Let's catch up!

I so wanted to stay current on this-hopefully I will do better, starting.... NOW!

But, I'm moving the blog so I can hopefully get rid of this email soon.

New Blog:  gigglesandmusic (dot) blogspot (dot) com

August Vacation

This vacation didn't start out great as Mama had a headache on the way there.  Luckily Daddy drove the whole time.  This time the kids fell asleep and stayed asleep when we got there. Yeah!

The first day was a quiet day for the kids.  Daddy helped Uncle David with working in the barn and mowing.  The kids and I took a walk with Aunt Leslie and played games inside.  Then, Uncle David and Aunt Leslie went home and Daddy took the kids to the corner beach where they were very excited to play.

Monday

We went hiking through the Dunes.  Josh kept saying we were in Star Wars.  He is Luke Skywalker, Mikayla is Princess Leia, I am Darth Vader (not sure why?) and Dan is Yoda.  It was a nice walk and we found an easier way up the steep hills.

We went for dinner in Pentwater and then went to the Pentwater State Beach where the kids played in the beach and water and we watched the sunset.

Tuesday

Ludington State Park--We love this place!  Today we took floats and floated down the lazy river.  I stayed with the kids while Dan parked the car.  I didn't let them get off their floats until he came back.   Then, when he did, Mikayla wanted to be in the water so I let her swim the rest of the way.  Josh did too most of the way.  So, of course that meant I had to be in the water also.  It was pretty easy most of the way but there was one section that was over my head and both kids were pushing on me and it got a little difficult.  But, overall, a great time.  We took a lunch break and went back to one of the little 'private' beaches on the side of the road where we played some more.  

For dinner, we went to the pizza place in Hart.

Wednesday

Today the weather was a little questionable so we stayed around the cabin most of the day.  We did try to go for a walk but the mosquitoes were pretty bad.  We played puzzles and leggos the rest of the day.

Thursday

We went to the Lighthouse Beach.  They are flattening out the hill there and paving the walkway.  It will be a lot easier to get to the beach but I'm not sure how that will impact the environment.  After this we headed home.

The good thing about this trip was that Josh really seemed to be getting the potty thing.  He's almost three and is supposed to be potty trained before starting school so nothing like waiting to the last minute. But, he did great this week and hopefully that will continue.

First Lost Tooth

So, Mikayla woke up this morning and she was anxious to show me that her tooth was gone from her mouth.  It had been so loose for so long and the grown up tooth was fully in.  But, the thing is--when we say we lost it-we really did.  We have no idea where it is.  I looked through the bedding and it is nowhere to be seen.  So, I'm not sure if she swallowed it or not.  So, we will write a note to the tooth fairy-  I was just thinking yesterday I should take a picture of her shark teeth-with the ones coming in while the babies are still there.  Guess I should have done that but too late now.  SO, I took pictures of the baby tooth that is still there with the one that is missing.

July 2010 Vacation

Josh on Yoga-Gator

July 20-July 22, 2010

We left N barrington on Sunday evening (7 ish)  We figured we would eat once we were in Indiana.  But the kids were being good so we kept driving.  Josh kept talking, mostly to himself, but it wasn’t a problem. And Mikayla was sleeping. We then remembered the time difference and the fact that many restaurants wouldn’t be open at 10 on a Sunday night.  But, we found an Applebees and were able to eat.  As soon as we got back in the car they were both out.

When we finally arrived at the cabin, both kids woke up quickly and were ready to go.  They were excited to see the R2D2 in the hallway and wanted it to be in their room.  They were ready to play Legos also.  They were both so excited they just kept giggling away.  The adults, we just wanted to sleep.  Josh probably didn’t totally settle down until 4:30 or 5:00 (AM)

Monday

Once we got going, we headed to Mac Dunes for an annual Dune Ride.  Both kids thought it was a great time.  We then went on a hike up the TALL dune before heading back to get groceries and have lunch.  Josh napped while Mikayla and daddy rode the quadrunner and went to see horses down on Log Road.

We then went to the corner beach and played for a while .  Mikayla’s swimming has really come along this summer.  She enjoys floating underwater and swimming through the waves.  Josh enjoys the waves but isn’t that excited to go underwater yet.

We then went back to the cabin for leftovers and movie night.  We saw Hachi-which we all liked and Mikayla wants our next dog to be named Hachi.

Tuesday

We spent a little time in the cabin in the morning, playing puzzles and playdoh.  Then, we headed north to Pentwater to Gulls for lunch.  The, further north to Ludington.  We found a little beach a little less than a mile south of Ludington State Park Entrance.  It was like a private small little beach.  There were sandbars where the kids could jump off, almost like jumping off the side of a pool.  There were also little pools where Mikayla enjoyed catching frogs.  We grabbed some ice cream and then headed back to the same place to play some more.  After this, we headed to town and ate dinner at Ponderosa and headed back to the cabin and called it a day.  Mikayla thought Ponderosa was an awesome restaurant.

When the kids were taking a bath, daddy caught  frog and brought it to them in the tub.  They thought it was awesome.  Mikayla is really enjoying catching frogs and having them ‘be her friends’

Wednesday

We went to the petting zoo in?  Mikayla enjoyed talking to the animals and Josh thought they were all cute.  The kids rode the Boo Berry express.  I think Mikayla thought it wasn’t very exciting but Josh really liked it.  We headed back to the cabin so we could all nap and to get ready to head south again.

Not quite an accurate depiction of how close they are in height

Dan and friend

A little birdie waiting for his snack

We went to Duck Lake and went swimming for a while.  This seemed to be similar to Ludington State Park—where most people just park on the edge of the road and climb down to the beach.  The kids rode on (and fought over) our alligator float to ride the waves.

We played until almost 9 o’clock and then went to the Red Rooster restaurant.  We enjoyed the tableside music and good food.  Then headed home---exciting part was while we were headed home and thought both kids were sleeping, Josh, in  his little voice, said he had to pee.  I think he’s finally starting to get it.  He’s going on his own a lot this week so we are very happy about that.

Thursday

It was a rainy day—although we planned on heading to the Lighthouse Beach, we just kept it quiet and played inside games and puzzles until it was time to pack up and head back home.

Church

Sometimes I wonder if its worth the struggle of sitting through the service with two active kids. I think it's important for them t learn how to sit through church but at the same time it's an exercise in patience in juggling their needs for an hour while trying not to irritate all the people that are sitting around us.

Yesterday, they weren't that bad but at the same time they were full of it. Here are some examples of what I dealt with during a one hour service.

Josh and Mikayla both saw Dan as we walked in: "There's Daddy!!!!"

Josh was counting all the pegs on the seats. He got up to 10! Although I'm proud of him, he didn't have to do it out loud.

Josh: My butt! It itches.

Josh: Look, a sword! There is one in the stained glass pictures

I took Josh out at one point and he said 'I'm going to grab momma's hippos!' and he did. I probably don't have to explain what he calls hippos. Luckily I was in the lobby and my back was turned at the time.

phone

Josh loves to talk on the phone. When he gets on, he says, 'Hi Mom! It's me, Joshy!'

Chinese New Year

We had a wonderful time at the FCC Chinese New Year party. Mikayla enjoyed running around and Josh starting bogeying as soon as we got there. It seemed like he always had a group of girls surrounding him, and we always thought Mikayla was the outgoing one.