Sat. chores

This is what the view from my front window has been looking like for the last few weeks:

So yesterday, our morning consisted of this:

And this:

With a little of this thrown in:



Alyssa wanted to make a "leaf angel"

 

What do you want for Christmas???

On Monday night I gave the kids some ads from the Sunday paper and told them to let me know what they wanted for Christmas.  I needed some ideas for their Christmas lists since my siblings and other relatives are starting to ask.  The first thing Alyssa told me she wanted was a Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle. 

I then looked at the price.  $145?!?!?!  Are you kidding me??  For a princess castle?!?!  Needless to say, this did not make the list.  My MIL has informed me that she got Alyssa a new doll house, so that will have to work instead.  The next thing she asked for was a Lite Sprites Wand.

This thing was cute but not for the $30 price tag that was attached.  

The third thing Alyssa wanted was a baby cradle/bed for her dolls.  We have a wooden bassinet that was her's when she was a newborn that I picked up from a garage sale for $5.  I told her she could have it for her babies.  Currently it is sitting in our "office".  I think that I might paint it white and she can have it for the room redo I am planning next summer for her room.  I have already found a few ideas on Pinterest for this project. 

The last thing (or should I say things?) that she wanted was a Princess Cinderella Baby and a Princess Aurora Baby.  I only put the baby Cinderella on her list. 

Malachi only wanted only a few things. 

First up a Mickey Mouse Rocket Ship.

 

I put it on his list even though it was a little pricey.

Next, he wanted a Power Wheels 4-Wheeler.

  

This did not make the list.  Plus, my MIL already has one that he can use when he goes over there. 

Other items were put on the Amazon list that were not asked for (Leapster Explorer, clothes, other little toys).

What are your kids putting on their Christmas lists this year??

Happy Halloween!

Sorry I haven't blogged in a long time!  Nothing really exciting happened last week and we were busy doing some other things.  I love reading other people's blogs and sometimes I spend my time doing that instead of focusing on my own blog.  I think I am going to make it my goal to post on my own blog first then read other blogs.  In other news, my computer is fixed!!  YAY!!!  Somehow my log in got corrupted.  New log in and now it works great!  This makes it so much easier to blog at naptime.

For us here in the U.S., yesterday was Halloween.  This was actually Alyssa's fourth time dressing up and Malachi's third.  Dress up time #1: church fun fair.  Dress up time #2 (just Alyssa): Preschool.   Dress up time #3: Alyssa's school Trunk or Treat.  Dress up time #4: Halloween.  Because we had dressed up so many times already, I was done with Halloween.  I guess we should enjoy it while the kids are young and can still go out. 

Below are pictures from Alyssa's Preschool Party last Thursday.  They let all the parents take pictures before they picked up their children.  Alyssa went as a fairy. 

Her teacher was a penguin.  It was really cute!

Here are the pictures from last night.

Yummy mummy hotdogs for dinner.  They tasted like a healthier
version of a corn dog.

Malachi didn't want to get out of the stroller to take pictures.



He finally did when we told him he could get a sucker. 



Baby and Daddy Leopard.  Yay for Trick or Treating!

The kids with the little girl next door

Alyssa was ready for Round #2 of Halloween this morning.  She put her Princess dress over her pajamas.

Alyssa and the bat decorations. 

Hope you had a great Halloween!  If you don't live in the U.S., do you celebrate Halloween?  What are your traditions this time of year?  I would love to hear your comments. 

Dinos at the zoo! Part 2

Here are some more pictures from our day at the zoo on Saturday!

Styracosaurus

Kentrosaurus

Suchomimus

Megalosaurus

Allosaurus

At the end of the dinosaur exhibit, they had a little educational area for the kids. 



Leonard wanted a dinosaur of his own!



Digging for dinosaur bones

My little paleontologist

This weekend, they also had their indoor theaters open for free!  That saved us another $12.  One theater was  a ride simulator but Malachi was too small for it and I was afraid that Alyssa would be scared.  The other theater was showing a Dora show in 3D/4D.  We opted for the more kid-friendly one. 

Very successful Saturday morning zoo trip! Makes me want to watch some Jurassic park movies and some Dinosaur Train!

Dinos at the Zoo! Part 1

On Saturday the kids, hubby and I decided to take a trip to the Detroit Zoo.  We have a membership (since we live like 15 minutes away!) and the kids love it there!  The zoo currently has a dinosaur exhibit that is there until mid-September and I have been wanting to take the kids.  I really wanted Leonard to come along also just in case it was too scary for them and one of us had to make a quick exit.  This weekend, the dinosaur exhibit was free, normally $4 a person.  Since that was the case, I decided that this weekend was the weekend to go.  It saved us $12!



Coelophysis



Brachiosaurus

Chasmosaurus

Tyrannosaurus Rex

Baryonyx

Quetzalcoatlus

Amargasaurus

Pachycephalosaurus

Edmontosaurus nest w/babies



Edmontosaurus

impromptu picnic

Hey everyone!  Remember to check out my giveaway and enter here if you haven't already!  It ends tonight and I will be picking two winners tomorrow!!!  I hope you win!

Today was a fun, lazy day!  After church my hubby and I decided to get Burger King for lunch (healthy, I know!) and the kids fell asleep in the car on the way home.  They rarely fall asleep on the way home.  They stayed asleep when we got home so we opened the car doors and had a picnic on the front lawn.  Here are some pictures from the picnic after the kids eventually woke up:



Alyssa wanted to get right in the camera!

 



Malachi trying to feed Alyssa french fries

 

Kokomo weekend

It is already Wed. and I am only now blogging about this past weekend.  The kids and I went to Kokomo, IN.  We used to live there when Leonard was with Delphi.  It is about a 5 hour drive from our current house.  I managed to only stop once, each way, for an hour to let the kids run around at a McDonald's to eat, get some energy out and stretch their legs.  This really worked well! 
Friday we left in the late morning and got to Kokomo around dinner time.  We stopped at our friend Sharon's house along the way.  She lives only 15 min from Kokomo.  Sharon feed us dinner then we went to play at a playground by her house.  The kids were so dirty!  On Sat., we played at a playground in town then went to a graduation party for the son of the pastor at our old church.  I really miss that church!  We knew so many people and were very involved.  I guess that's what happens when you have kids.  The babies had fun!  It was sooooo hot but to keep cool, Malachi kept getting sprayed with the hose and both babies played in the bins with all the ice and drinks.  It was great to see everyone!  After the party, we went to see my friend Michelle that I used to work with.  She has two kids that are right around the same ages as mine.  There ended up being a horrible storm and some funnel clouds were seen not too far from their house.  It was a little scary but we were ready to take cover in the basement.  Luckily, we didn't need too. 



Alyssa riding the bike




The boys riding the bike



All the kids eating dinner

On Sunday, we went to church then went over to see the Stages.  We had lunch with them and were able to see Patty's daughter Katie's baby.  She was so cute!  They are such a nice and welcoming family!   We also saw Sharon again and her granddaughter, Cassie.



Cassie and Alyssa blowing bubbles



Sharon, Cassie, Alyssa and Rosie

Sharon and Malachi

 Later, we went back over to my friend Michelle's house so the kids could play.

Michelle's boys playing with the bubble machine



Malachi poking the bubbles in the grass



 On Monday we headed back to Michigan.  It was a fun weekend but very exhausting.

Welcome home!