Daytrip to Dallas

On Saturday we took a day trip to Dallas. We'd never been up there even though my Uncle Craig lives there. We spent the afternoon at the Museum of Nature & Science. The kids LOVED it. It's definitely one of the best children's museums I've been to. The entire basement is for kids 7 and under. The way it's set up is awesome. The majority of these pictures are of Connor & Savannah. Dallin took the boys over to the planetarium for half the time (in a different building).

Zach making an "earthquake"
Jacob & Savannah building towers

The dinosaur room...I was a mean mom and didn't let them dig in the sand for fossils. We were going to a wedding reception soon after...

Floating ping-pong balls in the air

Making monster bubbles...

Zach dancing in front of the heat-sensor TV...

They had a "backyard" that Connor just loved. There were ant tunnels to crawl through...they had ant hats to wear but he wouldn't keep it on. They also had real fish, snakes, bugs, etc. in tanks. There was an area where you could dress in bug costumes (ladybugs, bees, spiders, etc.) and crawl around on a huge "spiderweb"...but Savannah was too afraid.

Connor's favorite spot...the "aiyoon!" They had a hot air balloon...you pushed a button for a minute to make the flames fill it up and then it would rise 2 stories high...and come back down. We watched it many, many times.

Savannah's favorite spot..."milking" the cow. There was a whole farm set-up where the kids could collect fake eggs, sort vegetables, ride rocking "horses", etc. The farm was Savannah's favorite place by far.

Dental exhibit...we only lasted about 10 seconds before Savannah got bored.

My little fire-fighter...although he wouldn't wear the fireman costume.

Sand-table...kid heaven

In the evening we went to dinner at McDonald's and let the kids play. We changed their clothes in the car and headed to my cousin Reed's wedding reception. It was nice to see family, if only for a few minutes. The kids fell asleep almost immediately in the car and we drove back home (got home about 11:30). It was a fun day!

Taya & Reed

Stinky Jacket

A couple of days ago Zach came home from school with a yellow note in his hand..."Zach just smacked his head on the table as he was leaving. Hope he's okay!" Today my friend Ralphie brought the boys home for me (Connor had just barely fallen asleep). Zach climbs out of her car with another yellow note.

Lauree: "You okay Zach, what happened?"

(Zach hands me the note with a disgusted look)

Ralphie holds up a grocery bag: "This is what happened"

I read the note: "A child vomited all over Zach's jacket. So sorry!"

I can't help it...I start busting up laughing. Zach gets mad "Don't laugh at me!" and runs inside. (I went in and apologized and let him know that I was sorry that happened to him.) If you know Zach this is the absolute worst thing that could happen. He is very sensitive to smells. One time he left his jacket at preschool for a couple of weeks and wouldn't wear it because it had been in the playdough cupboard. I had to wash it first.

Princess Savannah

Princesses are back in style at our house...thanks to Grandpa's dress-up chest and the movie "Enchanted."

Fun Young Women Activity

For those who don't know I am the Young Women's President in my ward at church. Every week we get together to do some sort of activity with the girls. On Tuesday we did "Scripture Charades" and it was a blast. We were goofy and had a great time. We only have 4 young women, but had 5 leaders at the activity too. I'm not putting names (for their privacy), just what the scene was...

Ruth & Naomi
King Solomon and the 2 mothers

Nephi being bound by his brothers

Ammon chopping off the arms (my favorite picture...notice the missing arm!)

The fearsome Goliath (nice face there Goliath)

Can't remember what this was...we just got a kick out of the "loin cloths"

Daniel and the lion's den

MLK Day

The kids had lots of fun playing together on Monday with the boys off of school. I have no clue what they were doing in this picture...but they were happy and having fun!This is Jacob's favorite position for playing computer. How can that be comfortable?

This is Zach's for watching...you can't tell but the chair is tipped up quite a bit.

Here is Zach waiting for the timer to go off for his turn to play computer. He was counting down by the seconds for about 10 minutes.

In the afternoon we went to the park and threw rocks in the creek. The playground was pretty crowded and the geese were cranky so we went to the McDonald's play place instead and had ice cream sundaes.

Fort Strong

Today in honor of the boys being home we made a huge fort in the family room. The kids had a great time...for about 5 minutes.Then came King Connor.

He was pretty happy with his path of destruction.

Luckily the side he destroyed was also the side the TV is on...

So they stretched out in the fort and watched a movie. Good times.

School for the Blind

The boys were off school today and we went on a little field trip that a friend had planned to the Texas School for the Blind. The kids got to see Braille books and feel them. They also got a Braille card so they can practice at home...we'll see if that ever happens. They had fun walking around and seeing some of the kids at the school. Here is Savannah trying her hand at Braille...Connor Update: Connor wouldn't take a nap yesterday, but fell right asleep at bedtime with no fuss at all. He slept the whole night with no pacifier!!! He fell asleep in the car on the way home today and only got a 20 minute nap, so I'm feeling good about him being exhausted tonight too. Yeah!!!

Valentine Heart-Attack

I've been promising Savannah that she could cut out hearts for Valentine's Day decorations. Yesterday she was in heaven. I drew the hearts and she cut and colored them. Dallin even joined in when he came home for lunch...When Zach got home he was so excited. This kid loves to do art projects, and also fill up our wall space with it. He and Savannah sat together for 2 HOURS straight. He would cut and draw a pattern and then sit there while Savannah colored it in. Then he would do another one...one at a time. Two solid hours of them not fighting at all...it was bliss.

Zach loves it when I let him decorate this massive, blank wall in the kitchen...

Lots of lovin'...at least for 2 hours.

See ya later pacifiers!

I've been wanting to take away Connor's pacifier for months now. But there was always something...going on vacation, being sick, etc. This week I'd been debating which day to start. Well last night Connor went to bed but was just talking in his crib. I figured he wasn't tired yet and got him back out. Biggest mistake of my life. He cried all night long and wanted to watch T.V. or have us hold him. Once we figured out that's all it was we just left him in his crib. And he cried. And cried. And cried. This has happened before.

I went in to his room the first few times and gave him his pacifier, which he immediately threw on the floor. This morning I decided they were gone. He suffered through the whole night without it anyway, so now is as good as time as any. Naptime has not really happened today. I think he slept for a few minutes in between the shouts of "Ire! Ire! Out! Out!" Ire = Pacifier

It's gonna be a long few days (and nights), but I'm actually happy to finally be getting it over with.

Family Fitness & Fine Arts

On Monday for FHE we went to the school for Family Fitness & Fine Arts night. We got to meet the boys' art, music, and P.E. teachers (although they don't call it P.E. - it's called "Wellness"). Dallin took Zach & Savannah with the kindergartners and Connor and I went with Jacob. The P.E. section was definitely the most fun. We had a blast and I'm so sad I didn't have my camera...for things like Connor trying to jump rope and hula-hoop. They had plasma cars, which were by far Savannah's favorite thing. It goes forward when you move the steering thing back and forth.

In art we learned how to draw hearts for Valentine's Day. Connor didn't last too long in music. After the opening dancing around and singing they wanted us to be quiet and listen...by then it was Connor's bedtime. So we met up with the others back at the gym. It was a fun time!

Saturday morning Star Wars battle

This morning Zach decided to make a starship out of our couch and the laundry basket (the cockpit). It had lasers and everything. He was nice enough to let Savannah be the co-pilot. A few minutes later I heard Dallin in there leading them on missions to get the Empire...

Snowman!

No, it didn't snow enough for a snowman. We've actually had nice weather this week. On Wednesday we had Savannah's music class at our house. For the craft we made snowman faces and then sang snowman songs. She loved using all pink and purple buttons...of course. She named it "Savannah Snowman."

Dino Pit

Today the kids and I went to the Austin Nature & Science Center. We hadn't been for a few months and I've been promising them we'd go. They had a great time, especially in the nice weather we've been having this week.

Jacob & Savannah convincing Connor to enter the little cave...

Playing by the little creek

This was Connor's first time being able to play in the dino pit. The last time we went he was still confined to his stroller. He had a blast running all around in the sand and trying to dig. He loves to mimic Jacob in everything he does...

Jacob is very serious about his digging and gets a little frustrated when the other kids don't want to search for fossils...

Lovin' life!A sand fort, complete with moat and a drawbridge...Savannah immediately claimed the pink shovel...Then we visited the animals...this is a rabbit I think. The raccoon was terrified of the kids.

We've been saving things from nature that the kids find interesting (snake skin, seashells, acorn top, etc.). They can give it to this lady and tell her what they know about it. She awards them points and they can pick out something else. Jacob got some volcanic rock, Zach a new seashell, and Savannah a pink rock.