Otters, Penguins and Sharks Oh My!

This was one of those mornings that we got up early and were out the door in time to be at the aquarium at opening time.  So glad we did.  It got crowded.
We hit all the big exhibits first, which was great.  It wasn't too busy yet and the kids had a great view of all the animals.
First up were the otters.  These little guys are so cute and playful!

The kids loved the penguins!  They were very active this morning.  Every time one would pop out of the water, Guard would squeal!

Look at this cute penguin family!

Next up were the sharks!  Guard adores the shark tunnel.  He kept saying, "scary", but he was fascinated by it.

So many fun things to look at in the shark tunnel!
We visited the rainforest next.  The kids favorite thing here is the rope bridge.  Whew!  It's warm in there!

And then we played with the orcas.  Guard is quite bold and isn't afraid to stand up for himself.  He'll take on kids a lot older and bigger than him.  I'm not sure if I should be proud or concerned.  Definitely, nervous.

We didn't know this was happening until we arrived at the aquarium.  They were having a balloon drop at noon to celebrate new year's for the kids.  We thought it would be fun to stay.  It was a bit fun.  The lobby was packed (it took us 20 minutes to get to the exit when it was over),the balloons didn't drop very well and it was a bit chaotic when the balloons fell.

It all ended well.  The kids all eventually ended up with a balloon and we finally got out of the aquarium.

The aquarium is always fun!

Afterward, we did a bit of shopping at Ikea for Guard's room and then Greg, Enoch and Kate went to see Big Hero 6.   So much fun!

Enoch's Solar Balloon

Enoch was finally able to get out his solar balloon.  He was so excited.  It was his favorite present and he had to wait to use it.
Such a simple idea, but full of science and fun.  Enoch's favorites!
He held the balloon over the heater vent to fill it up.  He tied it up. Fastened a string around the end.  And took it outside.
It started floating right away!

Such excitement!

And - no holes!  I was sure there would be a hole in the thin plastic because Enoch got it out so much to look at it.

He has had it out a few times since.  And every time is just as fun!

Scattered Thoughts

1.  Our gingerbread house has collapsed.  Christmas must be over.

2.  Gavin is in St. Louis!  He was invited to spend a week in Missouri with the Ford family.  They have completely spoiled him and he is having an incredible time!

3.  We all know that hangry (hungry and angry) is a real thing.  We experience many times in our house.  But, more than hangry we are slumpy.  Okay, mostly I (Tresa) am slumpy, but we have all gone through it over Christmas break.  Slumpy is Greg's word for sleepy and grumpy.  Yep,  I'll own up to that one.

Christmas Break

We have had a lovely Christmas break.  We've slept in (except Enoch - he can't seem to sleep past 6:30).  We've been lazy.  We've done a lot of fun things.  We've enjoyed being together (Greg had the entire two weeks off).
Some days we did a whole lot of nothing.  Some days we had plans.  We would usually try to get to places right when they opened or else they would get so crowded.  So some morning, we would get up and get going, but some mornings we were in our jammies until after lunch.  Both kinds of days were fun.
Today, the kids ventured out into the snow.  The snow has been great, but it has also been very cold, rarely getting above twenty degrees with wind.  They sledded down the Tuttle's snow hill a few times before the wind just got to be too much.

Enoch and Kate said it was fun, but so cold!

New Year's Winter Tree

I wasn't quite ready to take down the tree.  It was so pretty this year.  I finally have white lights, enough decorations to cover the tree and kids, who will for the most part, leave the decorations alone.  It was beautiful.
And, because it's a live, dead tree it's so messy to get outside.
Two reasons to leave it up for a few more days.
But, it is no longer Christmas.  So, now our tree is a New Year's tree.
We spent the evening cutting out colorful snowflakes.
The kids had a great time!

It was great to spend some time together that didn't involve a screen or going somewhere.

 We just stayed home, were together with no fighting and we talked.

It was heavenly!

And the mess was worth it.

 In the end, we had another beautiful tree with a new life.

Dinos!

We decided today to try to go to the Museum of Natural Curiosity.  That place is always busy.  But, the kids wanted to go, so we went.  Just looking at the parking lot, we knew it would be chaos.  We talked them into the Dinosaur Museum instead.
We lucked out and were able to watch the paleontologist and volunteers working on dinosaur bones.  One of the volunteers came out to talk to the kids and she gave them a piece of dinosaur bone that had broken off.  Enoch was so excited!  He said, "I'm the second person to touch this since this dinosaur died."  Very cool!
We spotted a new exhibit in the museum.  It is the biggest intact dinosaur bone (pelvis) ever found.   Enoch was very interested.

Of course, the big draw is the sand table.  The kids could spend hours here.

Yeah, these skinny kids are tipping the scales.

We love dinosaurs!

After the dinos, we grabbed some lunch at the deli.  The kids talked us into going back to Natural Curiosity.  It was just as crowded as we thought.  We talking walking side-ways crowded.  We didn't stay long.  It was a very fun time!

Snow...Finally

We finally have snow!
We have had such a warm fall and winter.  I'm not complaining, I enjoyed the warmer weather.  But I was hoping for a white Christmas.
I got my wish!
It started snowing late Christmas Eve.  And snowed quite a bit.  And kept snowing for a few days.
After opening presents on Christmas, the kids bundled up and went out and played for a bit.  It was quite windy, so they didn't stay out too long.
We ignored the snow on the driveway on Christmas, but we (Greg and the kids) shoveled the next day.  The boys loved it and stayed out longer to play.  Kate only lasted a few minutes.  She really doesn't like the cold.

We are hoping to go sledding soon!

Happy Christmas!

Christmas is always so great!  This year was no different.  We had a great time being together, opening presents and trying to remember why we celebrate Christmas.
We started by discovering what Santa brought us in our stockings (in the family room upstairs).

We're so excited!!! Let us see!!!

Greg and Tresa got candy and socks.  Gavin got socks, a pocket tool for his car, candy and a mug cake mix.

Enoch got candy, a solar balloon, a tornado simulator (his scientific words), and a dog collar camera.

Kate got her white wolf (she named her Frozen), scratch art note cards, a game (rat-a-tat), candy and a jewelry holder for her closet.

Guard got candy, animal magnets, puzzle, a book (planes go) and stepping stones.

After playing with our stocking toys, we ate our yummy breakfast of breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, grapes and juicy.

Breakfast was good, but the kids were anxious to get downstairs and to their presents.  Again...waiting and going in by age - youngest to oldest.

Um...they don't look alike or anything.

Finally...presents!!
Greg:  sunglasses, neck warmer, drill bit kit, book
Tresa:  calendar, laminater,  whisper essential oil, silicone oven mitts, robe

 Gavin:  ear buds, DVDs, razors and a Aces gym membership with a personal trainer. (No good pictures - sorry, Gavin!)  Favorite was gym membership.

Enoch: Legos arctic ice breaker, Lego arctic helicopter, elements book, sleeping bag, diffuser and duct tape with huge cardboard boxes.  Favorite was solar balloon (he hasn't had a chance to use it yet)

Kate:  beam, diffuser, mosiac cards, sleeping bag, leotards and a warm-up suit and a sticker maker.  Favorite was beam.

Guard: camera, balancing bear scale, remote control robot, sleeping bag, wonder color mat, diffuser and Wild Kratts dress-ups.  Favorite was Wild Kratts vests and discs.

Coal:  huge bucket of tennis balls, dragon squeaky toys

Fowler Family: How to Train Your Dragon 2, Dragon Riders 1&2, Tsuaro game, Despicable Me (replacement copy), Madagascar (from Gavin), Hari (from Gavin) and Man in the Moon book.
It was such a great morning!  The kids loved their gifts and it feels good as a mom to know you did good.  So bittersweet to have Christmas over!
We visited Grandma and Grandpa Fowler later that day.  We ate lunch, visited, opened presents and had a great time.
We came home watched movies, played games with Uncle Jarom, and played with our new toys.
It was such a wonderful day!
When we went to bed that night, I asked Greg if it was still Christmas.  It seemed that we opened presents a few days ago.  So fun, but exhausting too!
Merry Christmas!!!