Firehouse Fun!

One of Colin's current favorite things is fire engines (and police cars and ambulances). He loves to see them on the road, especially if they have their sirens on. He MUST know what the emergency is and where it is and if it's over yet. (We're thinking he needs a scanner) As we were driving around the neighborhood last week, I noticed a sign on the local firehouse for a Sunday Open House. Perfect!!!

So post-nap and post-Steeler game last Sunday, we hit up the Fire House Open House for some fun! Daddy and I decided it was our favorite kind of outing - close by, free, and outside in gorgeous weather! The kids were VERY impressed with the big ladder truck!


Colin decided he wanted to try out the hose. He was pretty good! He knocked those fires down pretty darn quickly!



So proud of himself!

G declined a turn, but she claimed the hat that Colin had earned! No skin off C's nose, he's not a hat man.

Gillian wanted a balloon. REALLY wanted a balloon. We couldn't do anything else until we made our way to the back of the fire house and got a balloon. THEN we could go back out and check out the fire trucks!




Such a happy boy!


It was a nice afternoon! The kids really enjoyed playing in the fire trucks (until C accidentally set off an oxygen meter in the fire truck and it freaked him out). The fire chief invited us to come see their drills on Monday evenings too! Oh boy!

Mighty TV Powers!

For the longest time Colin and Gillian only wanted Max and Ruby when it was time for a little tv. Nothing else. But, Daddy begged and pleaded that they PLEASE find something else to watch. He was tired of C&G imitating Max's one word phrases over and over and over. So we were in search of a new "it" show. I recorded a few "Super Whys," "Word Worlds," and "Team UmiZoomis." After some trial runs, the kids settled on UmiZumi as the NEW FAVORITE SHOW EVER! Woo hoo!



I have to admit, I am impressed with the things they kiddos have learned from the Umiz. The focus of the show is teaching pre-math skills. So they work on a lot of counting and quantity concepts, but also on learning shapes and patterning. And, boy, are we obsessed with patterning now, or what!



C&G love the Umiz so much that we have to play Umiz quite a bit when the tv is off! For those of you who don't live in toddler world, Team UmiZoomi is made up of a brother/sister team of Geo and Milli and their super handy robot, Bot. Apparently, Milli is the absolute favorite of C&G. They BOTH usually pretend to be Milli and I have to be Bot. Bot has extendable arms, so that's handy for Mommy. Poor Geo though, no love here!



I know that tv isn't great for growing brains, especially Mr. Sponge Bob apparently. But, honestly, sometimes a Mommy (or Daddy) just needs 20 minutes to cook a meal, start some laundry, or make a phone call! Or, heck, regain sanity. So, as long as I feel like my kids are LEARNING something (and they obviously are), we'll continue to enjoy a little tube time!

Firetruck Jammies

A few weeks ago we had to run into Kohls to return something. It was a rainy morning and we were looking to kill some time. I don't usually take the kids into stores like that; when they were little it was just to hard to do and when they got bigger it was just easier to leave them with Daddy while I ran errands! So, anyway, they were very, VERY impressed with Kohls. They liked the mannequins all dressed up and they LOVED the beds made up with pretty bedspreads.

We returned our stuff and then we walked over to the kids' clothing. I wanted to look at pajamas since I knew we would be needing warmer PJs soon! C&G were ALL over that! They really got into looking at the different kinds of PJs and telling me which ones they wanted! I think they both would have left with four pairs if I had let them! I DID let them each pick out one pair. Gillian picked a pink night gown with candy canes and fairies on it. And Colin went crazy over a pair of fire truck pajamas!

When it cooled down last week, I new C would be all excited to try out his new, fancy pajamas! And he WAS! He told us, "I look good in this." And, "I so comfy." What a riot.

Well, he DID look good!


And loving!


(And now I'm remembering that G's new nightgown is still in her bin under her bed. Need to get that washed for her so she can wear it!)

You Say JoePa......

I say Terno!

First Day of School!

Last Friday the kiddos had their first day of preschool! Well, ok, so it was an hour long. And Daddy and I stayed the whole time. But this week they go by themselves. For another hour. They start out slowly!

Anyway, C&G are going to a one day a week, 2 year old class at a local church for this school year. Their teacher is Miss Heather, and her helper is Miss Kim. They both seem very nice. They will have 5 other kids in the class besides them, 1 girl and 4 boys. I have a small fear that Gillian will be Queen Bee by Halloween!

So on our first official day of school we had to take some pictures! G was making some super funny faces that morning!



Some Brother-Sister Love!


And G had to show off her backpack (or packpack as the kids call them).


Colin had a little hangnail booboo that morning that he made Daddy take a picture of.


Then we made the kiddos get some obligatory Mommy and Daddy pictures!



We are hoping for a great school year!

Labor Day Catch-up!

Little behind lately! We've been busy and I've been unmotivated blog-wise. Sigh.

We spent a nice, busy, quick weekend up north for Labor Day, just Saturday to Monday this year. But it was nice to see all our family and relax a bit. We spent most of the day on Saturday trying to stay cool (very humid and warm) and catching up with Uncle Willis, Leah, Uncle Stevie, and Aunt Emily. The Uncles (and GraGra) cooked up a feast and Great-Grandma made us some homemade peach ice cream. It was all delicious and wonderful. And not a single picture was taken of it! Daddy did take some pictures in the afternoon while the kids forced him outside to play in the heat for a while. Thanks for taking one for the team, Daddy!




Still skeptical, as always.


How they have that much energy when it's that hot, I'll never know.


Apparently, G found GraGra's tape measure and went off to measure the corn. Not with her knee this time.


Hopefully it was measuring "Nearly Ripe."

Sunday morning we took one last dip in Dickiedoo's pool before he closed it up for the season. Gillian did really, really well in her life jacket. She paddled all over by herself and even jumped off the top of the ladder into the water with no one to catch her! She was quite proud! Again, no pictures though!

Sunday evening we went over to Grammy and Papa Frank's for dinner with the Keisters (minus Jessie Bean). The kids had fun running all over, playing in what leaves had already turned and fallen, and enjoying the wind kicked up by a (lovely) cold front!


Colin wants to have a "Leaf Picnic" in the worst way!


The Underbrella was again requested!



And Papa gives great airplane rides!



On Monday morning we took a quick visit to see the newest baby donkey. It was pouring though and since we were all huddled in the barn, we didn't get any pictures of him. Needless to say, he was QUITE adorable and funny!

Another fun weekend to "end" our summer!

Kex, Eleventeen, and Hemptagons

These things all exist at our house. Do they exist in yours'?

Kex is a letter, OF COURSE. The long elusive 27th letter. Most often thought of as a cross between K and X. No one can quite draw a picture of it though.


Eleventeen is that tricky number after twelve, but can also come four more times before twenty. Perhaps it's like Elevensies to a Hobbit?


Now, a Hemptagon is something like a hexagon and something like an octagon. But not.


When we figure these things out, we'll let you know.