slacker!

I can't believe it's been a month since I've updated this. Spring has been super busy so far. Here's the recap:

There's no need for a van down by the river... when you can have a cabin! The kids were so excited to check out Grandma and Grandpa's new "playhouse".


Nice!!


While Elsa is in preschool, Lila and I get some one-on-one time at the park.


This was the end of March. Warm enough for a t-shirt, but still a giant snow pile in the yard! It seemed to last forever.


The kids recently went to a birthday party together and dressed up in their new dresses from Grandma K. They love wearing dresses.



A few weeks ago we went to DQ with Grandma E. We have to take advantage of the warm days while they're here - the weather is still pretty wintry for the most part.


Ashley's 4th Birthday party. They had a blast running around with all their friends, especially because it was a princess party.



This isn't the greatest photo of Elsa, but look how cute (and big!) baby cousin Avery is!


Easter.

A trip to the zoo

Last week we met some friends and went to the MN Zoo. I forgot how huge it is compared to Como! It was great to see all the green plants and trees on the tropical trail.
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Elsa loved the pink flamingos,"Just like in Florida!" she said. She's never been there, but she's heard enough that she loves it there already.


You have no idea how long it took us to get this picture, but here they are: Elsa, Lila, and Cole.


The coolest exhibit had to be the grizzly bears. You can see two in the water and one off to the left. They wrestled and swam and showed off in front of the glass the entire time.


After we saw the bears, Elsa and Cole climbed this rock and roared! We left after about 4 hours, and the kids were asleep in the car in about 5 minutes. :)


Elsa is big into making trails, usually out of books to make a "book sidewalk", but in this case it's a bunch of toys and shoes.


I left the kids a little too long while I was upstairs cleaning, and came downstairs to the strong scent of dry-erase markers! You'd figure they'd wash off easily in the bath, but no.

St. Patrick's Day and other stuff

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We did an art project and made these beaded necklaces. Elsa isn't into taking photos lately, but too bad, I still like this one!


Last Monday we went to babysit our niece Avery for a little bit in the afternoon. She's such a good baby!


I took some photos of Lila while she danced with her puppy.

Check out Elsa in the background...not having it! :)



Really, another photo?
I know I can get some better ones once I get her outside! We went for a nature walk through the woods this week and the kids loved it. Elsa is sooo excited for spring, and loves the warmer weather. All she talks about is Florida. That's my girl!


We've been having sleep issues with Lila that have only become worse. She stalls at bedtime, and on top it she wakes up sometimes 6 times a night. Realizing it couldn't get any worse, we decided to move her into a big girl bed. She's so proud. We're hoping that feeling like a big girl will make her act like a big girl. It actually seems to be working!


Lila's hair when she wakes up. :)

Fun weekend!

Last Friday I took the kids to a place in Ham Lake called Pump It Up. It's basically a giant warehouse/party room all filled with inflatables. It was a great time - the kids can't wait to go back.






Now that Tim is off his crutches, we finally went and had some family fun at the MOA on Sunday. We've hardly done anything since Christmas, so the kids were crazy excited. They loved the sea creatures at Underwater Adventures (now completely renovated and called Sea Life), and of course we couldn't get out of there without going on a few rides at Nick Universe.

They had a big dark room with lit-up Jellyfish and mirrors everywhere. It felt like you were in outer space with aliens all around!


Tim and Lila check out the local lake fish and turtles.


Elsa on the balloon ride.


Lila rides the carousel.


'Til next time!

March is here!

Yesterday we went to McDonald's Playland. On purpose. It's the first time we've ever been there, mainly because Lila is now the perfect age, but also, and most importantly, because I just don't care about germs anymore. The kids both had pneumonia last week and it was awful. In fact, the entire month of February was a complete wash. So, we hit the closest and cheapest entertainment we could find. They thought it was totally awesome.


After lunch we decided to hit the car wash. Lila screamed whenever the water came by her window.


Both kids love to help cook.


We got this toy at the thrift store and the kids have hours of fun with it.


In this house, everything that comes in the door gets set on the counter by the phone, directly above the pen drawer. Elsa is always grabbing pens out of the drawer and coloring on whatever scraps of paper, lists, mail, important papers, that are within reach. Last week, it was our movie from Blockbuster. lol!


If you couldn't tell from the above photos, Lila needed a haircut. We both want to grow it out, but that just won't be happening until it all comes in. So here she is with the new haircut.

Winter is still chugging on. Here are some things we did last week:

Towers of Dominoes with dad.


Lila played in a diaper box.


Elsa and Lila on Valentine's day. Elsa was all dressed up for dance class, Lila was reading a book.


Recently the kids got to see auntie Jenny and "baby Avery", as they call her. They just love their cousin!



This week was Outdoor Play Week at school. They had a bunch of fun activities set up on the playground, such as ice fishing, sleds, water bottles filled with colored water, and colored leaves. They picked a great week for it - the weather has been sunny and in the 40's. Unfortunately my camera battery died after Lila's class, so i only got one picture of Elsa. They got to have snack outside (hot cocoa!), and the girls also got to play together. I pulled them in a sled for what seemed an eternity. The snow is still too deep to do that in our yard.


Lila was really tired during her class, so I had to kind of force her to try things out. I put her on top of some of the old Christmas trees that people had donated, and she said,”They don’t even poke me!” Nope, not with all that winter gear on.


What the heck are these?! Lila tries on snowshoes for the first time.


Yesterday we went outside to jump in the big puddles. It was fun while it lasted, but the kids only wanted to stay out for 10 mins. 40 degrees is still pretty cold, especially with thin rain boots on.

Sisterly Love

Awhile ago at Elsa's preschool, the kids created a class booklet about feelings. The book was then put into the hallway for everyone to see. They were all sweet little statements with artwork, such as,

I feel: Happy
When: My grandparents visit

or

I feel: Excited
When: it's Christmas!

Very cute stuff. I flipped through the pages until I got to Elsa's, and saw this:


Oops, we must have been having a rough morning that day! The drawing on the front is a pretty good likeness of Lila, messy blonde hair and all. But that was added later. The artwork underneath the face - what I saw in the booklet - was this:


Elsa says the one with the angry face is Lila, because it's the "mean" one.

Luckily we didn't have to end the week on that note. Last week the kids were to write and mail a letter home to anyone in their family. Elsa chose Lila, and this is what it's supposed to say:
Dear Lila, I love you. Love, Elsa



Lila was so happy and surprised, she was beside herself with excitement. Right away she asked for some tape, then immediately ran to stick the letter to the door of the hall closet, where it's been ever since. And so it goes, all day everyday, back and forth, between loving and fighting! Ah, sisters.

Next Friday is Kindergarten roundup! It's a good thing they put the idea in my head so early, because it's going to take at least until September until I can believe that I'm sending my kid, on a bus, to KINDERGARTEN already. That same morning we have a preschool pajama party, so we'll have to cruise home, change into clothes, wolf down a PBJ, and head to Wyoming Elementary for the roundup. Stay tuned.