Happy Birthday, Hubby!

Hubby turned 36 this week. No, he is not hard of hearing yet; but he does like to hear everyone sing. (Anyone notice my candle dilemma?)

I added this gift picture because he was so amused that Neil-Te picked out a ninja turtle shirt for him. He can't believe that they actually make them in his size. Neil-Te is so excited and was beaming ear to ear. Let's see how often daddy has to wear this new shirt! (The things you do for your kids!) He even had to put on his NEW slippers from KiKi this morning - despite the fact that it is 83 degrees today!

Love you, hubby!

Our Viewing Pleasures

The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History was a real hit. After movies like Night at the Museum and Ice Age, the boys were excited about a lot of things at the museum.

First there was the "Gum, Gum" guy. (Clearly, A was barely tolerating this picture. He LOVES museums and wanted to get moving because there was so much to see.)

Then "Rexy."

Who can forget the glypto poop?

The 3-D dinosaur movie was awesome! All of the kids had fun, even the girls who don't like museums as much as the boys and I.

Co-Co kept reaching out to try to touch things, and Neil-Te would jump and gasp.

KiKi was so funny. He kept taking his glasses off to see if the 3-D effects were actually real. He was nearly as amusing as the movie!

I snapped this picture of us right as the host was saying, "NO flash photography during the presentation!" What a great example, mom!

Capitol Adventures

We headed to DC last week for some sightseeing. Here are a few pictures of our trip. As you can see, we started off with smiles and high energy. (This was before ALL of the walking and 85+ heat!)


Here we are admiring the WWII memorial, while not so secretly wishing that we could get into the fountain for just a few minutes.

I'd like to say that the kids appreciated the import of this memorial, but really it was just a cool lion.

Back to our campground for a dip in their really great pool.


Nothing like a Popsicle to cool you off - especially when you try KiKi's technique!

Yummies and Good Company

So, are you salivating yet?

This is the delicious meal that my mom and I shared tonight. Not only did I have a yummy, and yes, fried, meal; but I got to have a gab session with my mom with no children interrupting every few minutes. I think I feel like a new woman! I even just sent the older boys to daddy to solve an argument because I wasn't here to witness the source of the "trauma." Ahhhhh...life is good. Thanks, mom!

Busy with Bakugan

A few months ago, CoCo developed an interest in Bakugan (For those of you who don't know - they are round toys that come with a magnetic card. When the toy is placed on the card, it springs open, revealing a transformer-like character.). CoCo likes to collect them, play battle games with them, and watch an occasional episode on the computer. Until recently, A scoffed at his brother for his interest in them because A was still consumed with Indiana Jones. A has now realized the crafting potential of Bakugan. Little did I realize that when he asked me for the empty egg carton, that this would be the end result!

A created Bakugans for his brothers.

Here are a couple of close-up shots. Yeah, I know, the toy company will be calling me any day for the prototypes!

Big Guy

Since one of our favorite parts of camping is the campfire, hubby just had to have a mini-firepit for our deck. Though CoCo was eager to help, Daddy decided that Neil-Te was big enough to assist with this project. Neil-Te was thrilled, and CoCo let him savor the honor of being a "big guy."
So I just may never need to leave my house. I have a "playground", a pool, a "firepit," comfortable accommodations, a fully-equipped kitchen, and a pet-friendly environment. What more could I want? Not sure that I really want to cram into a 27 foot travel trailer for a vacation that is more work than staying at home!

Male Bonding

While we were camping this weekend, hubby and the boys spent some time bonding while shooting the BB gun. First, they all made paper plate targets.

KiKi was so upset to see Daddy shooting his target that he had to make another target to carry around for the rest of the weekend.

A made his target circles so big that he managed to get a VERY high score - cheating or creative license?

Neil-Te is an awesome shot. He takes his time to aim carefully and is fairly steady with the gun - much to the chagrin of his older brothers.

H1N1 Invasion

We got the pleasure of hosting SS' girlfriends last week, but two days into their visit, they started to come down with a flu. First one girlfriend, then the other, finally SS. After SS endured 3 days of fever, I called the Dr. about SS' sickness. They urged me not to bring her in because they are fairly certain that she has H1N1, and they don't want it passing through the clinic. Apparently, because she is young, generally healthy, with no underlying health concerns, they are fairly certain that she will recover quickly. Now we just have to keep her isolated for a week. I'm praying that the rest of the family will stay healthy, and luckily she is old enough to be very careful about not exposing them too much!