Let there be light!

Last week was a pretty busy decision week for the house. On Wednesday, Dennis and I went shopping for the lighting.  I really don't like to shop without a plan, so I had been online searching Menards and Lowes for what I wanted. Dennis is more of a "take a look around and think about it" kind of decision maker, so he was a really good sport with  me.  I had each light written down and where we were getting it from.  The mission was clear: Go In, Go Hard, and Go Home when the job was done.  In a little over 2 hours, we had purchased all the light fixtures needed for our home.  Here is a picture of what we accomplished. I told Dennis that I felt like Julia Roberts' character in Pretty Woman when she walks out of the boutiques with all of those bags.  I was pretty proud of how Dennis and I worked together.  I have heard that things can get kind of tense between spouses when building a house, but so far we have had zero moments like that.  However, I think that is more of a credit to Dennis than to me! Although it didn't hurt that we spent less than half our allotted lighting budget! So, maybe fast and furious is the way to shop??!??! Either way, GOOD JOB DONE!

Iowa City Children's Museum

Getting drum lessons from daddy 

 The model train room - a big favorite

 Family picture - third attempt...why is this so hard?

The last stop on our Kidapalooza tour was the Children's Museum.  We definitely got our money's worth! The kids absolutely loved it. Norah loved the theatre room, where kids dress up and put on plays, and the parents sit in the audience. Finn and Sully liked the aviation room, where they got to sit in model planes and even did a flight simulation. However, the big winner was - surprise, the train room, where there was a model electric train set of Iowa City, complete with steam and sound effects. They even had a model Hawkeye Express going from the mall to Kinnick Stadium.  I tried to get a picture of Finn, but he wouldn't turn away from the trains long enough to look at the camera. We finished the day with group ice cream cones, a third try for a family picture - (we're making small progress, I guess), and a ride on the carousel. We all ate too much junk food, stayed up way too late, and came home exhausted.  I'm pretty sure those are the hallmarks of a good family trip.

Wasserbahn!(I think it's German for Holy crap, this is cold water!)

 Taking a break to feel our toes again

 Summer family picture - second attempt

We took the kids overnight to Wasserbahn Waterpark in Williamsburg.  My kids are such troopers.  When we got to our room, Finn said, "Wow! This hotel even has toilet paper! Amazing!"  I'm so happy that my kids are so easily impressed.  The water in the pools was FREEZING. We talked to the manager, who said they were trying to fix it, but it never improved.  They also ended up closing down the big pool due to some "techincal difficulties".  A water pipe burst near our room, so we also had a nice wet dog smell to deal with.  But, our kids powered through.  They swam til their little feet were about to fall off and their lips turned blue. (which actually only took about 15 minutes for Finn. Seriously, the water was subzero) They were upset when it was time to go, but we promised more adventures.  Adventures are big in my house.  We get a lot of enthusiastic participation just by using that word.  I would definitely call this stay an adventure, and I was less than enthusiastic about it.  I will be calling the manager and the corporate office to relay my disappointment.  But the kids?  They were good with it. Makes me proud of the silly little monkeys.

Summer is Here!

 Off they go!!

 "I better fix my bike. It's broken."

 Pedal, Finn!!!

Our first family picture of summer...or a picture of the only one who listened to me.

Our first day of summer vacation was May 23, so I decided to take the kids on a bike ride around Grundy Lake.  We have a great bike path, and since we live on gravel, my kids don't really know what it's like to ride anywhere but around our garage floor.  This was our first summer adventure! Sully lasted on his bike about 63 seconds before he declared it broken and took off on foot for the rest of the mile. He loved weaving in between the kids, playing with the anthills, and chasing the geese.  I was left pulling his bike behind me. It was really windy, so if Finn didn't pedal hard, he actually went backward, which was an interesting concept for him to grasp. I tried to get a picture of everyone sitting on the bench together, but of course, as soon as I mentioned it, the boys took off. Norah obliged, so I took her picture solo, which I'm pretty sure she liked better anyway. It was great fun, and I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time there this summer!

No bike? No problem!

 "Mom? Sully is actually driving that..."

"I'm gonna get you!"

Our dear neighbors Joe and Rita were generous enough to bring over the gator they bought for their grandsons. We are so lucky to have them. Joe said that his grandsons were getting too big for it and thought that my animals would get a kick out of playing with it.  Do they ever! On this day, Norah and Finn were riding their bikes around the garage.  Sully hasn't quite gotten the hang of peddling his bike yet, but he didn't let that stop him.  He wanted to keep up with the big kids, so he got in the gator. Problem solved! He could stand to brush up on his steering skills and actually watching where he is driving, but I'd say he's doing pretty well for a two year old, especially if you consider how his mommy drives.

Coming along!!!!!

 Front view

 Master bed and bath

 Rear view - boys rooms, kitchen nook, living room, and master bedroom

 Side view - Garage, laundry room, and Finn's room

 The hole!

The house is coming along quite nicely.  The windows are in, which is so exciting, and this week, the electrical work started. We had to pick where we wanted our outlets, light switches, and TV hook ups.  I am not good at visualizing things to begin with, so trying to look at a bunch of framed up walls and trying to envision what the room will look like and where we will want to watch TV and plug stuff in was challenging...but still awesome.  We got water hooked up this week, too. The inside is starting to take shape, now which is so cool.  I can actually picture doing things in the rooms.  So, I like to go over and play house.  I pretend to come into the laundry room, do some laundry, then walk into my kitchen, and make dinner, and bring it into the dining room, because of course, I am cooking a fancy dinner for a bunch of people.  If you're playing house, why not go all out? The fun of walking through an empty house has lost some of its appeal for the kids, who are now fascinated by the hole. Since we no longer have our burn pile (our house is being built where the burn pile used to be), the excavator dug a hole for us to dump things in, and it brings hours of enjoyment to my children.  They love throwing things into the hole.  So far, none of them have fallen into it, but I have a feeling it's only a matter of time. I'll be sure to take pictures and post them when that happens.

Track and Field Day

 Bubbles!

 Sully with the ladies!

 The starting gun is not for everyone!

Losing Steam but still smiling!

One of my favorite things about Norah's school is that each year, they have Track and Field Day.  The kids pick three events to compete in, and parents take the day off work to volunteer and sit in the stands and cheer them on. In between events, there are other games to play, and fun stuff like popsicles and face tattoos. They even have a ribbon ceremony, and the whole thing is announced over the loudspeaker by the principal. This year, Norah chose to do the long jump, eraser shuffle, and the 100 meter dash. 100 meters might be a bit long for Norah.  She started off strong, but then faded when she began looking around to see who was cheering for her. She did place first in kindergarten girls long jump, though, so maybe track will be in her future after all.  Grandma Rosie came to watch the fun, which Norah loved.  The boys had a great time playing on the playground with Norah and her friends and taking it all in.