Halloween Blast From the Past

As we prepare for Halloween old costumes were taken out.  Here's a mixed up blast from the past.

When Victoria was two she was Elmo and when Christian was one he was Bam Bam.  Funny how the four year old is wearing what Christian wore last year! I don't let them play in this year's costumes so they're having a blast with the old ones.  You just wait to see this year's costumes!

MN State Fair 2010

Mark really enjoys the MN State Fair!  I mean really.  He talks about it year round.  I enjoy it but it's so expensive.  Each year since we've had kids I've enjoyed it more and more.  This year we really had a great time.  We went the Friday before Labor Day.  It was chilly and windy.  Way more my style than bright sun and 90 degrees.  The kids were in the double stroller with their jackets zipped.  We parked at our usual spot at the Boys' Scout Lot.  We were on our way.

Our first stop was something new!  The ABC Forest.  We met Deb Frasier, the author of One the Day You Were Born, one of our favorite books.  I think I have three copies.  Our former librarian ,Sue, was volunteering there so she introduced us.  There were some cute activities.  Here was my favorite activity:

I love it!  I wanted to do individual ones with each of the kids names but it took a while to pick out the letters.  They had alphabet crowns on.  Oh, a teacher's dream.

 Thenit was off to our family hot spot: Little Farm Hands.  It's so fun to see the kids do all these farming activites.  Grab and apron and a little bucket and you're off!

                                                                   Milk that cow!

Give the hay a ride on the tractor.

At the end of all of the activities they put all the items away and they earn a 'dollar' to buy something.  Victoria chose a stuffed sheep and Christian chose an apple.
The loved it more this year than any other year. 

Clearly this was all my idea.  I was actually holding Victoria up into that hole.
Who can pass up a chance to be a cheese on a stick?

This was Christian's dream come true!  He loves horses!  They walked right over to him!

                             We got to pet a piglet.  Victoria was positive his name was Wilbur.

Victoria was the only one small enough to wiggly her way through the massive crowd to put the teeny tiny chick.  I just held up the camera high and crossed my fingers.

That's the sheep she 'bought' back at the Little Farm Hands.  We were all having a great time looking at the animals.  Christian was very interested in all the smells.  A regular person who has been smelling for years has a hard time with all the smells.  Poor C kept saying, "What dat mell nowwww?!"  As we were walking out of the cow barn I stepped in a massive cow pie with flip flops on.  So bad I almost slipped and fell because my right foot was stuck in it.  It splattered on my bare foot.  I had to use baby wipes to clean it all off.  It sucked.  Mark found it far more amusing than I did. 

After all that we had to find something to eat.  Here's a look at a corn dog that could feed a family of four.

Notice how long that stick is?  It was huge!

At this point we had already been at the fair about three hours so it was off to the Midway for some real action!
This is where we really go crazy!

We caught frogs

Caught fish.

Caught more frogs.

We won a lot of crap - I mean - super good stuff!

Like this very cool sword.  I stood in front of the sword bucket so he wouldn't choose that.  Then he spotted another bin across the way.  Boys will be boys I guess.

Oh  my that stroller was full of goodies - just the way we like it.

Then we had black and white pictures taken in a little photo booth.  Our first time with all four of us.

After more than four hours at the fair we headed home for nap.  They both took a good nap and then we brought them over to Auntie Sandy's for the night.  Guess what Mark and I did then. . .went back to the fair for another four hours.  We ate, drank, people watched and had a great time.  It's the best way to end the summer.

How Are Sick Kids Supposed to Behave?

Luckily in my 4.5 years of being a mother our kids haven't been sick much.  So today I'm pondering this question:  Why do my sick kids run around in between throwing up?  This is the oddest thing I've ever seen.  Christian throws up all over the table and just asks why that happened.  Then he's off - running - playing - laughing!  Aren't sick kids supposed to lie around quietly all day?  I wish someone would deliver laundry detergent to my house.  I'm almost out with the massive amount of laundry I've done in the last 16 hours.  It's almost naptime. . .  I think I'm going to soak in a hot bath.

A Finale and A Lot of Puke

Mark and I have watched Big Brother three times a week for the last 12 weeks.  That's major commitment to a reality show.  Tonight is the finale.

I took the kids to Mama Deb's bday dinner.  Then got the kids settled in to bed peacefully.  Mark came home and we settled comfortably on the couch with some snacks and started to watch.  In the first hour Victoria vomited all over.  I gave her a bath while Mark changed sheets and cleaned up.

Got her little body into new Scooby jammies and settled back in.  She drifted right back to sleep.  I made myself a Lean Pocket ready to find out the winner. . .

Then Christian vomitted EVERYWHERE!  I gave him a bath while Mark cleaned up the sheets and floor.

I used our new online sub caller.

All I can say is THANK GOODNESS FOR MY STUDENT TEACHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How much sleep will I get tonight.  I have a feeling it's either going to be very quiet around here or very messy.

Me Big Boy

When each of my kids were tiny little babies and I'd hold their bodies in my arms while I paced their bedroom floors putting them to sleep I'd sing them a song I made up.  Victoria's song is, Who Loves Baby? Mommy Does and Christian's is Go to Sleep My Little Baby Go to Sleep My Little Son.  Way back when I posted this story about Victoria not wanting me to call her baby but instead, big girl. 

Last night Christian lifted his head from my shoulder and said through his nuk, "Me no baby. Me big boy."  Man, they really pay attention to the words I guess.  I'm not in a rush to let him grow up.  I sang baby again tonight and he corrected me.  I ignored him and kept singing. 

The Benefit Part II

I brought my good camera to capture the special moments at the benefit for the family of baby Mikey.  I ended up putting my camera back in the car without takingone picture because it was so packed.  So here's the best shot I have of Mike's father making a very moving speech thanking everyone.  Mike and Theresa are in the background.

Grandma Shirley and Mommy Theresa.  The tables of the silent auction baskets went back about 100 feet on the left and right of them and way down to the left as well.

I am the proud winner of a $100 gift certificate to Pump It Up, 12 games of bowling and 50 wings at Buffalo Wild Wings.  Yay!

There are my girls!  They are good friends!  We had a blast together.

Even if you've known me my whole life you may have never heard me speak the dreaded words,
 "My camera is dead!"  Unfortunately it happened here.  I didn't get a picture with
Auntie Sandy, grandma, dad, Deb or Mark.
:( So sad.

How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You

                                        As we say in our family, "Now that's a lot of love!"

Mikey's Benefit

Tonight was the benefit for this beautiful family.  It was very important for my husband and me to be there.  I had know idea what to expevt.  I mean it's a benefit.  You pay.  You eat.  You're outta there.  Oh no people!  Not this benefit!  We had to park in the overflow at 4:00!  It was a packed rockin' party!  There were people selling tix when you walked in the door, 80's band blaring and my aunt and grandma already waiting at a table for us.  My dad and Deb & 6 teachers came.  I felt happy just for our little table.  This place was rockin'!  We ended up spending over three hours there.  I couldn't wait to post about this until I have uploaded pics.  I love the Guenthers.  They are an amazingly generous family.  Thank you to my own family and friends who supported me by supporting them!