley….and gettin’ a little mud on the tires. That is how we roll in Alabama!
Sarah - Let me get a big “HELL YEA” for all the redneck girls like me! There’s classy redneck and there’s trashy redneck…and you are definitely classy
Its not like you have multi colored lights on your front porch in July! 
Thanks for brightening my day with your blog!
Leanne - those baby shoes are adorable! I’m sure your sister was thrilled! I love the photo of your little girl pointing to the baby in the bed. SO cute. Gotta love some twinkle lights!
Jolie - I love love love the pink lego overthrow idea….need to try that one out! (and move on to small lego!)
Your niece is divine, as are your photos (are you sick or me saying that yet?)
Oh, and weird thing but all your posts suddenly showed up in Google reader this morning, and I usually have to look you up, so maybe the Googlies are sorted now??
Anna - Got to love Gretchen Wilson! Love the idea with the magnets- going to have to do that soon!
Jill - 1: no, it’s not redneck because I do it and even though I live in Tennessee now I grew up and spent most of my life in California and Alaska so I don’t think I can qualify as redneck.
2: we did a movie in the backyard too this summer….wasn’t it magical?
3: The sword killed me. I have a picture of my second boy when he was 5 sitting on the corner, 2 swords in hand, waiting for his older brother to walk around the bend on his way home from school. Priceless. Now that older brother is starting high school and that younger brother is starting middle school and my heart hurts so much I think somehow a vice grip made it’s way into my chest cavity. Good for you for savoring each moment of their young-ness.
susie whyte - oh, the legos… that there’s funny, i don’t care who ya are!
georgia - Just spent the morning in “Cowtown” (downtown Fort Worth) we love some country around her too.
pickel - My dad put lights on a tree in our backyard once and never took them down. It was for my wedding and he dubbed it my wedding tree. The lights eventually grew into the tree. But, it always looked so pretty.
Mary Craig - You crack me up! Love the pink legos and the women that took over. Hilarious!
Not Teri - I love the sword down the shirt and I miss those days too. They grow too fast, but years down the road you’ll still catch a glimpse of that sword down the shirt.
Heather - 1. i can’t seem to stop singing beyonce’s all the single ladies after reading about your lego adventures.
2. after seeing that baby and the last photo i’m crying, but they are really, really good tears.
3. have you ever cried while singing that song. it takes talent my friend. lots of talent.
have a happy weekend!!!!!
Heather - ooh, i forgot to add that us desert dwellers do the same thing (with xmas lights). us south westerns never met a white twinkly light we didn’t like.
Lacey McKay - Hell Yea!
Kara - that picture of ur son on the swing is PRICELESS! Looks like a greeting card…so cute!
Linda - Your Lego idea cracked me up. I may have to go out and purchase some pink Legos just to try it with my son; I’m certain he won’t find it amusing. Congratulations on your beautiful niece; the pictures are gorgeous as usual.
Amanda Schultz - love it…..
Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - First of all, Brad Paisley rocks. When we moved out here to AZ, I thought I’d be the only one singing country songs… but today at work, someone chimed in and sang Mary Chapin Carpenter with me… rock on.
Secondly, I love all the baby goodness around here! Keep it comin’!
Have a super fabulous weekend!
meg duerksen - we have outside movie plans this last few weeks of summer.
i am anxious to see what you did.
HOW you did it.
that’s my only issue that i can’t quite figure out….HOW we will have outside movies.
i hope you have the answer for me.
giozi - I love the pictures where your babygirl is pointig with her little finger. And your youngest son’ face looking her cousin.
is a ladder.
My husband has 4 siblings. My husband is the oldest brother. They are 3 brothers and 2 sister. He told me that when the youngest borned they said, AH! let see the new one.
My husband is from 1970 and the youngest is 1976.
Daniela - What a pretty baby!!! Your photos are great!!!!!
Greetings from Switzerland, Daniela
Stacey - I was actually thinking how that didn’t look redneck at all… I know some redneck when I see it and your Gretchen lyrics definitely did the ending in! lol
Kirra Sue - Ok you are HILARIOUS. I love what you did with the legos. Pure genius. And I love Brad Paisley! Oh and please keep taking pictures of that niece of yours….she is sooo yummy.
Tricia - What a fun post! I love the lego escapades, oh, and the photo of your little guy with the sword, and the baby pics, and….
You can include me in that 10 who know what you’re talking about, btw. I don’t care if it is redneck to keep your christmas lights on your sycamore tree all year. It’s so beautiful!!
Lesley - I love the girly take over! That cracks me up. Thanks for bringing crazy over – we loved seeing you guys. I don’t think Paisley can get enough Auntie cheek time
And the gifts are adorable!
meg duerksen - and i know the song reference too.
Dana - Ashley- your blog showed up on my google reader yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!
pamela - lights the way you have them are not redneck. now if you had santa and his reindeer up on the rooftop and twinkle lights around all your windows, we may have a different story : )
ps i wiiiiisssssshhhhh we could watch movies outside at night here. too many mosquitoes…womp womp
Dana Moran - I just found your site & LOVE IT! You are extremely talented- love all the pics of your family. I need to bring my camera out more often.
tamara - Love your post..lego trick was great and love love the swing and sword photo and the lights too
Brooke - First, I LOVE the picture of little brother too…such a good capture of this stage…and the sword
So sweet. I also love the gifts you took to the new babe. I have given both of these as gifts…
And for the record….Not redneck….awesome
If i had a sycamore tree, or any land at all, there would be lights.
Hope you have a wonderful week!
shelby - love brad paisley!