The Mobile Exploreum

The girls missed a field trip to the St. Louis Science Center when we came home early for Nana's funeral; so when Jen suggested the Mobile Exploreum for our family day out, we were ready to go.

 

We started off with the Wild Wind Tornado Tube.  For two minutes, anyone who dared to get in got blown by 78 mph winds.  It was crazy!

 

They had a whole section on the body with all sorts of tests where you could test things like grip strength, reaction time and flexibility.

 

This bike was kind of cool.  The skeleton moved with you on the bike so you could see the bones and ligaments as they moved.

 

Upstairs was all hands on discovery type stuff.  Jae and I had fun building this marble maze.

 

Birds have to work hard to fly as I learned in the wind tunnel.

 

My highlight of the day was Tonks, a 600 lb 7 year old grizzly bear.  All that separated us from him was a little chicken wire and aluminum poles.  Jaelyn kept saying as long as she could run faster than the smaller kids around her, she'd be okay.  The trainer raised Tonks from a 6 week old cub and had him performing tricks just like I do with Gracie only his favorite treat was a marshmallow on a stick.  For $5 we could have fed Tonks a marshmallow ourselves, but I had to draw the line somewhere.  Tonks also guzzled a 3 liter mountain dew like nothing I've ever seen.

 

The rest of the stuff was stuff we'd seen in other science museums, but that didn't stop us from having playing.

 

 

A summary of our day!

 

Christmas Pictures

After much consternation with google and my picasa account that was bursting at the 5 gb seams, I deleted some old pictures (don't panic!  flowers and food and such), and then set up a new google account which I made an administator on my blog so I can once again add pictures without the concern of using more than my free space and paying each month for the overflow.  Anyway, probably more than you cared to read, huh?  Here are my favorite Christmas pictures.

 

The Whole Clan on Christmas Morning! One year, I don't know when, BUT one year, we WILL wake up in our own beds for Christmas!



I am always teasing Dan about the Crocs he wears to church.  My parents bought him dress Crocs...with leather. (insert eye roll here)  He loved them!  He watched my brother open up a pair a few days early and apparently had been coveting them.

 

Allie got a styling chair for her American Girl dolls. It came with scissors ~ that thankfully don't work.

 

Jae got a couple puzzles for Christmas.  Since this one is a Christmas puzzle, we decided to start a new tradition. 

 

We all wrote the year, our initials and one special thing about our Christmas.  In 5-6 years, it'll be neat to flip the pieces over and read what everyone has written.  Gracie snuck a piece and left her mark on the puzzle as well.

 

The highlight of Caden's Christmas was by far his new radio controlled helicopter.  We've bought and returned him two before that didn't work.  After reading many reviews, Grandmother chose this military chopper.

 

 

It was such a hit that Jaelyn spent her Christmas money on one.

BTW - halfway through this post, blogger got mean again and wouldn't let me make anymore pictures bigger.  Sorry...you'll have to squint or double click on the picture to get the slideshow.

Catching Up, Kind Of

I think my blog addiction is curing itself.  Life is just too busy.  I've tried a couple times to put Christmas and snow pictures on my blog, but blogger has been having photo issues.  I haven't had the time to get around their issues.  Anyway, we came back to Missouri before the New Year.  We are back into the swing of things...including winter and germs.

Allie returned to school today after a week with Influenza B.  For Allie to spend days not moving in bed, you know she felt bad.  Tamiflu is a wonderful (but horrible tasting) thing.  Her fever broke Friday night and she got to have a relatively normal weekend.  Well, she got to come out of her quarantined room anyway.  So far, everyone else is well.  My hands are dry and cracking from hand washing and wiping things down with lysol.  The incubation period is 1-4 days which means if we make it to Wednesday, I think we are home free.

Jaelyn has been a real toot lately.  She had to write us a total of 700 sentences over the weekend.  Part were "I will follow directions" and the other part were "I will not yell or talk back to my parents."  She's got horrible allergy issues.  If I felt like she sounds, I might be ruder and contrarier then normal also (I know, contrarier isn't a word, but it fits).  "We" are knee deep in her science fair project.  She dyed natural and synthetic fabrics to figure out which dyes better.  I've had a time getting the silk we needed.  We bought all of her fabric except the silk in Pensacola at Christmas (the nearest fabric store is 85 miles away).  I ordered the silk from a website.  After several days, they sent me a confirmation order with a different fabric.  Then I tried again with another website and after waiting and waiting, I finally called.  They'd cancelled the order because it was out of stock and "sent me an email" that I never received.  Ugh...In the end, I order a scarf on amazon that we can cut into the right sizes and had to pay $16 S&H to get it here in time. It should be here today.  The bulk of her written assignments (data tables, graphs, analysis, conclusion) is due on Friday.  I'll be glad when this project is over.  She says she wants to win...I told her our goal should be a good grade and be happy!

Another thing that's added to Jaelyn's frustrations in the afternoons has been her new teacher.  Boy do we miss Mrs. A.  Mrs. D is not liked by anyone according to Jae.  She's mean and she's making them do all sorts of new work and adding more homework.  Several days last week, Jaelyn had math, writing, science and spelling for homework.  Craziness.  Being stricter and changing things up isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'm in agreement with my literacy groups.  She's running them very differently.  I will be facilitating the discussion, but not reading with the kids.  They'll be reading independently.  I enjoy reading AND talking about the book with the kids.  I think they'll miss out by not discussing things as we go.  I start tomorrow so I'll be able to see for myself.

Caden turned 8 last Monday.  He'll get his own post one of these days.  He chose to go to Colton's for dinner because they'll sing to you there.  He must have asked me 5 times during dinner if I told them and asked them to sing.  They brought a big cow bell out and announced his name and age.  He loved it.  We are going to go to St. Louis for a little family weekend soon to celebrate his birthday AGAIN. 

Dan's gone this week, which makes me fearful of a flu outbreak and trying to finish the science fair project.  I'm totally jealous.  He's on his way to Aberdeen today.  I wish I could have gone!

That's enough for now...I must go clean my house, but one day this week my plan is to sit and upload pictures until it works! :)

Happy New Year

Welcome 2013! Honestly, I'd rather stay in 2012 because 2013 is going to bring many changes to our little family. You all know how I feel about change. I know it's time to start my "moving research," but I just can't make myself do it yet.

Today has been a quiet home body sort of day. It's freezing cold outside and yesterday's small amount of snow has turned to ice. The kids only spent a small amount of time playing outside.

Jaelyn and I started on a project today. We started with my favorite grocery bags and a shower curtain my mom gave us (it came from my grandma's guest bathroom which makes the fabric special, although I'm not sure Grandma Molly would approve of me putting my groceries in something that came out of her bathroom :)

 

We set my sewing machine up on the dining room table and Jaelyn's new sewing machine up on the craft table. I made the pattern, she cut out the material and then learned to pin without poking herself. She did the bulk of the main seam sewing and I did all of the finishing work.

 

 

We had quite the assembly line going. When we were done we had 4 regular sized bags and 1 a little bit smaller out of the left over fabric.

 

 

They almost make me want to go grocery shopping :).

We only have one New Years Day tradition. For the 17th year, we had pizza for lunch. It's worked well for us so far! Happy New Year!putting my groceries in something that came out of her bathroom :)

Christmas

We are heading back to Missouri today. Home is where your heart is, they say. That makes Pensacola home because everyone we love is there. We were very sad to leave, especially Caden with his tender heart. Once those tears started, he couldn't get them turned off. Thankfully, ten miles on the road and a movie to distract him did the trick.

Our visit was bittersweet. We started by saying goodbye to Nana. She was so ready to go to Heaven. Several people told me about her frustration over it taking so long to get there. The service itself was very nice. Nana's baby brother spoke and two nephews sang songs Nana had chosen. Nana loved hummingbirds. Joan had the florist include artificial hummingbirds in the main floral arrangement. It was a really sweet touch that she would have liked. Nana was such a kind and caring woman. She left behind a legacy for us all to strive to live up to as we remember her. She will be missed.

We stayed with my parents and had lots of visits to Dan's parents. Since we came early, we were able to go to Biloxi to visit my brother's family. I can honestly say that I enjoyed it. I wasn't sure that we'd get to see my nephews and I loved having a little fun with them. Nick got a bottle full of pennies that he was thrilled with (I had cash to trade but he wasn't interested) and Jared got an empty card and a note with an inside joke that he didn't get right away. I laughed and laughed as he rereading the card and looked in the envelop for his money. It was awesome!

Santa can to our house before we left for Florida. Jaelyn got her very own sewing machine. I want to make new grocery bags. I can't wait to put her machine beside mine to let her help me. It'll be a fun project. Allie got an American Girl doll. Rebecca actually looks like Allie with her light brown curly hair and green eyes. I love that Allie still likes playing with her dolls. Santa might have been a little crazy with Caden's present, but he is almost 8. He got a fancy Swiss Army knife that has about 15 things in it. Dan dulled the knife blades down. Caden is looking forward to our next outdoor adventure so he can put it to use.

We did quite a bit of shopping and eating out in Pensacola. I think I visited all of my favorite places except Target....Sad that I never made it there.

We normally have lots of things we "do" on every visit: the Navy museum, the beach...we didn't do any of those things. Our only outing was the day we went with my friend Jen's family to the Explorium in Mobile. That was fun. They had a 600 lb grizzly bear show. All that stood between us and him with a thin wire fence. The trainer got Tonks when he was 6 weeks old and trained him like I train Gracie. Who knew you could get a bear to do what you wanted with a handful of marshmallows and a 2 liter of Mountain Dew? Don't try that in the wild though!

We spent our last day in pensacola celebrating Caden's 8th birthday. My mom planned a lunch party with hot dogs and hamburgers. Uncle Nathan, Caleb and Jen's family came. Little Man had a great time.

There's lots more to tell...but not today :).

The Excitement Never Ends

Caden started draining a few weeks ago. We stepped up his saline nasal rinse and paid more attention to his breathing. I remember checking him out of school one day for an upset stomach and I'm sure it was from drainage. He started coughing about 3 days ago. It's gotten worse even though we've added cough medicine to his pharmacy he already takes. We decided to bring him to the ER at the Navy base tonight. I can't tell you how many nights he and I spent out here for the exact same thing when he was a baby when we lived here while Dan was deployed. Thankfully his lungs are clear. He's having trouble exhaling...all asthma related. We are doing a breathing treatment now.

Allie's After

I think she's adorable.

The Krispy Kreme Rule

There's a rule at our house. To eat a Krispy Kreme donut, you must wear the hat! If you look back at any family donut photos, there are always hats. My mom had a doctors appointment early this morning that took her right past KK. She brought us back donuts and the obligatory hats :). Gracie tried her luck, but she was denied. Poor Gracie. She's a sad puppy.

Allie's Before

Allie has been growing her hair out for about a year and a half.  It's gotten really thick and wavy, but it also tangles easily.  Brushing out Allie's hair has become a chore she cannot stand.  She's decided to cut it off to a short bob and today is the day!  More pictures later. :)

 

We Will Miss You, Luria Alice

Dan's Nana passed away yesterday afternoon. She's been ready to go home and be with the Lord for weeks and weeks. Nana was an amazing woman and she will be missed by so many people. My first memory of her is her spaghetti. She put bell peppers in the sauce. I love bell peppers. It's the first of many meals she cooked for me when Dan and I started dating. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at a mail order catalog without thinking of her. She was always ordering stuff she didn't need and driving Joan nuts. She would have been dangerous if she'd ever discovered the Internet. I can still hear her saying "Now Kelly..." when she wanted to ask me a question.

She was much more than a Nana "in-law" to me and I will miss her dearly. Please pray for Dan's family, especially his mom who spent the night in the hospital Tuesday night with heart issues related to stress. She was released and home in time to be with Nana when she passed. Thank you.

I'm Sick

Again!!! Enough said. The end.

Puppy Consequences

I know I didn't want a tree, but I sure am enjoying it.  Gracie was even being good...until we put presents under it.  It was too much temptation.

 

Zac likes the baby gate.

 

Foiled again!

 

Tactile Defensiveness

 

I've always dreaded fall and winter with Jaelyn.  Her explosive issues seem to ramp up and we have new issues related to clothes.  If she could wear shorts and flip flops all year long, we'd be golden.  Unfortunately, she can't.  Pants have always been a major issue with her.  It's so hard to find pants that fit in the waist and length.  Her pickiness has increased and now she only wants skinny jeans that taper down to her ankles.  It's a challenge and has caused many morning meltdowns.  She had one this week.  According to her, she has no pants.  She does have pants, but none of them fit her exactly how she wants.  She is totally inflexible in how things feel and fit.  She wants them to be at her waist, not too tight in the crotch, taper through the leg and to NOT touch her ankles.  It's all part of her tactile defensiveness.  Shopping around here is hard.  I decided to start with the exchange before we made a trip to Springfield.  We already tried Rolla a month ago.  I bought her two pairs of jeans she refuses to wear because "they don't feel right."  Anyway, I found three different pair of skinny jeans.  I bought two sizes of each and had them waiting for her when she got home from school on Friday.  Hallelujah...she liked not one, not two, but three of the pairs of jeans!  Now, whether she'll actually wear all three pair is still up in the air, but I do know she was very happy to wear her Levi jeggings today even though they are too long and touch her ankle!

Gotcha Day

Nine years ago yesterday, we petitioned a Russian judge to be able to adopt Jaelyn and Allie.  I honestly can't believe it's been that long.  We started out our morning with the Christmas tree and then headed out to lunch.  We chose the Cave Restaurant.  It's exactly what it sounds like...a restaurant in a cave.  It was an experience; although I'm not sure it's an experience we should take visitors to :).

 

You start out in the waiting area.  Eventually a 1980s era mini-van shows up to take us up the mountain.  It didn't feel like the safest of vehicles or drives, but we made it in one piece.

 

 

After climbing up two flights of stairs, we were rewarded with The Cave.

 

The kids had fun exploring while we waited for our food.

 

There are actually cabins that you can rent, but they weren't someplace I'd wish on my worst enemy.  There were a few building that looked like they were going to fall into the river below.

 

After our lunch outing, we decorated our gingerbread house and trees.  This was the first year I had no involvement other than setting everything up.  They did the icing all by themselves.  I'm not sure how long they'll last on the table.  Icing and candy is disappearing at an alarming rate.

 

The Christmas Tree

We travel for Christmas every year.  Some years I put up a tree, some I don't.  I enjoy the tree, but it's a lot of work to put it up and take it down.  Dan wanted a tree this year, so up it went.  Everyone participated in the decorating.  It was a fun morning with christmas music and silly santa hats.

Even Gracie helped

 

Only 2 of our Rudolph noses still work....must find another one

 

Reach...

 

Our tree would be much straighter if Dan got the 3 sections in the right order ;)

 

My favorite picture of the day...Gracie wanted those reindeer ears in the worst way and she finally managed to snag her a pair!

 

 

And our finished Christmas tree...being guarded as usual by Santa and his Elves made by my Grandparents when I was little.