Our Busy Monday

We had a big day today.  After a horrible night of sleep (thanks to Micah who decided he wasn't tired and wanted to be wide awake from 2:00 - 5:00am - ugh!) we took off on an adventure to the Upper Valley.  Our first stop was at the hospital to visit my parents.  My Dad had some appointments on Friday and they ended up admitting him for the weekend.  They finally came home this afternoon, but the boys had missed them and we wanted to make sure we visited my Dad up there in case he had to stay even longer.  The boys enjoyed getting muffins with Ami, watching a hot air balloon land nearby out the large hospital windows (who rides in a hot air balloon in 15 degree weather?!?!  Craziness.), and chatting with Bepa and sharing the cards that they made for him that morning. It's always a fun adventure visiting the hospital, but we're so glad they're back home in their own beds tonight!

"Bepa 

I love you  

I miss you

Hi Ami

<3 Camden"

After leaving the hospital we headed over to the Montshire Museum.  The boys love this little science museum and because we have a pass (thanks Nan and Pop!) it's great to just go for an hour and not feel like we have to spend the whole day there.  It turned out to be packed because so many kids were off of school for MLK day, and I felt like I was waddling around trying to keep up with the boys the whole time, but they had a great time and I know it's so good for them to explore and learn new things and play in new environments.  Just not sure how much longer in this pregnancy I'm going to have the energy to go on adventures like this without Scott's help!

After leaving the Montshire, we stopped in Hanover at Ramunto's for some slices of pizza.  Micah fell out of his chair and face planted on the ground and spilled his pizza all over the floor.  The poor little guy was already so over tired, so rather than picking up the food immediately (there was no one else in our section) I just tried to calm him down.  A couple minutes later this nice man came over with a couple of napkins and a paper plate and picked up our mess for us.  He was just a regular customer who saw what happened and wanted to help.  I probably looked like an absolute mess - hugely pregnant with a screaming toddler on my lap and another child talking my ear off...but he was so kind and just picked it all up for me before heading out the door and carrying on with his day.  Little things like this restore my faith in the world.  There really are so many good, nice, thoughtful people out there.  Sometimes it's hard to remember when there is so much pain and violence and evil on the news, but I like to remember the little things and be extra thankful to people who do small things to make someone else's life easier. 
The boys fell asleep on the way home.  Another successful adventure under our belts.  How am I ever going to do this with three kids in tow?  Oh man...

A Sleigh Ride to Remember

We shared a little Christmas adventure and went on a family sleigh ride just up the road from our house!  It was so much fun to snuggle in tight with our little family, Caren, Dave, Clara and my Mom.  There were moments when we feared for our life (my poor mother was a little nervous) as we went up hills and down hills through the woods in an old, creaking sleigh pulled by two horses, but overall we enjoyed the ride and had fun singing Jingle Bells with the kids.  It certainly was an adventure and one we won't soon forget. 

 Eeeeek!!!

"Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too. Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you."

Christmas Craftiness

So I know most people are out of the Christmas spirit and focusing on the new year, but I wanted to show off some of the Christmas craftiness that we tackled this year!

Camden had an amazing craft day at school that parents were invited to.  We made ginger bread houses, decorated an ornament, strung cranberries, made a bracelet for Clara for Christmas and lots of other creative and fun crafts that we were able to bring home.  Camden and I had a great time together and we had no shortage of pre-school aged Christmas decorations around the house!
Check out this focus!

 Pretty cute and happy kiddos...

 Showing off his cranberries...  :)

 Bracelet materials for Clara...

 A snowman...can you tell?

 We had a wonderful special morning with our dear family friend (Kathy went to college with my parents and I've known her my entire life...and NOW her daughter is married to my cousin!  So we're family friends AND relatives!).  Kathy came over and helped us make some adorable Christmas gifts for the grandparents.  Camden had a blast - Micah was sick and didn't want to participate.  :(

 Such concentration...

 The pretty ornament that Camden decorated at school with two hard workers in the background!

 One of the finished products! 

 Oh, and what would Christmas week be without monkey bread?!?!

  The boys had a great time decorating cupcakes for Jesus' birthday!

 Clara came over for Jesus' birthday party!

 We also had fun making a paper Christmas chain and some beautiful paper snowflakes, but I didn't take pictures of those things, unfortunately.  I'm not generally a very crafty person, so it's fun to have days at pre-school and crafty friends offer to do stuff with me and my kids.  I always have a blast, and hope to do more things like this throughout the year.