Thursday, August 14, 2008
Winning Reader!
Every summer the library does a summer reading program. For 8 weeks the kids have to read 4 hours a week. For every 30 minutes of reading the kids get to enter in for a weekly drawing and some final prizes at the end-of-summer reading program at the zoo. We read every day and Trouble even finished two chapter books: The Tale of Desperaux and Because of Winn-Dixie. All the reading paid off! Trouble won a Family Season Pass for 2009 for our zoo and 120 other zoo around the country! We picked up his pass today! Congratulations Trouble!!!
Happy Birthday, Travis!
Yesterday was Travis' birthday. He turned 31! What an old man. I made him cupcakes and chocolate no bakes to take to work. When he got home we had dinner. In his family the tradition is that Mom makes the birthday person their favorite meal. I made him orange chicken (like from Panda Express), pork chow mien, and fried rice. Then he came to mutual with me. We had a father-daughter activity. We did a nerd night. So he was a nerd for his birthday. He was the 'Dad' for one of the Young Women whose Dad is deployed. When we got home he opened presents and blew out his candles. The kiddos helped!
The kids made Travis a stepping stone for the garden.
Travis is an awesome Dad and Husband. He is very supportive of everything I do. Like, he changed his work schedule to come to mutual on Wednesday. It's things like that shows me how much he loves me. He always helps me with the things I'm involved in. What usually happens is that I take on more than I can chew and he is there to help me.
What are his other jobs?
Doctor: He's the one to fix our broken kids. Like take out splinter or de-puss an infection and trim nails. When I don't feel well, he takes over and sends me to bed.
Extra Maid: When the dishes have been sitting or a pile of laundry needs to be folded, he'll jump right in.
Teacher: Every moment is a teaching moment for him.
Clown: Always full of surprises!
Putter Extraordinaire: He loves to putter and likes to keep himself busy. Recently he's taken on a new side kick, Trouble!! Trouble likes to fetch tools and help Daddy.
Consultant: Always helping me with my projects. Like approving or giving suggestions for my homemade cards, scrapbook pages, craft projects, and other things.
Project Manager: He is the brains of our little operation around here. He has better logic. He manages all our projects. I can put together a trip or do finances, but he gives the ultimate approval. He gives the suggestions and together we put things into action.
Idea Activist: He wants to try everything, and puts it into action! I love that about him. He says, "I want to build a garage." and he does. He say, "I want to travel around the world" and he does. He has goals and he accomplishes them. I know with him we'll always be taken care of.
I know there is so much more. But he is truly wonderful!! I love him so much! The kids are lucky to have a father that wants to spent time with them and teach them and loves them so much. I couldn't image spending my life with anyone else. Okay, enough mushy stuff! Happy Birthday, Travis!!
The kids made Travis a stepping stone for the garden.
Travis is an awesome Dad and Husband. He is very supportive of everything I do. Like, he changed his work schedule to come to mutual on Wednesday. It's things like that shows me how much he loves me. He always helps me with the things I'm involved in. What usually happens is that I take on more than I can chew and he is there to help me.
What are his other jobs?
Doctor: He's the one to fix our broken kids. Like take out splinter or de-puss an infection and trim nails. When I don't feel well, he takes over and sends me to bed.
Extra Maid: When the dishes have been sitting or a pile of laundry needs to be folded, he'll jump right in.
Teacher: Every moment is a teaching moment for him.
Clown: Always full of surprises!
Putter Extraordinaire: He loves to putter and likes to keep himself busy. Recently he's taken on a new side kick, Trouble!! Trouble likes to fetch tools and help Daddy.
Consultant: Always helping me with my projects. Like approving or giving suggestions for my homemade cards, scrapbook pages, craft projects, and other things.
Project Manager: He is the brains of our little operation around here. He has better logic. He manages all our projects. I can put together a trip or do finances, but he gives the ultimate approval. He gives the suggestions and together we put things into action.
Idea Activist: He wants to try everything, and puts it into action! I love that about him. He says, "I want to build a garage." and he does. He say, "I want to travel around the world" and he does. He has goals and he accomplishes them. I know with him we'll always be taken care of.
I know there is so much more. But he is truly wonderful!! I love him so much! The kids are lucky to have a father that wants to spent time with them and teach them and loves them so much. I couldn't image spending my life with anyone else. Okay, enough mushy stuff! Happy Birthday, Travis!!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
The Zoo
Today we went to the zoo. Travis had to bail about an hour in because he got called into work. Trouble was looking forward to going for the last few days. However, just over an hour into it he decided that there just wasn't enough animals and that it was time to go home. Granted, it is a small zoo that have probably had the same animals for centuries and the habitats aren't exactly ideal BUT it is close, cheap, easy to see in less than two hours, you can feed and pet some of the animals, they are up close, and it isn't crowded. Dynomite was very excited. I doubt she really remembers any previous zoo trips.
This is my favorite part of our Zoo here. Being able to feed these little deer.
Of course we had to see the lemurs:
The kids were more excited about the baby ducks more than anything else. Glad we paid for that!!
This is my favorite part of our Zoo here. Being able to feed these little deer.
Of course we had to see the lemurs:
This is what Dynomite had to say:
And the bears...begging for food:
Trouble liked the reptiles:
I couldn't resist these little turtles. They were struggling so much to eat the lettuce and cut up carrots. They were really cute!
Monkeys, Dynomite size:
The wildest and most amusing animals of all: Kid Monkeys
Oh yes, the highlight of our zoo experience:
The kids were more excited about the baby ducks more than anything else. Glad we paid for that!!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Relief in Public Places
This is one blog I do not have pictures of....I think you'll understand and appreciate it.
The other day after dinner we went for a family outing to the library. About 15 minutes into our visit Trouble approached me to inform me that he needed a drink of water. He was holding his hand over his mouth, in which he proceeded to throw up into. He threw up all over himself, me, the book he was holding, the DVD I was holding, the carpet, and the Arthur section of the library. Then he continued throwing up all the way to the bathroom. When we actually got to the bathroom, he was done...of course. Thank goodness Travis was in the library. I called him on his cell. He quickly found Dynomite (oh yeah, we have another child running a muck in the library) and found me. He went out to get Trouble the spare set of clothes I happened to have in the van and then he helped clean up in the library, while I cleaned the bathroom. After that Trouble was fine and showed no other signs of sickness. I guess the 'reading bug' really got to him. Ha Ha!
However, I innocently assumed my troubles were over but NO. Today in Barnes and Noble Dynomite pooped out her diaper. I mean EVERYWHERE! Thank goodness not on anything we had to buy! (At least in the library they just decontaminate and put things back on the shelf). She got a nice bath in the bathroom sink and the stroller got a quick wash down. Now I have to clean the stroller, again. Again because I just got done cleaning it for the new baby. Maybe the kiddos are allergic to books?
So all I need now is for my water to break at Wal-mart!!!
I would love to hear all your embarrassing messy public kid stories, it would make me feel better!
The other day after dinner we went for a family outing to the library. About 15 minutes into our visit Trouble approached me to inform me that he needed a drink of water. He was holding his hand over his mouth, in which he proceeded to throw up into. He threw up all over himself, me, the book he was holding, the DVD I was holding, the carpet, and the Arthur section of the library. Then he continued throwing up all the way to the bathroom. When we actually got to the bathroom, he was done...of course. Thank goodness Travis was in the library. I called him on his cell. He quickly found Dynomite (oh yeah, we have another child running a muck in the library) and found me. He went out to get Trouble the spare set of clothes I happened to have in the van and then he helped clean up in the library, while I cleaned the bathroom. After that Trouble was fine and showed no other signs of sickness. I guess the 'reading bug' really got to him. Ha Ha!
However, I innocently assumed my troubles were over but NO. Today in Barnes and Noble Dynomite pooped out her diaper. I mean EVERYWHERE! Thank goodness not on anything we had to buy! (At least in the library they just decontaminate and put things back on the shelf). She got a nice bath in the bathroom sink and the stroller got a quick wash down. Now I have to clean the stroller, again. Again because I just got done cleaning it for the new baby. Maybe the kiddos are allergic to books?
So all I need now is for my water to break at Wal-mart!!!
I would love to hear all your embarrassing messy public kid stories, it would make me feel better!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Etch-a-sketch
Do you know how an Etch-a-Sketch works? I didn't know until Travis and Trouble broke one. (Which Travis, of course, turned it into a science lesson!) There are these little balls covered in some kind of silver element. When you turn the Etch-a-Sketch upside down and shake it, the silver on the balls rubs off on the screen and gives the screen a silver look. Inside the toy is also a little metal piece that looks like a pencil tip. It is hooked to a bunch of wires, which are hooked to the white knobs. When you turn the white knobs it moves the wire that are hooked to the metal pencil tip, which scraps off the silver. Ingenious!!
PS The silver washed right off!
PS The silver washed right off!Kelly's Shower and Quilt
Our good friend Kelly is due with her first baby in a few weeks. Kelly is awesome!! The kiddos love her. Her and Pat are always thinking of us. So the very least I could do for her is throw her a baby shower. She has made both my kids quilts and she hand stitched a soccer ball for Trouble and make Dynomite a baby doll, along with bringing us over homemade jams and jellys and having us over for dinner and taking care of me when Travis was on alerts. So I made a quilt for her soon-to-be born little girl. We're so excited for them.
We had a good time celebrating. Here is me with my big belly and the food.
Kelly loves animals. She is the one who gave us both of our animals. Freddie the beta fish for Trouble's birthday and Rocky the Chinchilla. So I made her bunny bread and a 3D duck cake.
Travis helped with the games. He always gets roped into whatever I'm doing :-) We had a good time. Okay Kelly, you can have your baby now!!
We had a good time celebrating. Here is me with my big belly and the food.
Kelly loves animals. She is the one who gave us both of our animals. Freddie the beta fish for Trouble's birthday and Rocky the Chinchilla. So I made her bunny bread and a 3D duck cake.
Travis helped with the games. He always gets roped into whatever I'm doing :-) We had a good time. Okay Kelly, you can have your baby now!!
