Monthly Blog Update

Okay so this is a huge blog update. I have been very behind on the postings!! I would like to say that I am going to be better at it and update it more frequently but let's be honest. That would just be a lie. It is amazing to think that all this stuff has happened in just one month!! I am proud of myself for taking so many photos of the happenings here. I just need to be quicker about sharing them. I am going to remember one of these days to take my camera with me on my way to church (when Greg is driving) and take some pictures of the hundreds of deer we see on our way there and back. I can't believe how many there are. It does make me nervous since we see them all in the day and share the road with them when we can't see them at night. We have had our share of sightings but have made no contact!!

I am sure the month ahead will be just as busy and exciting with all the birthdays we managed to cram into a month!!

The favorite Exhibit at the Museum

This is one of the exhibits at the Museum of Play. The kids loved this one. They got to take a shopping cart and pick 5 items out. Then they went to the checkout (which really worked) each item had a bar code and the scanner worked and displayed what they bought on the display. The cash register even printed out a real receipt with the items they bought listed on it.

Madelynne got some help from Daddy but she really enjoyed it too.

Zack had his eye on the ice cream section and Chris seemed to think 2 pumpkins were an important purchase.

Madelynne didn't quite understand the concept of only 5 items. She saw it, wanted it, and picked it up.

Timothy didn't seem to see what the fun in grocery shopping was (that's my boy) so he opted out of this activity and warmed the bench with me!!

Strong Museum of Play

For Christopher's birthday he chose the Museum of Play here in Rochester. We had been told by many people that it was a lot of fun for the whole family. Greg (and the two grown men in the background without a single kid around) found plenty to do to keep themselves busy. Greg built this cute little log cabin (all by himself!) out of Lincoln Logs at the little table. He was so proud of it. Of course as soon as we headed out of that room and into the next he looked over his shoulder and the room attendant was swiftly destroying it and putting the pieces back in the bins!! The Mr. Potato Head exhibit is here for a little while and Chris was sure he wanted to check that out. The 3 older kids had a blast at this exhibit. They had so much stuff for kids of all ages to do.

There is an adorable Sesame Street exhibit. They have a green screen and these were the results of those photos. I just love the way Tim is looking at Elmo with so much wonder!! It was great!!

Madelynne doing a little broadcast alongside Abby Cadabby. Currently her favorite Sesame Street character.

The whole gang managed to find Sesame Street!

Christopher turns 6!!!

So Christopher turned 6 on January 29th!! We had a little family birthday dinner/party at the house with some cupcakes with Cars characters on them. He opened his gifts from the family and then we went to the Museum of Play over that weekend.

Maddie vs. Spring Horse

Well, this is Madelynne's first black eye. I had trouble getting a good picture of it. She got a little excited on her spring horse in the basement and came out the worst.

She doesn't seem too broken up about it. It got worse after a couple days but now it is just the little pink scar from where it scratched her.

Not a Mom sanctioned Activity!!

So, here is what I walked in on when Dad is going to play a game with the children. Pillow Fight Wrestling I guess is the best thing to call it. I am pretty sure the rules were minimal and you were pretty much "out" or you "lose" when you get hurt enough to cry!! I know this doesn't look like it but no one was permanently injured. I like that they made this game up when we live in a house with no carpet or carpet PADDING!!! The kids are learning quickly that it is different to fall on the floor when it is hard wood or tile!!

Somehow Christopher decided that he could gain some kind of advantage by doing this odd manuever!! Not sure how that worked out for him.

At some point this became a game of let's just take Dad out!! I guess they realized they weren't going to win on their own and they better join up as a team against him!

Greg did finally let them win. Of course later he told them that he let them win so you know what that means..

REMATCH!!!

For all those that have been worried!

Okay for all those that have been worried about my kids sleeping in boxes and such, this is to ensure you all that things are looking up in the sleeping world!! This is Maddie's first big girl bed!! It is actually the top bed from a bunk bed set that we turned around so the safety rail is on the outside. She chose this Princess bedding and used some of her Christmas money to get her sheets. She loves this bed and runs to it every night at bedtime. The positive side of it all for the parents is that she has yet to figure out how to get off the bed!!

This is Maddie and Timothy's room. Tim has his bed and he had not decided what kind of cool big boy bedding he wanted. He has since chosen a Monster print that I can only get at a store in Omaha. So, when we make a trip there next he is getting his bedding! (I am anti-shipping!!)

This is Zack and Christopher's room. Chris had to retire his box bed to the trash. We didn't get a photo of it. But, since the first picture there was a "moon roof" added and quite a mural of marker and crayon grafitti on it.

This is a photo that will probably never happen again. This is going to be the proof that there is actually a floor in this room and it is NOT made of Lego's!!

This Post is Not for the Queasy!!

So, apparently now that I have another girl I have realized that playing in the feminine products is just a girl thing. I was downstairs doing laundry (shocker!!) and Greg is yelling for me to come upstairs and bring the camera. This is what I see when I get there!! Apparently since it is in a krinkly wrapper it must be candy!!

Lucky for me I bought the economy pack so she had lots to unwrap!!

She would probably have played for hours had we left her there to play with those things!! She was not very happy when we took it all away and sent her to find something more suited for her age!!

Don't get too grossed out. They are probably the most sanitary at this point!!

Caught Ya!!

So, Maddie has been caught on numerous occasions getting into things she shouldn't be!! And her face always has the guiltiest look on it!! But let's face it. Who can get mad at that face!! First reaction, Grab the camera!! This is a cookie cake we got at Sam's for the family to share. I guess as the youngest kid in the family she is securing herself the piece she wants!!

This was leftover pizza. It was so funny because she wasn't even opening the box to get the sausage out. She was just sliding her little hand into the box and was so quick to get it into her mouth while she looked around to see if anyone was looking.

She figured out pretty quick that Buster is not the best to enroll as the lookout!! He is just as guilty as she is!

I especially liked her method in the last photo where she is looking and grabbing at the same time!! I can hardly wait for her to be 2!