This and That

*Someone wants to do EVERYTHING big brother does.  "Me too!" is a common phrase around here.

*We took a trip to the zoo last week.  Despite the beautiful weather, no one was there.  We've never seen the zoo so empty.  It was a great time to go! 

 *Natalie is really into the "CHEESE!" part of pictures now.

*After seeing the first exhibit, Scott casually asked us, "So what would you like to do next?  Ride the train or something?"  He was trying to be subtle and grown up about asking which made us laugh.  He immediately pointed out that the zoo train had a new engine.  We're not sure if it was new or just repainted, but he was the only one to notice, and we believe him.  He WOULD notice that type of thing.  The train ride was his favorite part, of course. 

*Here he is trying his hand at frisbee.  We both need some more practice.  I couldn't get it to really fly across the yard at all.  (Scott thought I was good though...I love his four year old standards!:)  

*I often sing the beginning of "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" when I'm wanting the kids to stand up for something.   Natalie was standing tonight in her highchair and I said, "Natalie!  Sit down.  The chair is going to tip."  She immediately responded with, "Okay, Mommy.  Sit down for Jesus."  

*On a similar note, I sometimes take her right from her highchair to the top of the kitchen counter to brush off the crumbs and clean her up.  She likes this and sometimes has asked, "Stand up for Jesus on counter??"  

Oh how we love our goobers!

Family Fair Day

We went to the State Fair today.  It was Natalie's first time to join us as we just took Scott with us last year.  It was hot, there was A LOT of walking, and the smells of the onions frying and animal stalls were very unpleasant.  I guess however if you're two or four and not 7 months pregnant, it can be a lot of fun.  :)   

 The little kids pretend farm area was our favorite again this year. 

Somehow we got on the topic of jobs, and I was explaining to the kids why Daddy had to go to work and was telling them about making money, having a job, etc.  Scott then turned to me and said, "What do you want to do when you grow up, Mommy?"

Did I mention we had to do a lot of walking?! :)  Natalie got a ride.  Scott got a ride.  I was denied.  So not "FAIR!"   :)

An epiphany

I had just tucked Scott into bed tonight when I decided to flip on the Olympics for the first time.  Diving was on, so I got Scott back out of bed to show him a little.  It's a good thing that I did.  He had never seen divers before, and he was very impressed.  As I was tucking him back in, he said with all sincerity, "It took me a lot of time to figure what I want to be when I grow up, and now I know.  A diver."

(He may need to learn to put his head under the water first, but at least he has a vision.)

 

Scott told me the other night that he didn't need to go to sleep because he was nocturnal. 

 

Miss Natalie has been causing us to smile a lot too these days.   Everything is exaggerated.  She tells us she is...

-"VERY hungry!"
-"VERY tired!"
-Car seat is "TOO tight!"


If something is hard for her to do, she says it's "VERY heavy!"


When she wants a drink, she asks for "COLD water" or "COLD milk!"  (As if we often serve them to her warm)

I was forced to wear my glasses for three (long) weeks recently, and Natalie didn't care for them.  She kept telling me, "No glasses!  Just eyes!"

We did some painting this afternoon, and Scott had fun painting a little car.  Natalie had fun making a huge water mess with a small cup full of paint water. 

Jon and I sometimes secretly refer to our favorite pizza restaurant, Donatos, as "The Big D".  Jon asked Natalie last week if she wanted to go to Donatos or The Big D.  She chose the latter.  As we pulled into Donotos several minutes later, she started to cry, and say, "The Big D!  The Big D!"  Obviously, she didn't understand our code.  Scott caught on and told us that he wanted to go to The Big C.  We tried to guess where he was referring to, and he finally told us it was Chick-Fil-A.  This is funny since we rarely eat there as a family.  I have taken the kids to play on the playground there a couple of times though, and I think that's what stuck in Scott's mind.  So we are not just eating out for the fun of it, we are doing it for the betterment of our children's reading and spelling skills.  :)
 

Mid Summer Update

The summer is flying by!  The new baby will be here in less than 15 weeks.  We've been trying to do as many activities as we can since I feel like life will stop come October.  I know this isn't totally true, but we all will be in for some changes (and sometimes that scares me).  The kids are making up their own games and playing together more and more which is very encouraging and fun to watch. 

We've played outside for (very) brief periods.  It's so hot!!

Lots of playdough and another fun trip to open gym time...

I love this picture.  I didn't ask Scott to do this...he just did.  (Natalie still fell off the beam at least three times, but it was a cute team effort.)

Monkey Joe's: My Review

We recently took a trip to Monkey Joe's, an indoor inflatable play area.  I'm still not totally sure what I think of the place.  It was a good way to beat the heat on a 100+ degree day, and the kids did thoroughly enjoy themselves.  As we drove away, Natalie was saying, "Fun.  Monkey Joe's.  Fun."  She then quickly conked out.  (A huge plus!)  Scott wants to go back and take Daddy next time.  So why the mixed feelings?  Well...part of me kept thinking the whole time we were there that someone was going to break an arm.  Probably being a bit paranoid, but the play areas are most likely designed for larger kids.  Scott and Natalie didn't seem to mind too much, but they came flying down the slides and hit the landing zones very HARD.  They would then get up, shake it off, occasionally hold an arm or leg for a minute, and then want to do something again.  I kept mumbling to them, "That cannot be good for you."  I'm sure they came away with some bruises from some of the hard hits, but like I said, THEY seemed to have fun.  I'm sure this place is a germ factory, too.  All in all though, it was a fun new adventure for them and a good outdoor alternative.  (I had a discount coupon too, which is another reason why I'd go/not go.)    So there you have it...now for a few pictures!

 

Happy Independence Day!

Actually this post is super random and has nothing to do with July 4th, but it seemed like a fitting title for today! :)
 

Natalie has been making us laugh with her expanding vocabulary.  She's becoming quite the little chatterbox.  Her no is often, "No way!" and her yes is usually, "Yes. Okay. Alright." (Said super fast like it's all one word) 

Scott continues to amuse us with his stories.  Yesterday he told me that he wanted to have a sleepover at Grandpa & Grandma's house and stay for 20 nights.  When I told him that I would miss him too much, he said, 'Well I'd give you a big hug when I got home." 

Love to watch them play together and now converse together!

Jon sometimes does his crossfit workouts in the basement, and the kids usually go down with him.  Jon tells me that he often has workout partners, and the other day I caught them in action doing "Burpees."  (Just ask Scott or Natalie to demonstrate sometime.)

I was given a nice bread maker, but now I have to figure out what to do with it.  Scott's been asking everyday to use it, but the accompanying recipe book just doesn't excite me.  If I'm going to try it, I want to make something GOOD (I may attempt something HEALTHY later). 

Any easy and delicious recipes out there that we should try first?