Children's Museum

Julie and I took the kids to the Children's Museum on Sunday, and it was a Worzala personal-best (longest) trip of four hours.  The kids were about ready to crash, and then got their second wind, and we nearly closed the place down.  They were rewarded for "good" behavior by overpriced cafeteria cookies at the end of the trip, and my kids were asleep within about five minutes of climbing in the car.

The "walking-in" excitement!

Watching the countryside whiz by from the train window

Experiencing the exhilaration of driving a race car

Riding a motorcycle, with super silly faces

Concentrating on the art

Joey kept himself occupied for a LONG time at the sand table.

Loving the lights & sounds at the Hot Wheels exhibit

Driving a real-life Hot Wheel

Happy Valentine's Day!

Collectively, the kids have three V-Day parties at school (Mel for preschool and daycare, Joey for daycare), and we've had two different neighbors drop off cupcakes.  I think they're doing pretty well for V-Day this year!  Valentine's night involved having a friend over and having a heart-shaped pizza with a babysitter.

"Dear Mommy & Daddy, Happy Valentine's Day and I love you.  Mommy, I love you because you take care of me and snuggle with me on the couch.  Daddy, I love you because you lay in bed & read books and then you turn the light off & lay with me before you go downstairs.  Love, Melanie" (opposite side is signed "Joey" by Mel)

While making cards for her class, Mel wanted to make sure she and Joey exchanged as well.

Kids being silly

Dinner time silliness

Pajama cuddles

Cuddled in Joey's sleeping bag

Melanie

As Melanie Grace prepares to turn five, I wanted to jot down a few of her favorite things and developing personality traits.  She is suddenly such a little helper.  She wants to set the table, take care of Joey, gets changed all by herself in the mornings, makes beds, helps in the kitchen, etc.  We'll see how long all of that lasts!  She loves sitting at the table with a pen & paper and just creating.  Scissors & glue are other favorites, and she creates invitations, pictures, etc.  She will just sit for 10 minutes and write all of her friends' and teachers' names out.  Her new favorite word she likes to write is "Love."

In addition to daycare five days a week, she is still participating in Noah's Ark's preschool program - so on MWF for 2.5 hours, she goes across the hall to preschool.  This has really brought her out of her shell a lot  - we have noticed it, and her teachers have too.  The independence is coming through more and more.  She wrapped up a "season" of gymnastics, and started her ballet/tap/gymnastics class that meets once a week, and that, too, has helped her gain independence and confidence.  She recently went out to dinner with a friend, and twice lately has played at friends' houses - without me along!

Every where we go, if she gets something (a sucker at the dry cleaners, candy from a party, etc), she makes sure to ask if she can have another for Joey.  She's very thoughtful and loves her brother!  The other day when Joey got mad at me and yelled "you are NOT my best friend," Melanie quickly followed up with "Mommy, I can be your best friend."  She recently got sick at school, and the next day, I was sending her clean blanket & pillow back with her for naptime.  Before she left for school, she gave me a hug & kiss and said "Thank you for washing my things, Mommy."

It cracks me up that she's now making faces for the camera

One night as I left for small group and Mel was getting out of the bathtub, the last thing I heard her ask her Dad was "Can I dress like a ballerina?" I left him with that one - and got this picture texted to me about 20 minutes later.  Her fashion sense remains very interesting!

Joey

Joey is a little sweetheart.  While his favorite thing(s) are TV and the iPad, he really likes playing with his Toy Story toys, Legos, and doing ANYTHING his sister does.  All she has to do is look at him and he bursts out laughing.  He gives wonderful hugs, is quick to say "I love you," and has settled down his random temper tantrums.  he still loves his "cotties" (cotton balls), and anything soft.  

He's not potty-trained yet, but he'll use the toilet randomly.  Usually when his diaper is already wet.  He loves fruit (more than Mel ever did at this age), but doesn't have a huge appetite.  He, like Melanie, is afraid of all animals - but I think he learned this from his sister, and I think he'd be easier to convert back.  One of his favorite phrases is "I do it by mySELF!" - which usually ends up with "Mommy, can you help me?" His vocabulary is perfectly fine now - it's funny to think I was concerned with it earlier.  He likes to sing along to songs - his favorite is "Cotton Eyed Joe," followed closely by "Cups" from the movie Pitch Perfect.  His bedtime routine is VERY routine, and involves reading three books with me, and then having me lie on the floor next to his bed while he falls asleep (thank goodness for the Kindle app on my phone, which I prop under his bed and read while he drifts off).

Regarding the princess picture below - he was very insistent that night "I want to be a princess."  After hanging out in the outfit for about 20 minutes (while watching the movie "Tangled,") he tore the dress off himself and said "I don't WANNA be a princess."  As Melanie is planning her fifth birthday party, she would like her cousins to come back to her house after the water park, so they can have princess cupcakes and play dress up.  She said, "The girls can be princesses and the boys can be princes."  I said, "Well, Char can be a prince, but Joey will probably be a princess."  She responded, "Well, yes, Joey will be a princess," like that was a foregone conclusion.  That, coupled with the fact that Joey announced "THIS IS MY SONG" when Justin Bieber's song "Boyfriend" came on the radio (he had never heard it before), are hilarious to me.

"The Thinker"

I can't help it.  He's so proud of himself!

Sundays at 801

Snuggled with my three favorite Doan grandchildren.  Very cozy.

Melanie reading to her cousins

Now it's Molly's turn

Aunt Julie teaching the Uno basics.  Every time Melanie relays this story, she has to ask me what this game is called.  She might need a few more lessons.

Gigi and the granddaughters snuggling by the fire

Another Sunday cuddling by the fire

Birthday Party/Silly Safari

The kids had a good time at their friend Chase's fifth birthday party last weekend.  It was an activity-filled party, so I wanted to share some pics of them enjoying the festivities!

Getting ready for the party to start!

"Silly Safari" was there - with a Great Dane, tortoise, chicken, crab, bunny, lizard, alligator.  I was impressed my kids were sitting so close to the dog.

The kids were apparently done with the animals, and sought refuge with each other.

Mel's turn with the pinata!

Now it's Joey's turn.  Is that a left-handed swing??

Digging into the cake

Before we even got to the car, we had to play with the party favors - bubbles!