We love the Fulton County Fair!!

A perfect way to spend Labor Day - a trip to the Fulton County Fair!  I have not been to the fair since I was a teenager.  I remember the rides being bigger, the food look yummier, and the animals pens seemed cleaner - oh, the eyes of an child.

I have to admit it was a lot of fun!  The girls loved the animals - especially when the animals were talking - they were so noisy!!  Maxwell was entranced by the animals but terrified by the loud Zipper ride.  Every time we got close to that ride he got really agitated!  Manhattan could not stop asking when we were going to ride the Ferris wheel.  I asked her why she really wanted to go on the Ferris wheel (my least favorite carnival ride) - she said that in every book she read about country fairs the characters always ride the Ferris wheel!  So we did - Marin, Manhattan, and I rode the Ferris wheel while Dad &  Maxwell watched from the ground (lucky Dad!).

We spent the morning looking at all the animals, had a picnic lunch, and then finished the day with a ride on the Ferris wheel and had some yummy popcorn for the car ride home! 

The girls are already talking about going again next year!!

Books!

Just a note from Manhattan:

I read and did book reports for 78 book reports this summer!!

We are so blessed to have a reader in our house - she is wonderful!  She is also a super example for Marin who sits down once in awhile with her notebook and also does "book reports".  She tells us she needs to do her book reports like Hattie!

Manhattan's 1st Day of School

I rode a camel!

Riding a camel with my girls!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

My friend Lindsey and I took a road trip back to the Cleveland Zoo.  After we went last week I came home so excited that we decided to take all the kids and go again.  The Dinosaur exhibit was only there until mid-September and the camel rides were only a summer thing and I wanted to RIDE a camel.  Just so you know - Lindsey was excited to ride the camel as well - it is no just me!

So we packed up the kids (minus Maxwell, he stayed home with Morgan) and drove out to the zoo.  It is a 2-hour drive but the kids did great - thank heavens for our DVD player and Lion King.  

Playtime at the Park!

We wandered the zoo - saw the koals, feed the lorikeets, pet the sheep, RODE the camels,  watched the crazy kangaroos, saw the amazing dinosaurs, played at the playground, marveled at the beautiful butterflies, laughed at the crazy baby monkeys, and walked and walked and walked.  I love that part of the going to the Cleveland zoo - you walk all day!  We did splurge at the lamest Ben and Jerry's ice cream shop - ice cream was good - shop was not up to B & J's standards for sure!

The Dinosaur Exhibit - Pretty cool!

We visited the "Scoop on Poop" exhibit - yes, it was all about poop - hence the poop measuring picture of Felicity and the picture of Marin on the "toilet".  Our last stop was the rainforest exhibit where the kids saw and were amazed by the anteater - they are pretty big but it is funny that they always get excited when they see it! 

The road trip home was good too - no movie, just nap time!  Most of the kids nodded off soon after the were buckled into their car seats!  Thanks Lindsey, Nathan, and Felicity for a fun day at the zoo - let's plan on it again next summer!

Tomorrow is the first day of school!

Maxwell is 11 months old!

I can hardly believe Maxwell is almost a year old!  It has come quickly! 

So what is Maxwell doing this month:  He has four teeth coming in at the same time right now so he seems a little fussy recently!  He has taken a few wobbly steps and can stand on his own.  He figured out how to get off the couch this morning - he still falls sometimes.  He has taken to screaming when he is upset - it is almost a growling sound sometimes!  He is still a lousy napper but he does sleep well at night 8 to 6 most nights!  He can climb up the stairs very quickly but does not go down that well yet.  He can climb the slide outside and still loves the swings.  He can fall in and out of the bathtub - I know not really something to brag about.  he is busting out of his sandals and growing taller.  He definitely has Ethington hair - it is growing fast and it is really blond!

He is super cute and funny!  He loves Marin & Hattie and they getting him to laugh!!

Maxwell Stands and Walks A Little

He is getting close - it is so funny to see him standing and taking a few steps!

Backyard Fun

Everyday we play outside and everyday I am so grateful that Morgan and my Dad built this playground!  We use it everyday and it is perfect!  All my kids have been big on swinging so it is very nice that we can do it at our house whenever we want!

Marin & Hattie are stepping things up and trying to learn tricks on the swings.  Marin's tricks are more just being able to do things herself.  Hattie is trying to flip over etc - she is still in the process of learning them but it is so funny!!

AWWW!

Marin had a big meltdown before nap yesterday - she wanted to play dress up!  I had been on the phone and Morgan had told her she could play for a little bit before nap.  When I got off the phone - she was still not ready to nap.  She loves to dress up but she does not get to do it much - looking at her in the dresses makes me think that it is time to spruce them up and maybe look for some new ones after Halloween - some of them are really hurting!  In the end, I compromised by letting her sleep in her Snow White dress.  When I opened the door to wake her up later she had the Snow White book open on her lap - she fell asleep reading her book!  It was so cute!

Our End Of Summer Fling

Three days and two nights of total fun!

(Sorry this is a long post - trying to get it down before I forget it all) 

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Sunday after church we headed to Cleveland for a couple days of family time!  It was terrific!  We made a first stop to our hotel - Marin was so happy to be staying in the "sunshine" hotel (Days Inn).  If you asked my kids what we were going to do on this trip, Marin would say we are having a "poo" (pool) and going to the "nuseum" (Museum).  Manhattan would say that we were going to see the Natural History Museum and the Cleveland Zoo.  They both made us promise that we would swim every night and go to the lake as well!

After we checked into the hotel we headed up to Lake Erie.  We were sad we had left our swimsuits and camera at the hotel.  After wading in the lake we headed over to IHOP for some yummy breakfast for dinner.  We had a super nice waitress that we got to know VERY well!  The night ended with a dip in a very chilly pool in the dark - I hate when pools are advertised as heated when all the mean is that the sun warms the pool somewhat during the day but it is freezing in the evening!  I guess that does not look well on the hotel website!   Overall the "sunshine" was fine - they did have a yummy breakfast which is always a plus!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Monday morning we got rolling and went to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.  It was not opened until 10 am so we had some time to wander around Wade Park and play on Steggie the Stegosaurus out front!  The cute flower pictures are taken in front of the Botanical Gardens.  We were hoping to go to the Natural History Museum and then visit the Art Museum but it was closed on Mondays.    When the museum opened we went right inside and the girls loved it!  The animal exhibits were a big deal but the best was the dinosaurs of course!  They had some human skeletons as well!  Right now there is a special exhibit called Wild Music: Songs and Sounds of Life that both girls really enjoyed.  There were instruments to play, a jamming room, and a variety of musical examples from things in nature.  I was a fan of the exhibit but the room was ridiculously cold!

 After the music room we headed through the gift shop - they had the coolest masks which were frankly the only temptation in the room but the girls did not care that much.  Manhattan did say, "Mom, if you were going to get us something, but I know we aren't, but if we were, could you make it be a book."   Crack me up - only Manhattan would beg that I would make her get a book if "I was going to buy something".  I can't tell you how grateful I am that we can wander through the gift shop with no real begging for a toy etc.  After the gift shop we headed outside to the live animals - they had wild turkeys, foxes, lots of owls, a bobcat named bob, and even some really cool bald eagles.

At this point we were starting to get hungry so we wandered out to our car for snacks and drinks (I had not packed lunch and we were not willing to pay for a museum meal).  After lunch we wanted to let Maxwell crawl around a bit so Morgan had the girls try a three-legged race and then took them for a walk so I could stretch out on the grass.  I could have slept there all day - What a great husband I have! We had been at the museum for three hours already so we figured we were almost done - we went to the lower level about local plants and animals and then wandered back to the best children's area I have ever seen.  I would call it a hidden gem for sure!  We were shocked to see that it was empty.  The girls were in heaven.  The first thing that Marin discovered was an area to uncover the T-Rex skull.  They also had a piano that played bird songs - really beautiful!  There was tons of stuff to do and even a table with low toys that kept Maxwell entertained for a long time!

As promised we headed to Avon Lake to swim and play in the lake.  The wind was pretty strong which made some terrific ways!  It was super fun!  Yesterday I realized that I forgot towels so we had to stop by Target and get towels so we got to use our new towels!  I know I am crazy to let Morgan take my picture in my swimsuit - nothing makes you more brave than having fun with your kids!!  We were whipped after a long day so we picked up some Taco Bell and headed back to the "sunshine" hotel for some pool time.  We made it to the pool before the sun went down but it was still cold.  Poor Marin seems to be like me - she is cold all the time!  She shivers through it and never wants to get out but I have to make her when her lips are blue!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

We took a long drive to get to the Cleveland Metropark Zoo - the girls were going crazy but Maxwell fell asleep just as we got in the car!  This Zoo is AMAZING!  We loved it!  We started our visit in the Australia Adventure area - we fed the lorikeets, visited the kangaroos & wallabies and the girls rode a CAMEL!  I am sad I did not ride with them - it was amazing - how often do you get the chance to ride a camel!  It was so cool!  A complete rip-off at $4 a child for a ride in a small circle but it was so COOL!  Morgan took some great pictures of the girls - look at their faces.  They said it was really bumpy but they loved it!  Next time we come to the zoo I am riding the camel!

Ever person that we say working at the zoo was a zoo keeper to Marin - the "zoo keepers are so nice to let us ride their camels, the zoo keepers got all the animals ready for our visit, the zoo keepers keep the cages really clean,  the zoo keepers are so nice!"  It was pretty funny by the end of the day!

The next area we visited was the traveling Dinosaurs exhibit.  All the dinosaurs were robotic but very neat - they were placed within the greenery and natural setting so that made it more realistic.  We explained that they were not real and Marin seemed to understand that but as soon as we got close to them she was a little freaked out.  Some of my favorite pictures are in this batch - the girls together, the one with the T-Rex and this one of Morgan trying to feed Marin to the dinosaurs.  It was kind of funny, a couple times we heard other parents referring to the cartoon Dinosaur Train as they wander among the dinosaurs.  It is a new cartoon that came out last fall about dinosaurs - Marin & Hattie both enjoy!    

We hiked and hiked around the zoo - it is very stretched out!  We kind of wished we had a pedometers - it would have been fun to see how far we walked!  We got some pricey pizza and water for lunch and then hiked and hiked again.  We got to see all the zoo but it is huge!!  Some favorite spots were the giraffes, rhinos, sharks, the three-toed sloth that was actually moving (it seems like they are always asleep at our zoo) and the anteater.  We finally finished up the day at 4 pm - we had been at the zoo 6 HOURS and there hardly a complaint from the kids.  We should have had Hattie wear better shoes - she wore flip flops but otherwise we did fine!  Marin was amazing - we did not bring a stroller or anything so she walked the whole way - chatting about everything she saw.  She never even asked to be carried - it was amazing.  Maxwell tolerated riding in the backpack the whole time - he fussed towards the end because he was exhausted and finally fell asleep.  He was practically falling out of the backpack hanging over the edge fast asleep!

We piled in the car at  4:00 pm and we were all exhausted!  It was a fun day but boy we were tired!  Maxwell again fell asleep quickly!  We tried hard to keep Marin awake during the drive home so she would crash at bedtime.  We stopped for some ice cream along the way and arrived home in time for dinner, baths, and bedtime.  It was a great adventure for the end of summer fling!!

I am hoping to drag some playgroups friends out there - it was so fun!

Part 2

Maxwell - Maxwell - Maxwell!

This morning Maxwell was taking a bath while I was putting on my makeup. He was talking and squawking, standing up and sitting down. All of a sudden he fell out of the tub. Is he a super tall baby? No. He is super coordinated - obviously not. I swear I watch my child. One minute I am applying my mascara and the next thing I hear is a bump and he was laying on the crowd OUTSIDE the tub! I am telling you what!

Sorry no picture.

Is this a Sunday appropriate activity?

The grocery cart was still on our lawn when we got done with dinner that night. We decided it was a "Sunday appropriate" activity to walk it back to the grocery store a couple blocks away.

I am sure we were quite the sight. Marin riding joyfully in the cart, Manhattan and I pushing while Maxwell rode in the backpack and Morgan took a few pictures of the event!

Marin loved it - we might as well have been on a carnival ride! We made it to Kroger (grocery store) and the girls noticed there were about 7 other carts strewn around the parking lot/entrance of the store. We decided to gather them all together - again - Sunday appropriate as we were giving service. Actually we were happy to do - I noticed that an older gentleman was gathering carts in the parking lot and anything we could do to help out this hard working man I was happy to jump in on.

Next time we walk to Kroger we are bringing grocery bags and doing a trash pick-up! Really - people! Clean up your trash, put your carts in the corrals - just clean up after yourself. When we were really noticing things not in their place - it seemed pretty lame to the girls! They were really excited about putting the carts away and doing a trash pick-up next time we could!

So - thank you to the lazy bones that left the grocery cart on our lawn - we had a great teaching experience and a memorable Sunday appropriate activity!!

The view from my front door!

Who put that there?

I opened my door for some fresh air this morning and found that someone had left a gift on our lawn! I swear we do not live in a trashy area - although this did make me feel like we do. Hopefully before we get back from church someone will steal it back to the grocery store!

What is wrong with people? Augh!

P.S. The kids thought it was so funny but even they thought it was bizarre that someone would steal a cart from the grocery store and leave it on our lawn!

Picnic At Wildwood Park

I love this energy!

I am always willing to waste the $1 to give him 30 minutes of joy! He totally ripped out a full box of tissue and I was completely happy to let him play in it!!

He is a crazy man in this! We never had this for any of our other kids but Maxwell loves it! Thanks, Jean for lending it to us!

Some One Leaned In TOOO far!

This evening the girls were taking a bath and Maxwell was hanging out in the bathroom with them. I went out of the room and he leaned in the bathtub a little too far. He fell in head first - luckily the girls turned him over. I had to take a picture before I stripped him down!! It was pretty funny! He only cried for a minute and then he was laughing really hard!!

Happy Birthday Marin!

We had a fun weekend celebrating Marin's birthday! We started the celebration on Friday with a special birthday breakfast of pancakes & sausage with chocolate chips. We played all day and met Dad for our traditional Red Robin dinner. We talk about going somewhere else every time there is a birthday but we like the food, like that our kids don't have to be perfect, and we like the free meal & ice cream that comes with the birthday song! So we go every time we have a birthday! We let Marin open her gifts from us - she and Hattie could wait no longer! She opened the rest of her gifts after we got home! She loves presents and can't wait to rip them open - of course! Tomorrow night we will be having a little friends party with some friends from church and our neighborhood!

So Saturday we played all day and got ready for the Birthday BBQ. It is nice to have a summer birthday girl so we can do a BBQ but it is SOO hot right now. We have had quite a few summer storms as well so we were not sure it would be cool or dry enough. Heavenly Father heard our prayers and there was no rain and enough shade to survive. All the party guests arrived - MJ, the Becks, the Van Durens, the Careys, the Tschernes, and Stan so we grilled and ate. The kids played in the pool and swing set! Finally it was cake time and Marin was so excited! Manhattan, Lauren, and I made her cake and she was so excited to show everyone! It turned out cute - not what I had in mind but the girls designed it and they were thrilled! We lit the candles and started to sing and Marin blew out the candles right away so we tried again! We all had cake and then Marin was ready to open presents - she was so excited to receive two princess Tea pot sets, finger painting, and a purse set from her little friends.

As I sit to write all the thank you notes I am reminded that she was spoiled by our sweet friends & family. A new thing this year was some cash for her - she can't wait to go to Target (of course) to buy more toys - like she needs them. Do you think I could convince her to buy socks or underwear with her birthday money? Nah - I am happy to take her shopping - actually Manhattan and Marin are saving for a horse (at Target) for their dolls to ride on so we will see how that goes! Thank you to my wonderful family and wonderful friends who called and visited her on her birthday!

The end of the evening went downhill fast when she started crying when everyone left, crying when she could not play with all of her toys immediately, and then proceeded to throw up every where. So we threw her in the bath, cleaned the carpet, washed her sheets and finally got all the kids in bed. I am typing this now when we should be sitting in sacrament but she was up all night and still registered a 101.8 temperature this morning so I guess it was not just over excitement last night! Great way to end her party but she will survive and so will we!

P.S. It rained heavy last night - thank you Heavenly Father for delaying it for this little 3 year old girl's birthday party - we appreciate it so much!

Look Who's 3!!

I can hardly believe our little pixie is 3!

Here is a bunch of pictures from the last year!
She has been telling people for months that her birthday is coming up and it is finally here. If you ask her when her birthday is, she will say July twenty-thirty (20-30). She is getting it! This year has been a busy year for her. She became a big sister, learned how to ride and tricycle, and a two-wheel with training wheels. Grew out of her crib and into her big girl bunkbed! She learned how to roller skate, "swim" underwater, and tries so hard to keep up with Manhattan. She is doing a lot of big girl things like wearing underwear, putting on her own shoes, swinging on a regular swing, climbing onto the top bunk of the bunk bed, and so much more. She is so much more verbal than last year - it is amazing how much kids grow and change in one year! She loves to paint, play with play dough, color, swing in the backyard, and play princesses (of course!) As you can see she still does not have much hair - it is coming in slowly and with some curls! In the fall she will be going to preschool and is SO excited!!
Marin is a complete delight in our family - she keeps us hopping as she works out her frustrations but she always makes us laugh. She always tells us that "she loves us much" and that she is our "big girl". We feel very lucky to have her in our family - she is adorable and a handful all at the same time! We love you Mar-Mar!

What a great month!

Tomorrow Maxwell turns 10 months - it has been a great month for him (and for us!)
Some fun things that happened this month:

1. First camping trip (he loved it)
2. Done nursing (I was so ready)
3. He would never take a bottle, now he is a 100 % sippy cup drinker
4. Says Uh - oh and loves to play the Uh-Oh game (you know the one, they throw something and say uh - oh, you pick it up and they throw it again. he especially enjoys this over the pews at church!)
5. Can feed himself - and he eats everything and sometimes too quickly.
6. No binkies (he was never a huge fan but we threw them all away this week and he did not notice!)
7. Swimming lessons - he loves them and has even gained tolerance for going underwater (he hates it but he doesn't cry anymore!)
8. Sleeping through the night without any fuss- well 8:30 - 5:30 or 6 am. At this point - that works for us.
9. He is sleeping in his own room for bedtime - we all love this one!10. Naps are more regular and longer - finally! He still takes them in our room - it is much quieter!
11. He is a very fast crawler and cruiser - I am sort of dreading the day that he starts walking!
12. He loves Baby Einstein - it has worked wonders when he is fussy!
13. Talking about fussy - he has grown two teeth!

It has been a very busy month for everyone around here but especially for Maxwell! He is still the cutest and sweetest baby - he loves his big sisters, LOVES being outside, and is generally a very happy baby!

Don't Laugh

My friend Lindsey is very talented in cake decorating and just general cute dessert making. She has been trying to teach me a few things so I can make Marin's birthday cake. I would be having her make the cake but she is out of town - I know, lousy timing! Anyways - so don't laugh - here is my first attempts of being more creative! The first is an idea I saw in Family Fun magazine and then second is a 6 inch cake that the girls and I fixed up! I love the flowers - they are really cute - the picture does not do them justice! We will be attempting Marin's cake for her birthday this weekend - so check back later.

Remember, don't laugh or snicker - I have never even pretended that I have any creativity or talent in this area but we are trying! P.S. Marin and Hattie love that I am trying - that is the best part as they cheer me on and "help". All the balls on the cake were rolled by Hattie and her BFF.

I just wanted one good picture!

I wanted to take a picture of the kids in their Big Sister/Big Sister/Little Brother t-shirts one more time before they outgrew them. I tried a few weeks ago and they got food on them before I took the pictures. Today I was determined - I didn't put their shirts on until we were ready to leave and then they were not exactly happy about it. I should have known that this picture taking moment was just the beginning of a REALLY crazy, crying, and whiny day. So glad that everyone is in bed now! Whew!!