Spring Break

Mackenzie is on Spring Break this week, along with the majority of children.  It seems really early to me for Spring Break, but evidently some wise educator decided the week after Easter was the time for Spring Break.  We are having a fairly unplanned Spring Break.  I took the week off work and I pulled both kids out of daycare and we spent the first weekend at Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Mike's.  To make it more of a vacation, we got a hotel room so that the kids could stay in a hotel and go swimming in the pool, and so that Grandma and Grandpa got a break now and then and got to sleep in past 6. 

Before we left on Saturday morning we went over to Grandpa Butch and Grandma Linda's for the first Easter Basket/Egg hunt.  The kids found their baskets first and I didn't realize there were eggs as well.  So when Isaac asked me if he could eat a piece of candy out of each egg and there were only 4 eggs in his basket, I said "Sure."  Then he found 12 more plastic eggs during the hunt and had to stop and open each one up to get his piece of candy.  Lucky for me some of them had coins in them.

After we go to Midland, we went to Dow Gardens with my parents.  We walked through the gardens and saw the butterfly house.  We tried to get an impromptu family picture while we were there in front of some metal flowers:

It turned out about like every other impromptu family picture we have ever tried to take.  Here is a shot of more of the metal flowers:

 The kids really liked climbing on the giant rocks.  I think everyone else at Dow Gardens was really nervous about them climbing the rocks. This was probably for good reason, but I remember climbing the rocks and I really didn't see much harm in it.  We were all right there and the kids have fallen and survived before . . . I don't know, evidently my spidey-sense just wasn't very strong that day.

Here is a shot on the rocks with Grandma and Grandpa.  I think that Grandma really wanted this picture so that she could make sure the kids didn't fall off the rocks : )

We went over to the children's area that the kids remembered from going there with Grandma and Grandpa last summer.  Mackenzie was bound and determined to climb up onto this pig even though its back was quite sloped and smooth.  She made it . . . 

Isaac didn't get his picture with the pig because he didn't want to leave the sandbox.  He did strike a pose for a picture with the entrance sign though:

We left Dow Gardens and went to the Midland Center for the Arts where they had Grossology.  The kids thought it was pretty fun, although they didn't focus much on the learning components.  But they really liked the esophagus slide into the stomach and then the crawl through the intestines:

 

Isaac was also very fond of the faucet with a cold that had snot come out of it while he was talking, but I don't have a picture of that one :) 

 

We walked around the Center for the Arts after going through Grossology and the kids really enjoyed it.  Here is a shot of Mackenzie after she built her tower:

We went to the hotel after finishing up at the Center for the Arts and then went out to dinner at Logan's Roadhouse where the kids got to throw peanut shells all over the floor, which was pretty awesome.

We went to church on Easter Sunday at the church that Brian and I got married in, which was nice.  There is a new pastor there, so it wasn't quite the same as when Pastor Koke was there, but it was still nice and the kids did very well, especially considering there was a baptism as well as a large number of people taking communion and it ended up being an hour and a half service.  The Easter Bunny was kind enough to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house for the kids so we did our egg and basket hunt back at their house:

 

 

The Easter Bunny did very well by the kids.  After Lexie got to Grandma and Grandpa's they got to do another Easter basket hunt (this would be number 3):

Here is a shot of the 3 grandchildren with Grandma and Grandpa on Monday after Grandpa read them a new book:

Today we went to the Toledo Museum of Art with Grandpa Butch.  They had a family activity today with beads.  Mackenzie made a necklace, bracelet and a ring and also made a necklace for Isaac, since he didn't want to do beads and was playing with the toys instead.  I need to get a picture of her with her jewelry on.  They had a blast playing at the family center in the museum, and played very well with all of the other kids there.  We then went to lunch at Spaghetti Warehouse and got to sit in the trolley to eat.  Again, my spidey-sense was probably not on, because I let them walk around the trolley a lot, but there weren't that many people there, so I figured as long as they were walking and they were fairly quiet, what harm were they doing?

When we got home after lunch everyone was pretty tuckered out.  Both kids ended up napping for a bit, and Isaac actually napped for 3 hours.  So I got a chance to almost finish my project for Isaac's birthday party.  I have been working on a castle tent for him.  It is pretty much finished, except for the mat for the bottom, which I think will help shape the bottom of the castle and will keep it from spinning so much.  However, I broke 3 needles (including an upholstery needle) because I bought the wrong Velcro.  I thought I could sew through the sticky Velcro but no . . .  So, I don't think at this point that I am going to finish the mat, since I cleaned up the sewing room to convert it to a guest room this evening.  But I think it will work fine as it is on the carpeting for the party and I can make the mat for him before we move it to his room with the hardwood floor.  Here are the kids tonight in their way too small pajamas checking out the tent:

 Isaac is way too cool in his shades:

Tomorrow I desperately need to make it to the grocery store and I am hoping we can make a trip to Imagination Station afterward and before swim and ballet in the afternoon.  Then we are off to Castaway Bay in Sandusky to meet up with Michael, Misty and Lexie for a couple of days.

Crafts, Pajamas and McDonald's

This is going to be quick because it is late and I am tired.  However, I wanted to make sure I go this recorded.  Brian has been away for the last week and the kids have been reacting to it this weekend.  I have learned to be extra patient with them, when possible.  So I decided that they were going to get to choose what we did today.  This morning after breakfast I asked them what they wanted to do today.  They both thought that having a craft day would be fun, Mackenzie asked if we could stay in our pajamas all day and Isaac wanted McDonald's.  So I got out a couple of things I had hidden away (a paint with water book and a foam train kit) and I got started on a project for Isaac's birthday party.  We all stayed in our pajamas all day, even in the car on the way to McDonald's to get lunch (from the drive-thru).  We had a good day and the kids went to bed very nicely tonight, still in the same room.

ONU Weekend

Brian and I spent most of this weekend at ONU.  The chair of Brian's department, Nils Riess, is retiring.  He was one of Brian's professors when Brian studied at ONU and Brian holds Nils in the highest regard.  It turns out that most everyone does.  On Friday there was a reception/open house in the early afternoon at the theatre and then that evening the formal event occurred. I got to meet a lot of Brian's friends from undergrad including a few that I had met before.  There was a reception following the event at the Inn on campus, where we were staying, and then we decided to go to the bar just off campus, which is called the Regal Beagle (my sister loved Three's Company when we were kids, and I assume that is where the name came from, but who knows). I can't remember when the last time was that I closed down a bar, but we did last night.

The kids had a funweekend with Grandpa Butch.  After we got home we did some chores at home and got the house cleaned up.  Mackenzie got a new quilt from Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Mike for Christmas and we decided that despite it still be ing a little chilly, it was time to put her spring quilt on her bed.  She took this picture to say thanks to Grandma and Grandpa:

Then we went to 577 for a quick outing.  We had a nice corned beef dinner to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  The kids love corned beef.  It is a favorite in our house.  I don't know why, I don't even remember when we first had corned beef and the kids decided they liked it so much.

The kids are still sleeping in the same room and it is really very cute.  They are getting much closer as well.  They are playing together nicely, helping each other, and even saying "I love you." to each other.  It is super cute.

Brian is headed to USITT on Tuesday and will be gone for a week, so we will see if the good behavior sticks around : )

In like a lion . . .

It has been a long time.  We haven't been doing a whole lot with the unpleasant weather we have been having, but hopefully this weekend is the turn around and March will be a lamb soon.  I keep thinking that I should put up a new post, but then forget or am too tired at the end of the day.  We finally had a full day home today so I promised myself that I would find time to put up a post.  While the roomba is running in my cleaned up kitchen and dining room (I love the roomba) and Mackenzie is playing Play Doh and Isaac is playing with his Trios, I decided it was my chance to sneak to the computer.

 

One evening this week the kids and I played with the marble run. The kids (and myself) are finally getting adventurous and making our own runs rather than using the guide that came with them to make the runs.  I believe that Mackenzie and I did a marvelous job on our run:

 Isaac also did a great job creating his ramp:

 

This weekend Mackenzie went to a birthday party at the Toledo Zoo.  It seemed to have been a great venue for a party.  They spent the whole party in a secret room attached to the African carousel.  We have a membership to the zoo, so while she was at the party we took Isaac around to the animalsy he wanted to see (elephants, tigers, lions, polar bears and penguins).  The weather seemed to be perfect for most of the animals.  We got to see this elephant playing with a giant tire, which was very entertaining for the crowd:

Once we actually got to the live lions, Isaac barely stopped to look, but he was earlier extremely interested in the statues of the family of lions.  After we picked up Mackenzie she was also very interested in these statues: 

 The polar bears were also very lively.  They were splashing into the water just before this picture was taken and then they were walking around together:

I wasn't able to take a very good picture on the carousel since I was moving, but the kids rode the African carousel, Mackenzie and I rode on cheetahs (I believe that one was a jaguar, but Mackenzie thought that they were both cheetahs) and Isaac rode on a gorilla with Brian standing next to him.

After the carousel ride we had to stop and check out all of the statues on our way out.  The wolves were one animal that was not very active when we were walking around, the two wolves were sleeping the whole time, but when we went back with both kids they at least both picked their heads up and looked at us. 

Last night I went to a reception for All ND Women Connect, celebrating 40 years of women at Notre Dame.  When I RSVPed, I thought it was going to be about an hour from me, since it was hosted by the Detroit chapter of ND Women Connect, but it was actually an hour and a half away.  It was a lovely reception and I got to hear Haley Scott DeMaria talk about her experience in the fatal women's swim team bus accident in 1992.  I began my education at Notre Dame in 1994, when Haley had made her miraculous recovery from a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed for a week and she swam her first race after the accident that October.  So I knew the story, but not well.  It was pretty great to hear her tell the story.  Although I must say after seeing pictures of the bus accident and her in the hospital, it made me a little nervous during my drive back home in the rain.  It was also pretty great getting a chance to meet and talk to other ND women in the area, especially those that were among the first classes of women at Notre Dame.  Although I know that Theresa's mom was there the first year, I never really talked to her about what it was like.

So today we are hanging out, Brian is finishing up Isaac's room, which he painted this past week, the kids are playing, and I am cleaning (although I hope to finish up soon and get to work on my quilt).  A pretty good day.

Not Ready for Boyfriends

Discussion at bed time tonight:

Mackenzie: I am going to ask Andrew to be my boyfriend tomorrow.

Mom: Does that mean he is your friend and he is a boy?

Mackenzie: No, it means he is my boyfriend.

Mom: If he wants to be your boyfriend, does that mean you two do anything differently?

Mackenzie: We already do things differently.  He sits at a different table than me, he colors differently than me . . .

Mom:  I mean if he wants to be your boyfriend do you to act differently together or do different things together?

Mackenzie:  I don't know.  No.

Mom: How do you know about boyfriends?

Mackenzie:  Karly in Miss Tammy's class used to always talk about her boyfriend Justin Beiber.

Mom:  I see.  You know that Karly never really met Justing Beiber, right?

Mackenzie:  He was her boyfriend.

Mom:  He doesn't come see people in Toledo.  I think she meant that she wanted him to be her boyfriend.  He is on TV.  He sings songs on the radio.

Mom:  What does it mean to be someone's boyfriend?

Mackenzie:  I don't know.

More Winter Fun

I love winter.  By the end of the season I am ready to see it go, but I really love winter while it is here.  I am so happy that we got to have some real winter weather this year, even if we had to drive to Midland for a lot of it.  We went to Midland last weekend to see Grandma Kathy, Grandpa Mike, Uncle Mike, Aunt Misty and Lexie.  Michael suggested that we go to Snow Snake and go snow tubing.  So we all drove up to Clare to play in the snow.

 

Here is a shot of Isaac waiting in our "peanut" to get connected to the tow rope:

 

Here is a shot of Lexie and Mackenzie in their "peanut" getting towed:

 

Here is a shot of Isaac and me getting towed:

And here is a shot of Isaac and me after we went down the trail:

 

 

Here is a shot of the kids (Mackenzie, Lexie and Isaac) at Grandma's house:

 

On Sunday we went to City Forest in Midland and the kids got to use their skates.  They spent a lot of time climbing on the snow mounds rather than skating, but they both did well on their double-bladed skates when they were on the ice.  Once our toes were close to frozen we headed over to Michael's house to give Copper his Valentine's Day present (a big raw hide). 

 

Mackenzie and Isaac really like Copper, but unfortunately Brian and I are allergic.  In the summer Michael and Misty often bring him up to the lake and the kids can see him and Brian and I can stay away from Copper well enough to not have terrible allergic reactions.  Unfortunately in the winter when we are all inside it isn't as easy.  When we go to the grocery store we often walk past the pet aisle and Mackenzie asks to get something for Copper, so we got him a raw hide for Valentine's Day.  The kids loved hanging out at Unlce Mike and Aunt Misty's, playing with Lexie and seeing Copper.  Copper got Isaac pretty good with the licks right before we left.  It is probably mean of me to say this, but it was pretty funny seeing Isaac curl up in a ball on the floor while Copper licked him.  So you don't think I let him be tortured too long, I did go push Copper off and pick Isaac up, but I was giggling while I did it. 

 

We headed home Sunday afternoon and when we got home the kids worked on their Valentine cards.  I have never been a big fan of Valentine's Day, but it is really cute to see the kids so excited about a holiday that is all about love.

Winter is Here

Brian started his first tech of 2013 this weekend, so it is just me and the kids.  We were supposed to drive up to Grandma Kathy's and Grandpa Mike's, but we woke up to this:

 

 

That is the neighbors house across the way and you can't tell, but it is snowing pretty hard.  We tried to head out, because I was thinking that the main roads and expressways would be cleared, but when trying to get to the gas station and going much slower than that 55 mile an hour speed limit, I really could not see, so after I slid around a corner or two we turned around and came home.  The kids lamented that I broke my promise to them, but all in all they did okay.  I told them we would try again soon.

 

After quiet time we headed to the sled hill (it was still snowing at 4 pm):

Mackenzie was kind enough to drag Isaac's sled for him.

Sunil brought Manasvi over to go sledding with us.

Mom even got in on the fun.

 

 

We got Happy Meals after sledding and the kids watched the movie Mackenzie had picked out for the car ride.  So they still had a couple hours of TV watching, but rounded it out with plenty of hill climbing.

 



The last time I looked out the window there was still some snow coming down, but very lightly.  I think winter is finally here.