St Patty's Part 2

After the parade we came home and got ready for some friends who were coming over. Two friends and I have set up a babysitting co-op with each other. It is a rotation of every three months. One month we are "on" to babysit the other couples kids, then the next two months we get a date. So this is our month to be the babysitters. I was expecting a family of five girls but at the last minute two of her kids went to their grandma's (I think she took mercy on me). The kids all had a great time. We started by playing outside, the trampoline was a big hit with the bigger girls.

Then we went inside to eat dinner and do a St. Patty's Day craft.  We made rainbows out of tissue paper. 

We ended the night by making Lucky Charm bars. 

Not the best picture but the girls didn't care, I saw my friends kids take an extra one as they were walking out the door. : ) And finally, this is what Mimi and grandpa did while the madness was upstairs! 

"Camping" and St. Patty's Day

The following weekend was Troublemaker's 4th birthday, so grandma and grandpa came back to visit.  It was also St. Patrick's Day so we were super busy.  We made tie dye shirts with E, P, and B so we had six girls in matching St. Patty's Day shirts.  I meant to get a picture of us tie dying but forgot so a pic of Mimi is her onsie will have to be enough.  OK, a couple pics. She is so cute and has such a great laugh! 

The night grandma, grandpa, and my sister got her the girls were "camping out" in the livingroom. 

It started that they were going to sleep in the "camping room" (which so earned its name because it has stars on the ceiling) but when we started to put the tent up it was too big.  So the tent moved to the livingroom, and the girls came along with it.  : )  And they NEVER went to bed!  (I am only kinda exaggerating)  I kept yelling at them to go to bed and Bumpkin's comment was "this is our first time camping inside, we aren't supposed to sleep".  Can't really argue with that; however, they haven't gotten to camp inside again yet....

They also insisted on taking pictures with Mimi.  Here are a few of the best.

The next day we got ready and headed to the parade downtown.  When we were walking to meet E, P, and B we also found our friend, M.  So there were lots of crazy little girls watching the parade (that never ended). 

It was genius for someone to open the back of their car so the girls could play before the parade started and once they got bored. 

The girls weren't so patient waiting for the first pieces of candy go come but it quickly got boring and they moved on to playing again.  Mimi was very impressed. 

Troublemaker also helped Heather show her maturity level... :)

Bumpkin got this cute hat from one of the floats.  She knows how to look cute doesn't she?  She took this one picture then hasn't shown any more interest in the hat at all.  So Troublemaker took it....

Stay tune for Part 2

Grandparents Day/Easter Hunt

Grandma and Grandpa decided to surprise Bumpkin and came to visit for Grandparents Day at her school.  I had already told her they wouldn't be able to come because they both work and live out of town and she had taken that pretty well.  But I didn't know that grandma had the day off of school and they would be able to come!  So they surprised her and from what I hear it was a good surprise!  The stories I have heard say that she stared at Grandma when she appeared in the doorway but didn't move.... then when Grandpa came into view she came barreling their way.  Sounds about right to me! 

We did a lot of hanging out that weekend, most of which was not captured on camera.  However, grandpa gave his first official horse ride to three girls.... I think he is running out of room! 

On Sunday the base had an Easter Egg Hunt/Party.  It was a bit windy out this year (last year it was so hot the candy inside the eggs melted before we could eat it) but the girls enjoyed it still. 

They split the kids into age groups and then walked us around the "course" so everyone had a fair start.  On your marks, get set, go! 

And they are off! 

(Mommy might have pointed out to the girls that if they ran to the back of the course everyone else would stop at the front and they could get more eggs.... she might have. Atleast I think that is why they are running by all the eggs at their feet....)

We ran into our friend A at the Easter Egg Hunt too!  

After all the eggs were found we moved indoors where they had face painting, balloon making, and a coloring contest.  Bumpkin was determined to win the coloring contest.  She kept chanting "I'm going to win" while she was coloring.  But when the time came Troublemaker took her age groups top prize and Bumpkin came up short.  Troublemaker was so shy about it all that I had to carry her up to pick her prize and she had her head burried in my shoulder.  I almost had to pick her prize too but luckily she came out of it in time.  Here she is holding her winning picture the next day.... you can see she isn't at all shy at home.... : )

And the prize she picked up.  No surprise it is a puzzle! 

Notice the leg posed too! 

We also got some picture of the kids and the Easter Bunny and the Coyote.  Ms. Bumpkin has a thing with people who are dressed up in costume.  She knows they aren't real but doesn't want to go close to them anyway.  Or so we thought!  Her teacher told me that when they had the Happy Bear come to school she sat in the front row and was the first to give him a high five.  But when she say the Easter Bunny she hid again.  Such a drama lady!  When we ignored her and told her we knew about the Happy Bear she went up to both the bunny and the coyote. 

And finally, a pic of the lovely Mimi in her daddy's hat. 

Family Pictures

In mid January we had professional family pictures taken.  We only bought the rights to one of the pictures so that is all I can post here but they are all so cute! 

I have to say that Bumpkin and Troublemaker soaked up every minute of the camera being on them.  They thought it was the greatest and were giving the photographer suggestions of other poses they wanted to try!  We really should try to do it more often; it's just not the top thing on my radar.  : ) 

First Tooth

Mimi,

You got your first tooth a couple days ago.  It was on Monday last week (so a whole week ago.... wow, am I behind).  Your daddy was on shift and you can I had a rough night but we made it through.  And your first tooth was quickly followed by your second right next two it.  They aren't all the way up yet but they have broken through the gums.  I look forward to being able to see your pretty pearly white smile! 


Mommy

Circus

We got tickets for the circus this weekend from a friend.  We also got to go to the circus with the friend and her children so that was fun.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I have an attachment to the circus.  My grandpa used to be a shiner and voluntered every year at the circus and he would take me.  I got to do all the behind-the-scenes things and I loved it.  These days I don't even really enjoy the circus, something about growing up and knowing all the bad things that could happen while there but I still have a certain fondness for it. 

I was really looking forward to Troublemaker getting to see the acrobats.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of her face the first time they went flying in the air (I actually tried but the picture didn't turn out right because of lighting) but lets just say she thought it was great.  She sat in her seat the whole time with her jaw open. 

Then once she realized I was trying to take a picture I couldn't get one of her just watching the acrobats.  : )

There were a few events there that I have never seen before. One was a lady doing all kinds of flips, etc on a pole. That wasn't new but what was new was that two men were holding the pole. Or moving the pole was more like it. It wasn't a stationary pole. I thought that was pretty amazing. More because they actually got the pole under her feet each time and less about the flips.  

Mater, the tow truck from CARS was there as well. He was funny. I guess it served as a clown act but it was a real car that drove on to stage and interacted with a clown. He was funny and all the kids loved it. 

During intermission we let the girls ride the elephants.  They were so excited.  Here is them standing in line waiting for their turn. 



 And their elephant.  Two seconds after they got on the elephant pooped.  The girls weren't impressed but atleast they got a longer ride out of the deal.  : )

We ended our fun morning with balloons for everyone and a family picture.  While we were taking the family picture a clown saw the flash and came screaming "picture picture picture" and inserted himself right in.  I didn't even know what was going on at first but I have to say it was the easiest themed picture we have ever done. 

The girls has a great time and I am so glad we were able to go.  They were so hyped up but didn't stop talking about their favorite parts.  Troublemaker liked the acrobats the best (duh) and Bumpkin liked the performing animals. 

Clapping Fool

Mimi,

You discovered clapping today.  You have been known to clap before but you really discovered what it is today and that other people can do it too.  You clap, then we clap, then you clap, and so on.  And it is so funny to watch you watch yourself clap when your mouth wide open and your eyes mesmerized. 

Mommy