Wednesday, March 30, 2011
deal on Living Planet Aquarium
So if you read my post about the Living Planet Aquarium you'll know how much we love going there. Today Citydeals has a great deal of 50% off annual membership for one adult and one child. This makes it $21 for these annual memberships. If you use the coupon code TXT15 you'll get an additional 15% off so that even with shipping/handling you can get the two memberships for under $19! Of course you only get one adult and one child membership and there's a limit of one purchase per household, but it's a great deal! Here's the link for the deal http://www.citydeals.com/?ref=CDUMTQzODIz
Sunday, March 27, 2011
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!
We bought the Salt Lake Pass of All Passes that included tickets to the Real soccer game against Beckham and the LA Galaxy last night. I really enjoy going to soccer games and Spencer has been anxious to go to another one. Because it was the season opener and because of who they were playing the tickets were close to a sell out before giving them to the Pass of All Passes holders so Spencer and I went down at 9 in the morning to wait in line to get tickets. We have always sat fairly close to the field in the past so it was much different being so high up this time.
Those of you who know me and the family I was raised in will understand why we parked half a mile away and walked to the stadium in the freezing wind with all the kids rather than paying $10 for parking. Brodie was sweet enough to go with it and carry Tessa on his shoulders while I held Clara. Spencer didn't complain at all on the way to the stadium. We all wore our winter coats and I brought blankets for the kids and a nice warm snowsuit for Clara but it was still cold. I was very glad the snowcone booth was hot chocolate for the night!
As for the soccer game it was a blast! I love how fast-paced soccer games are and how athletic the players are! And Real was awesome! They scored 2 goals within the first 10 minutes and finished the night 4-1. Beckham who? Spencer was also loving the game and was so excited that they won. Tessa enjoyed it for a while, but she didn't like all the noise and hoopla whenever they scored. She also kept complaining of being so cold. Clara loved the drums and the wind and all the excitement. She had a blast for the first half. But she fell asleep during the second half, despite all the noise. It was wet and even colder after the game, not to mention over an hour past bedtime, so the kids and I took a pit stop at Jordan Commons (movie theater) while Brodie continued on the trek to where we parked the car and then he came and picked us up. We all had a lot of fun and can't wait to go to another game when the weather is better.
As for the soccer game it was a blast! I love how fast-paced soccer games are and how athletic the players are! And Real was awesome! They scored 2 goals within the first 10 minutes and finished the night 4-1. Beckham who? Spencer was also loving the game and was so excited that they won. Tessa enjoyed it for a while, but she didn't like all the noise and hoopla whenever they scored. She also kept complaining of being so cold. Clara loved the drums and the wind and all the excitement. She had a blast for the first half. But she fell asleep during the second half, despite all the noise. It was wet and even colder after the game, not to mention over an hour past bedtime, so the kids and I took a pit stop at Jordan Commons (movie theater) while Brodie continued on the trek to where we parked the car and then he came and picked us up. We all had a lot of fun and can't wait to go to another game when the weather is better.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Something fishy at the Living Planet Aquarium...
Guess what!?! Spencer actually had school today! I can hardly believe it! Also, my mom has been in the hospital. I made arrangements to head over to the hospital and spend the afternoon with her while Brodie's parents watched the kids. So instead of making the kids clean first, we headed to the Living Planet Aquarium straight after picking Spencer up from school. We got there and unloaded the kids from the van, set up Clara in the stroller, and walked in the cold drizzling weather to the doors to discover they were locked. And there weren't any hours posted on the door itself. But apparently they don't open until 11 am. Really????? What place that relies on people visiting (mainly kids) is only open from 11 am to 6 pm???? I can't believe it! I would think 9 am to 8 pm would make the most sense. Even 10 am to 7 pm would be okay. But 11 am to 6 pm????
After standing in the cold, wet weather for 20 minutes quite a crowd had formed but people were respectful and orderly as we all entered the building. Despite the many times we have visited the Aquarium, my kids still get so excited to see the fish! We usually go later in the afternoon so this was a bit different of an experience for us. First of all, it was more crowded as there were field trips going on. Second, the fish seemed more lively than usual! I really enjoyed watching the octopus climbing up and down the glass! I always get bothered at the octopus tank when, without fail, each time I am there I see someone taking a picture of their kid by the octopus tank while using their flash. There is a sign right next to the tank saying NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY. The seahorses were also fluttering around. Usually they are just hanging onto their grass things swaying back and forth. Sleeping, maybe? But today they were all over and it was fun to watch their little fins in the back and on the sides of their head fluttering about so quickly. The sharks were also all over their tank, when usually the bigger ones are just chilling on the bottom of the tank. And the huge sea turtle was trying so hard to dive down into the water. Good for him for trying! He was rescued after being struck by a boat and can no longer dive down into the water, which is why he's at the Aquarium rather than back in the ocean. The other turtle in the South America exhibit was also actively swimming around, when we usually find him hiding in the rocks at the bottom. It was fun to see them so active!
Clara LOVED the Aquarium this time. She really loved the puff fish, probably because of his huge eyes that would look right at her. She also loved the coral reef tank with so many colorful fish swimming back and forth. Tessa and Spencer really wanted to touch a sting ray but they were one of the few fish who weren't active this morning so we just stood around with our hands in the water of the tank for quite a while before moving on. But they touched the little starfish, urchin, and horseshoe crab at the counter. Usually Tessa's too nervous to touch those ones, but today she really wanted to and didn't seem the least bit apprehensive!
My favorite exhibits are the South America exhibits. It is the newer section of the Aquarium. The tanks are large and it is easy to see the fish inside of them. I also like the themed feeling of the inside of the tanks and the walls. They have all sorts of things like piranhas, anaconda, caiman (like miniature crocodiles), poisonous yellow and blue frogs (and other cute little frogs), and the penguins. The penguins at the Aquarium are so much funner to watch than at the zoo. You can see them diving and swimming in the water as well as waddling around on the rocks above. The kids love touching the electric eel sample shock (like putting your tongue on a battery) and pushing the buttons to make the frog sounds.
Spencer has dubbed our "Friday Fun Days" "Clara's losing something days" because she seems to lose something almost every Friday Fun Day. Usually it's a binki or a hairbow. Today was the hairbow. Luckily we found it back at the Anaconda viewing tank before we went home. The worst part of the Aquarium is passing the gift shop on the way out. My kids don't usually care about buying something from a gift shop or even a store, except when it comes to the Aquarium. We have a whole bucket of fish toys plus some stuffed animals. We've bought a shark, stingray, frogs, jellyfish, octopus, fish, and more toys over time. Today Tessa had her sweet little heart set on a stuffed penguin. And she loves stuffed animals and is so hard to say no to. The kids do have about $10 saved up. I try to make them choose something to actually save up for (it takes a while at a quarter a day) but when we go to the store to buy it they almost always change their minds anyway. A couple weeks ago they counted their money, took out 10% for tithing, and had over $7 ready to spend but I convinced them to keep saving to get to $10 to get the things they wanted. Today they both told me they didn't want what they were saving up for anymore and they wanted a toy at the Aquarium. Tessa's penguin was $7 and Spencer chose a stuffed alligator for the same price. Then there was a darling stuffed penguin with large eyes that cost a bit more than that but was too cute so I had to get it for Clara. Totally unjustified as we're trying to be careful with money and Clara has more toys than any 9 month old needs, but I did it anyway.
We hurried out of the Aquarium in the snow at this point, to get the kids to Grandma and Grandpa's so I could go with my mom in the hospital. And the best part of the day was that my mom was doing so much better they discharged her and I got to bring her home! I'm so glad that she'll most likely get a better night's sleep in her own bed than she has the last few nights at the hospital!
After standing in the cold, wet weather for 20 minutes quite a crowd had formed but people were respectful and orderly as we all entered the building. Despite the many times we have visited the Aquarium, my kids still get so excited to see the fish! We usually go later in the afternoon so this was a bit different of an experience for us. First of all, it was more crowded as there were field trips going on. Second, the fish seemed more lively than usual! I really enjoyed watching the octopus climbing up and down the glass! I always get bothered at the octopus tank when, without fail, each time I am there I see someone taking a picture of their kid by the octopus tank while using their flash. There is a sign right next to the tank saying NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY. The seahorses were also fluttering around. Usually they are just hanging onto their grass things swaying back and forth. Sleeping, maybe? But today they were all over and it was fun to watch their little fins in the back and on the sides of their head fluttering about so quickly. The sharks were also all over their tank, when usually the bigger ones are just chilling on the bottom of the tank. And the huge sea turtle was trying so hard to dive down into the water. Good for him for trying! He was rescued after being struck by a boat and can no longer dive down into the water, which is why he's at the Aquarium rather than back in the ocean. The other turtle in the South America exhibit was also actively swimming around, when we usually find him hiding in the rocks at the bottom. It was fun to see them so active!
Clara LOVED the Aquarium this time. She really loved the puff fish, probably because of his huge eyes that would look right at her. She also loved the coral reef tank with so many colorful fish swimming back and forth. Tessa and Spencer really wanted to touch a sting ray but they were one of the few fish who weren't active this morning so we just stood around with our hands in the water of the tank for quite a while before moving on. But they touched the little starfish, urchin, and horseshoe crab at the counter. Usually Tessa's too nervous to touch those ones, but today she really wanted to and didn't seem the least bit apprehensive!
My favorite exhibits are the South America exhibits. It is the newer section of the Aquarium. The tanks are large and it is easy to see the fish inside of them. I also like the themed feeling of the inside of the tanks and the walls. They have all sorts of things like piranhas, anaconda, caiman (like miniature crocodiles), poisonous yellow and blue frogs (and other cute little frogs), and the penguins. The penguins at the Aquarium are so much funner to watch than at the zoo. You can see them diving and swimming in the water as well as waddling around on the rocks above. The kids love touching the electric eel sample shock (like putting your tongue on a battery) and pushing the buttons to make the frog sounds.
Spencer has dubbed our "Friday Fun Days" "Clara's losing something days" because she seems to lose something almost every Friday Fun Day. Usually it's a binki or a hairbow. Today was the hairbow. Luckily we found it back at the Anaconda viewing tank before we went home. The worst part of the Aquarium is passing the gift shop on the way out. My kids don't usually care about buying something from a gift shop or even a store, except when it comes to the Aquarium. We have a whole bucket of fish toys plus some stuffed animals. We've bought a shark, stingray, frogs, jellyfish, octopus, fish, and more toys over time. Today Tessa had her sweet little heart set on a stuffed penguin. And she loves stuffed animals and is so hard to say no to. The kids do have about $10 saved up. I try to make them choose something to actually save up for (it takes a while at a quarter a day) but when we go to the store to buy it they almost always change their minds anyway. A couple weeks ago they counted their money, took out 10% for tithing, and had over $7 ready to spend but I convinced them to keep saving to get to $10 to get the things they wanted. Today they both told me they didn't want what they were saving up for anymore and they wanted a toy at the Aquarium. Tessa's penguin was $7 and Spencer chose a stuffed alligator for the same price. Then there was a darling stuffed penguin with large eyes that cost a bit more than that but was too cute so I had to get it for Clara. Totally unjustified as we're trying to be careful with money and Clara has more toys than any 9 month old needs, but I did it anyway.
We hurried out of the Aquarium in the snow at this point, to get the kids to Grandma and Grandpa's so I could go with my mom in the hospital. And the best part of the day was that my mom was doing so much better they discharged her and I got to bring her home! I'm so glad that she'll most likely get a better night's sleep in her own bed than she has the last few nights at the hospital!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Chickens, a movie, and seeds!
Day number 34 of no school for Spencer. So we had "mommy school". We always have either recess or P.E. (depending on the weather) but today we went on a field trip across the street. Our neighbors are out of town so we are taking care of their 3 chickens for them for a few days. Each day we go over there for about 30 minutes to let the chickens run around the yard while the kids play on the swing, slide, and trampoline they have. Then I change their water, give them some food, and retrieve the eggs. Clara is the most amused by the chickens, but Spencer and Tessa love petting Scrambled. I told them about hens and roosters and about eating eggs and stuff like that to make it more educational today.
After school we hurried and cleaned the T.V. room and front room before lunch so we could make it to our movie. I let them pass the bedrooms and play room today. I think we are the only family who hasn't seen Tangled and it is at the dollar theaters so that's where we went. I still call it the dollar theater even though it's more like $2. However, the first showing of each show each day is only $1 a person. So it only cost us $3 to go to a 1:00 movie. However, the rest of our district was out of school today as well and I don't think there was an empty seat in the whole theater. I loved the movie!
We are not a big movie going family. I just can't justify spending $30 to see a movie, so we wait and every couple of months have a pizza movie night and rent a kids movie from redbox. I was thinking it would be fun to go to the dollar theater to see movies, but after today I don't think that will be a regular occurrence. Tessa wasn't used to sitting in one seat for so long and was anxious for the movie to be done. Spencer had to use the restroom 10 minutes to the end and I made him hold it, which he continually complained about. And the worst part was my very well behaved, happy baby. She wasn't so well behaved and happy. I spent a good deal of the time standing in the aisle with her while the kids sat alone in the middle of the row. She wasn't content with any toy I gave her, she lost both binkis I had, and dropped the water bottle which happened to be the only thing I found that actually entertained her. It was over her nap time, but she's usually such a good baby that I didn't think it would be an issue. It apparently was.
After the movie we did our homework from "mommy school". Brodie was so sweet to make dinner tonight and when dinner was done we started planting our vegetable seeds. We're a little late this year, so we'll see what happens. The kids have seen the Danonino commercials so we went ahead and let them plant the chives that came with the yogurt in the empty yogurt container. Then we planted some seeds for my favorite herbs, tomatoes, kohlrabi, and pumpkins for the kids' sake. We put them in foil lasagna pans on top of a heating pad in the "nursery". The kids always enjoy watching them sprout and grow. They get a little disappointed when they haven't popped up the next day or the next and so on. But once they poke their little heads and start growing the kids love checking on them.
St. Patrick's Day
All I remember about St. Patrick's Day as a kid is wearing green and pinching people who didn't. Last year Spencer came home from preschool overflowing with chatter about leprechauns. He had to make a trap to catch one and warned me leprechauns make a big mess. Then I remember getting on Facebook and seeing how just about everyone I knew made green food for their kids. I felt a little bad and that night the leprechaun came and left chocolate gold coins under the "trap" and made a little bit of a mess. Not much as I don't like intentionally making messes. This year I tried to be a little better about it.
I didn't get home from work last night until after the kids were asleep, but Brodie told me Spencer had made a trap. Silly kid just drew a picture to trap the leprechaun. Last year's trap was much more elaborate. Those darn video games are depleting his imagination. Anyway, this time the leprechaun left a garland of clovers from where the trap had been in Spencer's room up over the stairs and through the kitchen and front room and out the front door. Just before the door he left a couple small plastic pots with chocolate gold coins in them for the kids. You'd think it was Christmas! Spencer was in my room all giddy at 6 am telling me he thought he caught a leprechaun. Between him and Clara I didn't go back to sleep, but still stayed in my bed until 7. Spencer was so excited and had to wake up Tessa, who ended up being just about as excited. More because there was chocolate involved than because Spencer almost caught a leprechaun. I let the kids each eat one coin before breakfast and made them wait until after Spencer got home from school to eat anymore. That meant Tessa and I had to come up with other uses while he was gone. We spent a while playing store and Tessa bought all sorts of things from me with her "money". Then we discovered the chocolate gold coins worked well on our front room coffee table in a game of table hockey. Tessa won 8 to 7.
For breakfast the green food coloring made a heavy appearance. The kids got green milk (to drink and in their cereal), green yogurt, and green eggs (thanks Parker chickens!). Spencer asked if we were having ham. I told him it was St. Patrick's Day, not Dr. Seuss day. I also gave them clover straws to drink out of for fun. Lunch included broccoli and green Kool-Aid. I had to work tonight so I tried to prep things as much as I could before leaving. Then I ended up with an hour break around dinner time anyway, so I came home to make it. We had our family's favorite food...BRUSSEL SPROUTS! (Thanks G'ma and G'pa!) I also boiled spaghetti noodles in water dyed with green food coloring to make the spaghetti noodles green. Then I made our favorite parmesan chicken that has green basil flakes in it. Since my vegetarian neice was babysitting, I bought some tofu and breaded that as well. Little Tessa adores all her older girl cousins, including Jordan, and couldn't wait to eat tofu like Jordan. I had to go back to work before dinner, but Brodie said Tessa gobbled down that tofu faster than most dinners and she didn't even touch her chicken. Spencer cried when Brodie made him try the tofu, but he did. Then Brodie made the kids some pistacchio pudding for dessert.
One couple I was visiting with while I was working on their taxes pointed out to me that whatever I did this year, I'll have to do at least as much next year. I should have thought about that earlier.
I didn't get home from work last night until after the kids were asleep, but Brodie told me Spencer had made a trap. Silly kid just drew a picture to trap the leprechaun. Last year's trap was much more elaborate. Those darn video games are depleting his imagination. Anyway, this time the leprechaun left a garland of clovers from where the trap had been in Spencer's room up over the stairs and through the kitchen and front room and out the front door. Just before the door he left a couple small plastic pots with chocolate gold coins in them for the kids. You'd think it was Christmas! Spencer was in my room all giddy at 6 am telling me he thought he caught a leprechaun. Between him and Clara I didn't go back to sleep, but still stayed in my bed until 7. Spencer was so excited and had to wake up Tessa, who ended up being just about as excited. More because there was chocolate involved than because Spencer almost caught a leprechaun. I let the kids each eat one coin before breakfast and made them wait until after Spencer got home from school to eat anymore. That meant Tessa and I had to come up with other uses while he was gone. We spent a while playing store and Tessa bought all sorts of things from me with her "money". Then we discovered the chocolate gold coins worked well on our front room coffee table in a game of table hockey. Tessa won 8 to 7.
For breakfast the green food coloring made a heavy appearance. The kids got green milk (to drink and in their cereal), green yogurt, and green eggs (thanks Parker chickens!). Spencer asked if we were having ham. I told him it was St. Patrick's Day, not Dr. Seuss day. I also gave them clover straws to drink out of for fun. Lunch included broccoli and green Kool-Aid. I had to work tonight so I tried to prep things as much as I could before leaving. Then I ended up with an hour break around dinner time anyway, so I came home to make it. We had our family's favorite food...BRUSSEL SPROUTS! (Thanks G'ma and G'pa!) I also boiled spaghetti noodles in water dyed with green food coloring to make the spaghetti noodles green. Then I made our favorite parmesan chicken that has green basil flakes in it. Since my vegetarian neice was babysitting, I bought some tofu and breaded that as well. Little Tessa adores all her older girl cousins, including Jordan, and couldn't wait to eat tofu like Jordan. I had to go back to work before dinner, but Brodie said Tessa gobbled down that tofu faster than most dinners and she didn't even touch her chicken. Spencer cried when Brodie made him try the tofu, but he did. Then Brodie made the kids some pistacchio pudding for dessert.
One couple I was visiting with while I was working on their taxes pointed out to me that whatever I did this year, I'll have to do at least as much next year. I should have thought about that earlier.
Hockey
There was no school on Friday, yet again. As the district seems to take so many days off school, I decided we would have "mommy school" on all these days. This made day number 33. We spent about 3 hours having school, along with about 1 hour of homework. And with me working during tax season, I'm not very good about getting the kids to keep the house clean during the week. I have Fridays off so I make the kids clean their rooms and all the places they play before we can do our Friday fun activity. This past Friday took quite a while to clean. After school, homework, and cleaning there wasn't much time left other than feeding and taking care of all of us so it was a good thing we had already decided on an evening activity.
We finally got out of the house around 5:00 and headed to Raging Waters to redeem our Pass of All Passes. Apparently quite a few other people had the same idea to redeem their pass, go to dinner, and make it to the hockey game. Forty-five minutes after arriving, we were off again. We were just able to stop quickly at In-N-Out to grab dinner before heading to the Maverik Center for the Grizzlie's game.
Spencer just finished learning about hockey in his Little Gym Sports Skills class and has been eager to attend an actual hockey game. I think he was a bit disappointed at first. We sat down and he didn't really know what was going on. I used to think hockey was quite boring myself. Then I had a guy explain it to me and I watched an adult league game where there was more playing than fighting going on and I decided it wasn't that bad. So after Spencer started catching on to what was going on and what team to cheer for he started to enjoy himself. He did wonder why the guys kept fighting and getting put in time out. At first Tessa was so excited to be somewhere so different and full of energy. She loved dancing to the music and watching the screen to see if they would put her on it. Then the Grizzlies made a goal. The crowd was loud and they blasted a loud horn or something that really scared her. Near the end of the 2nd period the score was 3-2 for the Grizzlies and Tessa had had enough. Between the loud noises and the fact that the game started at 7 and she is usually in bed between 7:30-8:00 she was whining and begging to go. But Spencer had gotten into it and wanted to stay. I had also taught Clara to clap, which she still loves to do. Clara was having a blast, all smiles and giggles and having fun. But it was time to nurse her and put her to sleep as well. And a nursing cover wouldn't do much good with stadium seating! So when the 2nd period ended we told Spencer it was over and we hurried out of there before the 3rd period started.
On our way home we stopped at Arctic Circle for shakes. The kids were so excited to have their own shake (we usually share). Tessa only ate the part overflowing from the cup and was done. Spencer ate closer to 1/3 of his. And that's why we usually just share. But they had fun.
While I think hockey is kind of fun to watch, I'm not a big enough fan to think it's worth the full-price of tickets. Hey, I'm not even sure it was worth the $6 to park while using the Pass of All Passes. I'm trying to decide if we should go to another one in April with our pass or not. We'll see.
We finally got out of the house around 5:00 and headed to Raging Waters to redeem our Pass of All Passes. Apparently quite a few other people had the same idea to redeem their pass, go to dinner, and make it to the hockey game. Forty-five minutes after arriving, we were off again. We were just able to stop quickly at In-N-Out to grab dinner before heading to the Maverik Center for the Grizzlie's game.
Spencer just finished learning about hockey in his Little Gym Sports Skills class and has been eager to attend an actual hockey game. I think he was a bit disappointed at first. We sat down and he didn't really know what was going on. I used to think hockey was quite boring myself. Then I had a guy explain it to me and I watched an adult league game where there was more playing than fighting going on and I decided it wasn't that bad. So after Spencer started catching on to what was going on and what team to cheer for he started to enjoy himself. He did wonder why the guys kept fighting and getting put in time out. At first Tessa was so excited to be somewhere so different and full of energy. She loved dancing to the music and watching the screen to see if they would put her on it. Then the Grizzlies made a goal. The crowd was loud and they blasted a loud horn or something that really scared her. Near the end of the 2nd period the score was 3-2 for the Grizzlies and Tessa had had enough. Between the loud noises and the fact that the game started at 7 and she is usually in bed between 7:30-8:00 she was whining and begging to go. But Spencer had gotten into it and wanted to stay. I had also taught Clara to clap, which she still loves to do. Clara was having a blast, all smiles and giggles and having fun. But it was time to nurse her and put her to sleep as well. And a nursing cover wouldn't do much good with stadium seating! So when the 2nd period ended we told Spencer it was over and we hurried out of there before the 3rd period started.
On our way home we stopped at Arctic Circle for shakes. The kids were so excited to have their own shake (we usually share). Tessa only ate the part overflowing from the cup and was done. Spencer ate closer to 1/3 of his. And that's why we usually just share. But they had fun.
While I think hockey is kind of fun to watch, I'm not a big enough fan to think it's worth the full-price of tickets. Hey, I'm not even sure it was worth the $6 to park while using the Pass of All Passes. I'm trying to decide if we should go to another one in April with our pass or not. We'll see.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Cousins!
So Spencer had another day off of school today. My sister's little girl also had today off so I was planning on driving up to Tremonton today to spend the day with my sister and her kids. My kids were quite excited to see their cousins. My little Tessa told me she couldn't wait to twirl in front of Aliya's mirror in her room! I didn't know that was such a big draw, but apparently it is to a little 3 year old princess. Of course my sister Tiffany is used to writing plans in pencil. On Wednesday she called me to say her little 4 year old was headed to the hospital, which is actually too common of an occurrence for them. So our Friday fun day activity was modified a bit...
Last night after I got off work Tiffany brought Aliya and Jacob over to my house. Jacob (18 months) slept in a playpen set up in Tessa's room, Clara slept in her own crib in her room, and Aliya (6 years), Spencer, and Tessa slept on the floor in Spencer's room. Surprisingly the two little ones slept great! Jacob didn't make a sound until 8 this morning. Clara slept until 5, at which point I pulled her into my bed for a couple of hours. That doesn't bother me as much as it should, cuz she's the best, cuddliest little teddy bear ever! However, the bigger kids were a different story...
So by the time I got home from work, Tiff brought the kids over, I ate dinner and nursed Clara, and we got the kids ready for bed it was already 9. And mine are usually in bed between 7:30 and 8:00. Then they were of course so excited that they were still whispering and giggling at 10:00. Tessa was the funniest as she had to come out of the room every 5 minutes or so telling us something random. She was so excited to be with the big kids! And it didn't help that Spencer's room is right next to the TV room where Brodie and I were. Then at 7:00 on the dot I heard the door open and the giggles and voices coming up. Followed shortly by the fridge opening for yogurts and then the Wii.
For breakfast Spencer wanted to make "Fifi's French Toast" from his Better Homes and Garden Junior Cookbook. How can someone living in our house not have a passion for cooking...or eating good food? Spencer had looked through and found something he knew we had all the ingredients for. So we made and ate our french toast. Then the kids hung out in their pajamas watching t.v., eating salt water taffy, and playing Wii for the morning. In the afternoon we played "Amelia Bedelia", tricking the kids into some reading and math, as well as making cookies (once again from Spencer's cookbook). Tessa is getting quite good at cracking eggs. She cracked all four without a single shell! I also sent the kids outside to the trampoline for a while. Overall most of the day was spent in front of the Wii. World of Zoo seemed to be the big hit today. At least they were all enjoying it and they were doing a good job of taking turns.
When my mom came to pick up Aliya and Jacob my kids were so sad. They definitely had a fun Friday! We then finished it off with dinner at Chin-Wah. Now we're enjoying our peaceful unwinding in front of the television and computer with all the kids asleep!
Last night after I got off work Tiffany brought Aliya and Jacob over to my house. Jacob (18 months) slept in a playpen set up in Tessa's room, Clara slept in her own crib in her room, and Aliya (6 years), Spencer, and Tessa slept on the floor in Spencer's room. Surprisingly the two little ones slept great! Jacob didn't make a sound until 8 this morning. Clara slept until 5, at which point I pulled her into my bed for a couple of hours. That doesn't bother me as much as it should, cuz she's the best, cuddliest little teddy bear ever! However, the bigger kids were a different story...
So by the time I got home from work, Tiff brought the kids over, I ate dinner and nursed Clara, and we got the kids ready for bed it was already 9. And mine are usually in bed between 7:30 and 8:00. Then they were of course so excited that they were still whispering and giggling at 10:00. Tessa was the funniest as she had to come out of the room every 5 minutes or so telling us something random. She was so excited to be with the big kids! And it didn't help that Spencer's room is right next to the TV room where Brodie and I were. Then at 7:00 on the dot I heard the door open and the giggles and voices coming up. Followed shortly by the fridge opening for yogurts and then the Wii.
For breakfast Spencer wanted to make "Fifi's French Toast" from his Better Homes and Garden Junior Cookbook. How can someone living in our house not have a passion for cooking...or eating good food? Spencer had looked through and found something he knew we had all the ingredients for. So we made and ate our french toast. Then the kids hung out in their pajamas watching t.v., eating salt water taffy, and playing Wii for the morning. In the afternoon we played "Amelia Bedelia", tricking the kids into some reading and math, as well as making cookies (once again from Spencer's cookbook). Tessa is getting quite good at cracking eggs. She cracked all four without a single shell! I also sent the kids outside to the trampoline for a while. Overall most of the day was spent in front of the Wii. World of Zoo seemed to be the big hit today. At least they were all enjoying it and they were doing a good job of taking turns.
When my mom came to pick up Aliya and Jacob my kids were so sad. They definitely had a fun Friday! We then finished it off with dinner at Chin-Wah. Now we're enjoying our peaceful unwinding in front of the television and computer with all the kids asleep!
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