Happy Birthday Papa!

Busy Week!

We've had a fantastically full week around here!  Monday found us at the Georgia Aquarium with some friends...and awesome fish.  Ben had never been and was very excited to see everything - especially the "moving sidewalk" that went under the large ocean tank.  Little Miss "C" had been once before but was nevertheless awed by many things and asking lots of questions.

My daughter was happy to see a purple starfish

 Squid....eeewwww!

We followed the Aquarium with a visit to the Tearoom with Nana & Grandma.  We'd tried to go to tea in December, but the place we went to was closed.  :-(  Little Miss "C" was surprised by all of this and loved it!

 Heart shaped teacup

On Friday evening we headed down South to visit Pop & Gran for the weekend.  We squeezed a ton of fun in to Saturday:  baking Valentine's Day Cupcakes, seeing the huge goldfish in the neighbor's pond, feeding Gran's fish, playing with the dogs, seeing new baby chickens and one that had just hatched inside the incubator, seeing a worm bed and picking out some worms to feed the chickens, visiting a neat restored caboose and seeing other trains while there.  Thanks Pop & Gran!!!!

 Baby Chicks 

 Everyone on the caboose

 On the swings that Pop & Gran built for the Grandkiddos

 Quick catnap in the car

I Want to Be Your Cousin

Sooner or later every Mom will have her heart broken a bit by her Son.  Tonight mine did.  :-(  But I'll make myself feel better and justify it by remembering that he's 3 years old, for Pete's sake, and doesn't really know what he's talking about.  Here's the story:

My kiddos are going to stay with their cousins tomorrow for a few hours.  When my Son found out he was included (last time his Sister got to go by herself and have a spend-the-night with her cousins) he was elated! He told me that he wanted to spend "ten days" with his cousins and sleep and "have mornings" at their house...therefore he needed to take his sleeping bag.   I was OK with that and told him he'd have to ask his Aunt for permission.  Then about an hour later he announced that one day he wants to go LIVE at his cousins house and "be your cousin, Mom..and my name will be Jack.  I can visit you, but I will live there."  Heartbreak....

Maybe it was the paper mache project that did me in with him.  Earlier today Super Mom and Super Teacher decided that we needed to make paper mache models of the Earth and the Sun to go along with school.  My boy took one feel of the paper mache glue and wanted to have nothing further to do with it.  Little Miss "C" pressed on to get her Earth done, but guess who was left to finish the project alone?  Maybe I'm just getting in touch with my inner kid or something.  :-)

Here's some of what's been happening around here.

Drawing on the Easel

 Trying out the flapper look at bedtime (she slept in that sequined headband and had a few pink spots on her forehead the next AM that took days to disappear).

 Crayola Bath Crayons...awesome

 Hee...hee...look at me.  (one of the FEW pics my Son will allow me to take where HE is the subject).  Tonight we used a flashlight to watch the "hole at the bottom of the potty" while he peed and flushed - oh the imagination and curiosity God gave this kiddo!

 Little Miss "C" and her step-by-step tutorial on how to draw a smiley face heart

 Daddy took his Girl to Build-A-Bear this week!

It...Is...Finished!

I'm wallowing around getting nothing done fast in a post-Christmas stupor.  Enjoy the photos -

 Barbie Jeep....score!

 The Dr. is In...I think...

 

Merry Christmas, Ya'll

A Long Winter's Nap

The other day my mother and I were in the back seat of the van, the kids with us, and Daddy driving.  Mom was reading The Night Before Christmas to the kids while we were waiting for Daddy.  When she got to the line, "And we all settled down for a long winter's nap," I literally broke out laughing.  Oh how wonderfully unrealistic that sounds!!!  I'm exhausted...yet with two little people in the house hyped up about Christmas it's hard to take a break (or my "break" is shopping...).

Last night was the kids 1st Camp Out by the Christmas Tree night.  I think they finally bit the dust around 10pm....Little Miss "C" first, followed by her brother who we found snoozing sprawled sideways between both of their pallets.  Yesterday was also our day to make and decorate Christmas cookies, as well as do some last minute shopping.

Today we joined Daddy's family for our Annual Christmas get-together.  Last year we combined this with Grandpa's big birthday celebration by renting a cabin in North GA.  This year we stayed closer to home and had a nice covered dish.  They're big GA Fans, hence the Georgia wear vs. Christmas attire.

The kiddos got some gifts...we are Spiderman  & Barbie happy this evening.  I keep getting pelted with Spidey's webs....

A New Name

Today was Reindeer Day at Preschool...see the picture below.

Also, my little boy's teacher sent a note home from school today.  It reads,
---------
Dear Wendy,

Did you know you no longer have a boy named Ben?  ;-)  He would like to be called "Jack"!  He is insisting on changing it, so I will try to remember...lol!

---------
Yes, he's been reminding me very often as of late to call him Jack.  Have NO idea where he got that idea, but it's hysterical!

In the meantime, Little Miss "C" had her class over to play and make gingerbread men today. There were 3 other girls and 1 boy, plus siblings.  About 15 minutes after all of the girls had arrived I went upstairs to see if they were ready to make the gingerbread cookies.  When I entered the room, I found that several girls had changed into one of my daughter's summer dresses, hence the photo below taken on a 50 degree day in a sleeveless sundress!

Candy Cane Lane

Little Miss "C" had her on-stage debut at the Christmas Dance Recital last night.  No video yet (sorry, Gran) but here are a few pics of the doll baby in her big girl makeup!