Morrill Hall

When we left we saw a bunch of people posing like this. It must be a pretty common pose:)



The boys seemed to really like this room.
Rooster and GH enjoyed digging for dino bones.

FYI: GH has bigger paws than a mountain lion.

County Fair Parade

Rooster and GH got to go to their first parade yesterday. Big Dog was napping...don't worry he got plenty of candy later. Rooster seemed to like the parade. Of course they were throwing candy at her. So how could she dislike it? GH got to have a taste of a Tootsie Roll for the first time. After that he was trying to get out of the stroller whenever candy was thrown our way:D
We ran into Stephanie and her family while we were at the parade. Rooster was really happy to see Stephanie. I had thought we had a lot of candy until her girls showed me how much they got:) I guess four kids can gather more candy than one kid:) We also saw "Mr. T" and "Silly S" on a float. Small town life is really sweet:)

Holy Family Shrine

On the way home from the zoo we stopped by the Holy Family Shrine. It was beautiful.
Where's Mary?

This beautiful shrine overlooks the interstate. We've driven by it a million times and never recall seeing it. It's just a reminder that we need to be more observant of Gods presence.

It reminds me of the story of Jesus' birth. God wanted to share the good news of his son's birth. But, most of the people were so busy going about their lives that they couldn't see what was happening. The shepards who were tending sheep, and the wise men who watched the skies saw the signs. In my opinion all were able to see Gods signs because they were either free of busyness or observant. I think it's even easier in today's world to overlook things because there's so much going on.

A Zoo-rific Day

Today we went to the zoo. It's been a while since we've seen the wild cats and bears. So we made sure to hit those exhibits. Rooster was a bit disappointed that we didn't make it to the jungle this time. But, the zoo is far to big to hit everything each time we go.

GH LOVED the bears. I think it was his favorite part of the trip today. Here's a picture of him banging on the windows.

Rooster loved the farm area.

We took some photos with bronze statues. Before I had kids I thought taking pictures with bronze statues was really stupid;) But, now that I have kids I think it's kind of cute:)

This one makes me laugh:)

Then we went to the aquarium. It doesn't matter how close people are allowed to get to the animals. There will always be someone who wants to get a bit closer. At least Big Dog has never made it into a tank:)

Today GH learned that he towers over a Macaroni penguin. This is important to know in case he ever meets one in a dark alley.

GH's Big Day

GH took a nap in his big boy bed for the first time. When he woke up from his nap he came downstairs and started playing:)


This evening GH started using the big kid slide. I guess he's a big boy now:)

The boys are psyched about the new trampoline

Parrots and Polls

Rooster has been playing pirates a lot. GH somehow ended up being the parrot. She calls him "Henry parrot" as she gives him orders. But, she is also very sweet to Henry parrot. She will come to me (because I'm the Captain) and will ask for crackers for Henry parrot:D

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FYI: I put a poll in the sidebar if you would like to vote on an activity theme for next week. I decided that I should try to focus on one subject for one day. I think that the kids might actually learn more from a little different approach.

The Rosary with Mother Angelica

I have tried introducing my kids to the rosary a few times. Saying it by ourselves seems to lose their attention pretty quickly and has led to outbursts. One day Rooster was so mad at me that she took her rosary and threw it across the room saying "I don't want to say the rosary". (I was pretty shocked. The day before when we were at the Catholic bookstore she had her face pressed up against on of the glass displays. She saying how beautiful all the rosaries were. What a change of attitude.) Anyway, we also tried The Rosary for Kids. But, honestly the sound quality of that cartoon is terrible. And, I think it's a bit creepy. So when I flipped to EWTN and Mother Angelica was on I thought we would listen. Big Dog loved it:)

Saturday Seven

Seven things that happened this week
1. GH sucked on a piece of broccoli like it was a lolly pop. He would take it out f his mouth. Happily wave it around in the air. Then pop it back in his mouth.
2. Big Dog repeatedly tried to disarm (aka take a light saber from) a 10 year old Jedi Knight at the park.
3. Rooster loves our dog very much. Rooster cheered for her when she got away from us and was running around the house. When we put her away Rooster told me "Mommy I'm so sad" I said "Why are you sad Ruzenka?" Then she said "I miss Reagan dog" Reagan dog aka Trouble was just caught by Captain Awesome and was being taken out back. How she could miss Trouble that quickly is beyond me.
4. I took apart the car seats and cleaned them. Now I just have to figure how to get them back together. I should have taken pictures with the digital as I was dismantling them:(
5. The kids ate corn on the cob that had been sitting in the frig. It was in a bowl and had been shucked. However, it had not been cooked. But, that didn't stop our kids from enjoying corn:)
6. The kids and Captain Awesome have recovered from their colds. Hooray!
7. My tulips are coming up:)

GH loves the teapot song.

I sing this book to the GH several times a day. He can't get enough of it. It is inevitable that at some point during meal preparation I will get a corner of this book jammed into my leg.

Shuck it!!

Glenda from the store always gives us the most amazing corn on the cob. It's sooo delicious. She must fertilize her garden with sugar:D

Big Dog at the Park

Toddler Bed

GH loves Big Dog's bed. GH is always climbing up into the bed. He loves to play there. He also likes to squawk and poke at his sleeping brother;) GH is almost 16 months. Is it too early to start transitioning him to a toddler bed? Or should I try to enjoy the luxury of the baby cage (I mean baby crib) as long as I can?

Prayers and well wishes for our Holy Father

After we learned that Pope Benedict the XVI broke his wrist we decided to send a get well card. I'm sure the mailroom workers will be impressed with our artwork.

40th Anniversary of the Lunar Landing

The kids and I watched the following videos this morning. Rooster and GH really enjoyed it. Big Dog didn't seem interested. Maybe Big Dog is a conpiracy theorists who thinks the moon landing didn't happen. My poor Big Dog jadded at the ripe old age of three;)

This bird needs a cage

Rooster received this toy bird for her birthday from one of her friends. I had said that I would find an old bird cage and put the bird in it. I still haven't dug out the bird cage. (in my defense she got the bird a day ago) But, I guess the kids decided that he needed a cage now.

Big Shot

Today is Rooster's fifth birthday. So Captain Awesome wanted to make a pizza to celebrate. As Rooster spread the pizza sauce she said "Look at me Dad, I'm a big shot". She certainly is.

The night she was born is forever stamped into our memory. Moments after she was born she was taken away by nurses to be cleaned up and to check her vital stats. Captain Awesome snuck between nurses to see our little Rooster. Captain Awesome says that when he said "Ruzenka" she immediately locked eyes with him. I'm sure she was happy to finally figure out who had been talking to her for so long. I think Captain Awesome was equally excited to see her. I think they had an instant connection in that moment. Rooster loves her daddy and he loves her.

That night as we fought complete exhaustion we prayed to God for the strength and wisdom to raise our little girl. She still has us completely exhausted. But, she continues to be the sunshine in our home. I don't know where she gets her sweet demeanor (and how she is a morning person is beyond me) But, she is truly our first little blessing.

Someone has been using my camera

Our Rooster is Five Years Old

Rooster had a cowboy themed birthday party this year.

Rooster and Ant had a good time playing together.
GH had a good time playing with Princess J. When Princess J filled up the car using our toy gas pump, GH took the opportunity to hop in the car. As you can see Princess J was not going to take that. What kind of boy hops in the car while a princess fills the tank? Certainly not a gentleman.

The kids painted tee pees. The panning for gold activity didn't go over well this time.

tired little cowboy

What the toys have been up to.

I found this star magnet clinging to the inside of my washing machine.

GH's early harvest and other outdoor adventures

GH can't wait for the tomatoes to turn red. He has decided that the tomatoes need to be picked now and he is the man for the job. I should be discouraging him more than I am. But, I figure I'm a really bad gardener. The chances that these tomatoes will survive until they turn red is pretty slim anyway:D And in all honesty I just want the kids to have the experience of playing in a garden. (Not a perfect garden....just a garden)

Big Dog loves playing in the garden. He loves to dig, use his little rake, and pull weeds. You heard that right. He loves to pull weeds. What a good little man. My grandmother would have loved him:) I should put him to work more often. It would be good for him and for me;D
GH has a really good relationship with Trouble. This is a picture of GH throwing Trouble's dog food into her water. Trouble loved it and gobbled up all the food GH tossed into her water.

Our trip to Hastings

We made a trip to Hastings to see Grandma S. We had a good time. We were able to have a picnic with Grandma, pick up some cookies at Eileen's, stop at a sports card shop and had a quick visit with Krimsin. Logan is a sweetie and super handsome. He's gonna be a heart breaker:)

I got this picture of GH eating mash potatoes. He loves his smashed potatoes:)


This is a picture of Rooster with "her tree" at Heartwell Park. I hope to put up pictures of her with her tree when she was younger. But, I will have to dig for them:)

Seems like a good idea to me

You might as well start drinking as you drive.

GH learned a new word

This morning while he sat at the table watching me make breakfast he said "cookie". I thought I misheard and that he was just babbling. Again I hear "cookie". I think to myself "Did he just say 'cookie'?" Before I could even complete my thought I hear another very clear request for a "cookie".

I have no idea how he would learn the word "cookie". Captain Awesome and I are total health nuts;) The kids only eat organic:D How did this happen? Hahaha

Our trip to the zoo

The aquarium was a big hit as always:)

Big Dog usually has a pretty strict "Don't touch weird things" policy. But, surprisingly enough he touched lots of interesting things in the Touch Tank at the zoo. Rooster was completely grossed out.

It's hard to be a lefty in a right handed world.

Rooster loved seeing all the birds. We were in the sensory garden in this picture. She loved the toucan, macaw and other assortments of parrots.

Time to pose with some statues.

If you have older kids I suggest taking Skyfari. It looks like a great way to see the rhinos, elephants, giraffes, and birds. I think Big Dog was more interested in the people being flown across the sky than the animals in the exhibits. Maybe next summer we will try it.

Were the otters able to entertain GH?

Nope, they were otter failures:) That's a little Penguins of Madagascar joke. GH did have a great time at the zoo. He seemed to really like the aquarium. He loved the jellyfish. He also enjoyed the jungle.