Easter

We've never been very good at planning ahead for Easter, and I've finally realized why.  It's never on the same day!  I can plan for Christmas and birthdays because I automatically think, "That's coming up in three weeks, I'd better finish getting things ready," but Easter sneaks up on me every year.  At least two years, I've been having a new baby too.  (Annie was born 4 days after, and Alex one week before.)  These are my excuses.  Anyway, we did do some things this year.

On Friday evening, we started making sugar eggs from a kit my mom gave us for the kids.  They were so difficult to make that Jim and I were amazed that we ended up with a finished project!  They weren't exactly a kid's project, but we had fun with them.  Next year we'll do them again, now that we've learned from our mistakes.

The boys did a yellow one...

The girls did a pink one...

On Saturday we had a family day out because the kids had filled up their "obedience beans" jar.  It had taken a month and a half to earn this day, but it helped with obedience around here.  We went to an awesome indoor playground where the parents are encouraged to climb around with their kids.  It was like a McDonald's play area on steroids, and it had a big ball pit.  We seriously had so much fun...even when the kids made us crawl through the tunnels with them.  Then we went out for lunch (also part of the reward) and brought ice cream home for after dinner.  That night the kids were so wound up and excited from late ice cream, a very fun day, and anticipating Easter surprises that they went to bed, but stayed up talking for two hours!  In the morning we had to wake them up, and we learned that they'd both slept on the top bunk which probably didn't help them go to sleep.  

The kids found their Easter baskets Sunday morning before we rushed through breakfast and getting ready for church.  (This was the first year we've done baskets...like I said it totally sneaks up on me!)

They all had new Easter clothes and I managed to snap a couple of pictures before we headed out the door (because I knew it would be a disaster to try for pictures after church).

Alex's were actually hand-me-downs from Logan, but he hadn't worn them until that day.

After church we all had naps, and then visited with some new friends we met at the kids' gymnastics class.  They had made dessert, and prepared an egg hunt with lots of candy for the kids.  The kids had already had some sugar, and they had plenty more while we were there.  That night, they went to bed okay, but once again stayed up talking.  They really couldn't sleep!  I was hearing them until just after midnight...three and a half hours after bedtime!  I couldn't believe it!  It turned out that they once again camped out on the top bunk, too.  It was obvious they didn't feel real great the next morning, too.  So now I've been severely limiting their sugar intake all week, and enforcing sleep in their own beds.   It's going much better. :)

On Monday, we finally decorated our now very dry sugar eggs.  Jim was much more tedious than I was and the boys' egg turned out best.

Ta da!

Happy Easter!

Recent Pictures

Apparently Alex is getting close to that hilariously cute toddler stage because I'm taking more and more pictures of him doing funny things...

This day we were in the front yard for a few minutes when we came home and Alex decided to eat the dirt from some pots by the porch.  He's mad because he was tired of my attempts to get a picture of his face.

I finally got that picture by backing him into a wall and holding his face.  Most of the dirt was gone by then.

He loves his blankie.

Annie begged for this photo shoot.

And Logan joined in.

Alex was sleeping SO good one Sunday morning...it was a real shame to wake him for church.

He likes to put things on his head.

He LOVES to climb!

Question of the Day

Logan asked me tonight, "What if we had a two person toilet?"

A Little Homesick

Lately I've been feeling a bit homesick.  The worst thing about a new adventure like this is that you have to leave people behind.  I'm loving it here...really.  I've made so many friends already, and the people here have been incredibly friendly and helpful.  I feel content at home and with my family.  This has been a good change.  Life has been wonderful for us lately, but I sure miss my family and friends back in Colorado.  The other day I was driving behind a blue windstar van and it almost looked like it had Colorado plates, which made me miss a friend who drives that same van.  In our ward choir we are singing a song that was written by a lovely lady in our old ward...makes me think of so many people.  Every time I write on our school blog I miss those friends who helped me learn those things that are so important for the way I homeschool, and who've been such a support as we've begun.  Last week when I struggled to find a babysitter, I thought of the family and friends so many miles away that I could call on in an instant (I did find a wonderful babysitter though).  So I'd like to say to all of you wonderful people out there in Colorado, I miss you!  (And you need to move here so we can have family dinners and mommy playdates.  You could bring a mountain or two, as well.)

Questions Forever

Logan asks a lot of questions, and when he is not asking questions he is just talking.  He wants to make sure you are engaged with his thoughts at all times, so he isn't satisfied with one word answers.  I get distracted sometimes, and don't answer him very well which frustrates him and makes him ask more questions.  Other times, I think I'm paying attention, but I can't seem to answer any of his questions.  His questions really are hard to answer most of the time, and I've finally realized why!  I'll give a sampling...see if you can find the pattern and if you can answer them.

"Why is Sam a dog?"
"Why is that a YMCA?"
"Why is that a blue chair?"
"Why is there medicine in this store?"
"Why is that lady buying alcohol? Is she going to drink that alcohol?"...within her hearing of course.
As we're in the car, "What's that?"  "What?"  "That red thing."  "What red thing?"  "That red thing back there."  "I didn't see it."  "Yes you did!  What is it?!"
Or...same scenario, but maybe I did see it.  "What's that?"  "A skyscraper."  "Why?"

It goes on and on and on and on...hundreds every day.  People in public places totally crack up when they hear him questioning me and the answers I give him.

I usually start my answers with, "Because Heavenly Father made it that way..." or, "Because someone thought it would be a good place/ color/ etc. for it..."  I feel pretty inadequate when I answer him that way, too.
We finally realized what was going on, though.  He might be asking why, but he actually wants to know all about it.  We told Logan he should ask different kinds of questions using what, where, when, who, and how to help us answer him better.  He immediately shot back with, "How come that is a...(I forget what the object was)."  Funny kid!   

Spring!

"Springtime is coming, is coming today!  For I heard a robin who was calling her this way!"  Literally, although the picture of the robin is on our other blog.  (I didn't feel a need to post my bird pictures in two spots.)

Anyway, I'm so excited that spring is here.  I've anxiously been watching the plants around us start to bloom, the birds and bunnies visiting our yard, and I can't wait for the trees to start getting their leaves.  A few are budding, but most still look bare.  Here are a few of the spring colors we have in our backyard.

This bush is in our backyard.

Logan keeps picking these tiny purple flowers and asking me to put them in a vase with water.  :)

Our neighbors' tree has some awesome pink blossoms!  I had to take the picture from very far away, so it was difficult to get a good shot and hold the camera still.

I LOVE having a backyard!  I let the kids eat lunch out there, then they played for two hours.     

As of today, Alex officially likes to slide.

He impressed me with how happy he was to crawl around the grass in our yard, and then surprised me with how much he liked sitting under the porch in the rocks.

He was tasting them, and then throwing them into the grass!  (While Annie and Logan put the rocks back for him.)  He had no shortage of minerals today!

Sam has been thoroughly enjoying this weather.

Alex explored everywhere and tasted everything he found.  I'm pretty sure I did a good job of cleaning up the dog poop...

He shook this fence to our neighbors' yard and thought it was hilarious.  Is the grass greener on the other side buddy?

While we were enjoying the sunshine, a neighbor from a few houses down (who could see us through the backyards that are interconnected) came over to introduce himself.  I've been very impressed with how nice our neighbors have been so far!  It seems that there is only one other young family in our immediate vicinity (who we haven't met), and a lot of older folks that have lived here for a long time.  They all know each other, and I feel really safe here.

Chicago

We took a little family vacation to Chicago this weekend.  Friday morning we drove the 4 hours to get there and I really can't complain about the distance.  It was just long enough to be ready to get out of the car and then we were there. 

The first thing we did after stopping for lunch was visit the IKEA store there.  I know that seems strange for a vacation, but the kids and I had some time to kill while we waited for Jim (another story) and I didn't want to venture far on my own.  I've never been in an IKEA, so I was pleasantly surprised.  It was the coolest store I've ever been in!  They have free child care while you shop (which the kids were disappointed I didn't use), free lockers for your stuff, free diapers in the child care area if you forgot to bring one, play areas set up throughout the store, nursing areas in the family restrooms (which I didn't use either...it's nice having Alex on milk), very reasonably priced hot food (.50 hot dogs, 2.50 kids meals, etc.), and the shopping experience itself is very cool.  They have a huge showroom where they have rooms set up just like in a house.  They even had three apartments fully created with their merchandise.  The kids had a blast trying out the toys, beds, couches, chairs, and pretending to live in the various rooms that were set up.  I was really surprised that the prices weren't bad either!  We wandered around for two and a half hours!

Then our vacation really started.  Once we regained Jim, we drove to the north end of Chicago to see the temple.  That was a quick stop because it was cold outside, but everyone was happy to see the temple.   

Something we noted about this temple that we thought was interesting was that there were no windows anywhere on it.

Then we had dinner and headed for our hotel.  Staying in a hotel was pretty exciting for us, and our room was awesome.  It was actually one of the cheapest we found in the Chicago area, but it was almost a suite.  We had the typical two bed area, plus a living room with a nice big couch and desk.  I could have happily stayed there for several days. 

Even though it was bedtime when we finally checked into our hotel, we went swimming.  Here they are ready to go.

While in the pool, every single one of our kids did something you don't want to happen in a pool.  First, Logan choked on some water and threw up.  It was just a little bit and was gone before we knew it so there was nothing to be done about it.  A while later, I discovered Alex had pooped.  So I took him back to the room and started his bath.  Before I had him out of the tub, Jim appeared with the other two because Annie had pooped!  (She was actually standing beside the pool at the time, though.)  I was glad I had the foresight to put a swim diaper on her even though she's been really good in underwear.

After a long day, everyone had baths and was ready for bed.   I'm not sure why Jim looks sad or upset in this picture...he wasn't.

Umm...I guess Logan needs some new pajamas...

The next morning we thoroughly enjoyed the hotel's continental breakfast and I'm sure the hotel staff were glad to see us leave (Alex made more of a mess than I would have liked).  We then headed for downtown Chicago because we wanted to visit the aquarium there. 

The kids were fascinated with everything at first.  I tried to get a couple of pictures, but they didn't even recognize their own names when I called them to look at me.

It didn't take long before we were frustrated with the crowd.  You had to wait in line, more or less, to see each and every aquarium in the place.  Annie decided just to sit in the stroller after a short time and gave up trying to see.  There were adults that actually expressed frustration at Logan because he would wiggle his way up front to see the exhibits...but he wouldn't have managed to see them any other way! 

This was my one attempt to take a picture of a sea creature.  This fish was longer than me!  I couldn't possibly step further back for the picture, though, or I would have had ten people in front of me. 

By some miracle, I got this picture of Logan.  It was a miracle because I was standing ten feet from him, and there was nobody between us!

We were patient with the crowd, and still managed to enjoy seeing the exhibits for the first couple of hours, but then Annie (who had remained in the stroller) started having a meltdown because she was hungry!  We'd brought our lunch so we wouldn't have to pay outrageous prices, but left it in the car because we didn't know if outside food was allowed in the aquarium.  It was, so I booked it to our car (which was at least half a mile away) and made great time back to my incredibly cranky daughter.  Some very nice people near where we'd found a table to sit down (two huge blessings) gave her some crackers and chips to tide her over while I grabbed our lunch.  After everyone ate, we noticed that the crowd had thinned some because a lot of people were watching the aquatics show and the 4D shows at that time.  (We were so bummed that the tickets to the aquatics show were sold out...they did tricks with the dolphins and beluga whales!)  Everyone felt better after eating, too, so we really had fun at that point.

There was a downstairs exhibit with a lot of kid-friendly things to do.  It also had the huge tanks for the dolphins and beluga whales where we could watch them swimming around.  That was very cool, and I totally forgot I owned a camera.  There were also a lot of penguins down there.

Here are the kids playing in the pengiun area.     

We managed to see everything else we hadn't seen before lunch just before all the shows let out and the crowd became awful again.  As we were leaving we saw huge lines for the best exhibits that we'd just barely enjoyed.  Phew!  Alex was exhausted and finally fell asleep as we walked out of the aquarium.

Outside, we took a picture in front of the lake and downtown.

Then Jim wanted to drive through downtown.  That was an experience in itself!  As we were heading down a very busy street, the car in front of us suddenly stopped and put his car in reverse.  He'd decided that he wanted a parking spot that he'd passed.  There was a long line of cars behind us, and a long line of cars in the opposite lane and it was a narrow street with cars parked all along it.  Jim signaled to him that we couldn't move, but the guy was persistent!  He was going to sit there until the cars around him got out of his way!  We sat there for several minutes, until a car in the opposite lane managed to move enough that we could get around the guy.  Incredible!

Here's one view from a stop light amidst the skyscrapers.

We headed home after that, and stopped halfway at a Chinese buffet for dinner.  It was probably the best buffet we've ever been to (even our kids loved it), very nicely priced, and by far the most embarrassing experience we've ever had in a restaurant!  First of all, Alex made the mess of his life somehow.  I really was trying to keep things reasonable clean, but I think he threw a handful of food on the floor every time I turned my head.  Then the kids started running wild while Jim was using the restroom.  They decided they needed to use the restroom at that point, too, and disappeared into the men's room before I could grab Alex to follow them.  I left a tip on the table, and headed to the women's room with Alex.  The rest can't bear details, but let's just say it included a very poopy diaper, an overflowing toilet, and a screaming three year old who was rescued by the waitress.  I apologized as we left, and we got in the car relieved to get out of there.  Our one consolation was to discover that we'd both left a tip somehow!  Although, I have to wonder if a fat tip really made up for the ruckus we caused.  :)