Friday, April 30, 2010
A new do!
Its very hard to do Mara's hair. She screams and cries and she never sits still- ever. So, today when she let me FRENCH BRAID her hair, I freaked out! I couldn't believe it. I think it turned out pretty cute too. And, it lasted all day- amazing!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Playdate at Allerton
We went out to Allerton today after naptime to play with Liz and her two boys Alex and Jackson. Brian met us on the bowling lawn after work and it was wonderful. I bit windy but really fun!
Daddy is the best at flying kids in the air!
We crunched up goldfish crackers to feed to the Coy fish. They loved them.
After some time spent with the fish and some encouragement from friends, Alaric reached in and actually pet one of the really, really, really old fish ( did you know Coy can live for 80+years?).
Crap- I uploaded the same picture twice- sorry!
Then on our way home, we saw a red fox in the neighborhood just roaming around. That's a big deal around here and very rare. Here you can just see his butt before he rang away.
Daddy is the best at flying kids in the air!
We crunched up goldfish crackers to feed to the Coy fish. They loved them.
After some time spent with the fish and some encouragement from friends, Alaric reached in and actually pet one of the really, really, really old fish ( did you know Coy can live for 80+years?).
Crap- I uploaded the same picture twice- sorry!
Then on our way home, we saw a red fox in the neighborhood just roaming around. That's a big deal around here and very rare. Here you can just see his butt before he rang away.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Our first trip to the zoo this season!
Today was Alaric's preschool field trip to the Scovill Zoo in Decatur. So, we packed up my three ( I had Noah) and a wagon and we headed out. It's a great park and way more fun when you are with fun people. The kids just ran around the place laughing and the parents followed behind. Al and Sophia check out the deer.
They have a great petting zoo too. Liz is an animal magnet and the kids loved being near her.
It's this peacock beautiful? There were dozens roaming around the zoo.
The train ride was a favorite
And we loved the camels up close
Snack time!
See ya later Alligator- we're headed off to lunch!
The zoo has an amazing park and the kids loved it so much. A favorite- these special swings for children with disabilities. All of them loved it and all three of mine could have stayed in for hours and fallen asleep!
Pure happiness!
After a picnic lunch on site, the kids ran and ran and ran in the fields!
They have a great petting zoo too. Liz is an animal magnet and the kids loved being near her.
It's this peacock beautiful? There were dozens roaming around the zoo.
The train ride was a favorite
And we loved the camels up close
Snack time!
See ya later Alligator- we're headed off to lunch!
The zoo has an amazing park and the kids loved it so much. A favorite- these special swings for children with disabilities. All of them loved it and all three of mine could have stayed in for hours and fallen asleep!
Pure happiness!
After a picnic lunch on site, the kids ran and ran and ran in the fields!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Fun Times for The Fultons
When Noah, the little boy I babysit was here last, we played with Play Doh, which is a big deal since we seldom do it! We used all the homemade colors we made, laid the plastic tablecloth out on the carpet and let the three go to it- SO FUN!
Veronica, my neice, came over to play and spend the day with us last week. After naptime, we headed outside to play. A few spoons, some empty bowls, and lots of imagination and the kids made "stew" . With some advice from the older neighbors, we added water and weeds and grass and violets and it was fun for almost an hour. My three shared with the neighbors and before ya know it, we had 7 bowls of stew brewing! Only Amara actually got to taste the stew for real and I have a feeling she won't try it again next time.
June, our next door neighbor, hung plastic balls this year from her front tree. The kids love running through them, batting them with their hands, and watching the moms and dads retreive the balls from the trees.
Each year for May Day, we make a special gift for Jack and June. My house is always the place we plan and execute and the gift is delivered early on May Day morning. Well this year, Jack and June left from Wisconsin early so we pushed everything up and got to work. The kids made a rock garden for them. Each child painted a rock and put their name on it. Then they collected rocks and stones from each of our yards and gardens and we placed them all together to give to Jack and June. This way, they would have a piece of each of us in their garden.
Jack loved all the homemade cards we delivered.
GOLF SEASON IS HERE!!!! And Brian needs practice before we head to Galesburg and he plays this Sunday. So we headed to the driving range with the kids. Al's been there often but it was Mara's first time as a participant!
Alaric brushes up on his skills too
Oh Amara! She just loved being a part of it all.
Let the good times roll!
Veronica, my neice, came over to play and spend the day with us last week. After naptime, we headed outside to play. A few spoons, some empty bowls, and lots of imagination and the kids made "stew" . With some advice from the older neighbors, we added water and weeds and grass and violets and it was fun for almost an hour. My three shared with the neighbors and before ya know it, we had 7 bowls of stew brewing! Only Amara actually got to taste the stew for real and I have a feeling she won't try it again next time.
June, our next door neighbor, hung plastic balls this year from her front tree. The kids love running through them, batting them with their hands, and watching the moms and dads retreive the balls from the trees.
Each year for May Day, we make a special gift for Jack and June. My house is always the place we plan and execute and the gift is delivered early on May Day morning. Well this year, Jack and June left from Wisconsin early so we pushed everything up and got to work. The kids made a rock garden for them. Each child painted a rock and put their name on it. Then they collected rocks and stones from each of our yards and gardens and we placed them all together to give to Jack and June. This way, they would have a piece of each of us in their garden.
Jack loved all the homemade cards we delivered.
GOLF SEASON IS HERE!!!! And Brian needs practice before we head to Galesburg and he plays this Sunday. So we headed to the driving range with the kids. Al's been there often but it was Mara's first time as a participant!
Alaric brushes up on his skills too
Oh Amara! She just loved being a part of it all.
Let the good times roll!Friday, April 23, 2010
Jack and June's ADULTS ONLY neighborhood party!
The kids were practicing with the camera and I just had to post since they were so cute.
Not bad...
and our closeups!
Jack and June wanted to host a neighborhood party for all the adults SO, tonight- all 11 adults were at Jack and Junes and all the kids and two babysitters were at our house having pizza, watching a movie, and hanging out.
Not bad...
and our closeups!
Jack and June wanted to host a neighborhood party for all the adults SO, tonight- all 11 adults were at Jack and Junes and all the kids and two babysitters were at our house having pizza, watching a movie, and hanging out.Jack and June turned their computer room into the bar and it was amazing- 15 different drink choices, atleast!
June, the perfect host and bartender!
Brian, D, and Matt hang out in the "bar"
Then the surprise of the night- it was not just a regular dinner like we expected- instead a fun dinner party with a very special menu. We were each given a menu with 25 items on the left and 5 courses on the right. We had to pick 5 items for each course so by the end of the night, we would have all the food items. The catch- the menu is a riddle. You don't know what you are going to get. So, we all randomly filled in the blanks and waited for whatever was next.
The Millers
June and Mary take off to the kitchen to being plating our first course!
The Offenbacks
The Smiths
The Fultons
So, we headed to the table where the fun really began. There was nothing on the table but water and we didn't know what to expect. We all filled up our glasses and waited to see what came out on our plates ( you are about to see a bunch of pics you might not think are that funny but those that were there will love them and I think it tells the story of our super nice well).
So, the first course came and we didn't know what the hell we were getting into. We learned fast that there would be no napkins or silverware unless it was one of the menu items ( they were not all food items) and if we wanted to eat, we needed to be creative and just go with the flow. So, we followed Jacks lead and started eating.
Sarah and I both had "piano tuner" on our course which turned out to be a fondu stick. So, we poked our peas and onions ( string of pearls) and enjoyed!
Matt questioned his lemon custard ( coolers)
The napkins (clean sweep) were even added to with a special picture of Jack!
Bri tips the plate to get the whole chicken enchilada ( plywood) in!
Matt uses a chopstick ( two are better than one) to eat!
The piano tuner was the favorite utensil of the night
Nope, that's not a spoon. It's an AlkaSeltzer packet ( bubbly)
June eats her cheese ( mouse trap) with a knife ( surgeon's choice)
A toothpick ( slim pickins) is what Rich ate his pork and beans( IRS) with.
Staci had no utencils and tore off a piece of her styrophone plate and used it as a scooper.
The men!
The Women!
We gave Jack and June each a huge bottle of their favorite liquor as a kick off to summer!
Our favorite couple and the cornerstone of our neighborhood!
Our AMAZING neighborhood! The McGreggors, Mary Merriman, The Millers, The Offenbacks, The Smiths, and The Fultons!
Thanks Jack and June for an incredible night of laughter and fun! We love you!
June, the perfect host and bartender!
Brian, D, and Matt hang out in the "bar"
Then the surprise of the night- it was not just a regular dinner like we expected- instead a fun dinner party with a very special menu. We were each given a menu with 25 items on the left and 5 courses on the right. We had to pick 5 items for each course so by the end of the night, we would have all the food items. The catch- the menu is a riddle. You don't know what you are going to get. So, we all randomly filled in the blanks and waited for whatever was next.
The Millers
June and Mary take off to the kitchen to being plating our first course!
The Offenbacks
The Smiths
The Fultons
So, we headed to the table where the fun really began. There was nothing on the table but water and we didn't know what to expect. We all filled up our glasses and waited to see what came out on our plates ( you are about to see a bunch of pics you might not think are that funny but those that were there will love them and I think it tells the story of our super nice well).
So, the first course came and we didn't know what the hell we were getting into. We learned fast that there would be no napkins or silverware unless it was one of the menu items ( they were not all food items) and if we wanted to eat, we needed to be creative and just go with the flow. So, we followed Jacks lead and started eating.
Sarah and I both had "piano tuner" on our course which turned out to be a fondu stick. So, we poked our peas and onions ( string of pearls) and enjoyed!
Matt questioned his lemon custard ( coolers)
The napkins (clean sweep) were even added to with a special picture of Jack!
Bri tips the plate to get the whole chicken enchilada ( plywood) in!
Matt uses a chopstick ( two are better than one) to eat!
The piano tuner was the favorite utensil of the night
Nope, that's not a spoon. It's an AlkaSeltzer packet ( bubbly)
June eats her cheese ( mouse trap) with a knife ( surgeon's choice)
A toothpick ( slim pickins) is what Rich ate his pork and beans( IRS) with.
Staci had no utencils and tore off a piece of her styrophone plate and used it as a scooper.
The men!
The Women!
We gave Jack and June each a huge bottle of their favorite liquor as a kick off to summer!
Our favorite couple and the cornerstone of our neighborhood!
Our AMAZING neighborhood! The McGreggors, Mary Merriman, The Millers, The Offenbacks, The Smiths, and The Fultons!
Thanks Jack and June for an incredible night of laughter and fun! We love you!
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