Thanksgiving at the Dells

This year we did something a little different for Thanksgiving... we spent the holiday at Kalahari, a giant indoors waterpark at Wisconsin Dells. If you've never been to one, picture a huge waterpark with multiple swimming pools, lots of giant waterslides, and millions of people all under one roof. Lots of craziness, but lots of fun.

This trip was for our kids, and we also spent the holiday with my parents, sister Shawnta and brother Mike, and their kids. We had a great time in our 3-unit hotel room (even though April and I had to sleep on the sofa-bed because of Nate's snoring and Elin's coughing... ugh!), and we enjoyed a huge Thanksgiving buffet at the hotel (yummy and easy... a great combo). All the kids loved the waterpark, and Nate really didn't want to go home. But he got over it when we he realized Christmas is next!

Bittersweet...

Winter is here! Pull out the sleds! Build a snowman! Drink some hot chocolate! Listen to Christmas music! Decorate the Christmas tree! Sit by the fireplace!



Winter is here! Pull out the shovels! Freeze on the way to work! Catch the flu! Wipe kid's snotty noses! Eight hours of daylight! Dig out snowed-in cars!

Nate's Baby Monsters

A lot of children have imaginary friends. Nate, however, has baby monsters... 101 baby monsters, to be exact, and they usually hang out in his pocket. They seem to cause a lot of problems around the house, but they can do a lot of good things as well. They have become a regular topic of conversation in our home. The little monster in this picture (the blue one, not the other one) we found recently at FAO Schwartz, and we couldn't resist but to indulge in Nate's little fantasy a little.

Tonight while going to bed, Nate said, "Mommy, what if the witches come into my room?" We're not sure where he got this from... maybe Scoobie Doo? April's answer was, "Well Nate, you have 101 baby monsters to scare them off with." Then Nate took April's face in his hands and whispered, "Mommy, don't you know they're just pretend?!"

Our Other Kids

For those of you that haven't met our cats, this is Sebastian (left) and Sachi (right, pronounced 'Sochie'). Combined, they're like having another 1 year-old running around. They eat, sleep, poop, and play sometimes. But just like a 1 year-old, when they are sleeping and look this cute, you just can't resist them.

Gobble Gobble!

Nate made this Turkey during art-day (Mondays) at school... it's made of corn husks, bay leaves, pepper corns, sun flower seeds, and a chili pepper. He was very excited about it, and wanted to make another turkey at home. We'll have to go grocery shopping for the supplies.

Las Vegas or Bust

We just returned from our trip to Las Vegas. I had a medical conference there, so we decided to turn it into a mini-vacation. April had never been to Vegas before, so this was a real eye-opener for her. Now... we are not gamblers, but we found there was plenty to do to fill up our time. LOTS of shopping and LOTS of good food, including a sushi restaurant where we ate twice. We went to the Cirque du Soleil show called "O", which was an incredible show- if you've never seen Cirque du Soleil, definitely try to go- they travel all over the country.

Mary, April's sister, also joined us for a couple days, so that was nice, especially for April since I was in conference half of the day. Overall, it was a fun trip. But we also learned that if you have any relaxation planned in your vacation, then better try somewhere else.

Mom and Dad- thanks again for watching the little squirts, we couldn't have gone without you!

Nate's Goin' Campin'

The other morning I came into Nate's room to find him packed up and ready to go... camping. Not having any clue that we were going camping today, and realizing it was about 40 degrees outside that morning, I asked him where he was going, and whether or not he had enough layers on. He answered, "We can all go camping at the campsite. I packed my blankets, so we we'll be very warm." I told him I wasn't planning on camping today, and wouldn't be able to make it. He said, "That's okay, Daddy, I will just take the green car. I'll need to borrow your keys to the green car, okay, Daddy?" So it begins...

I searched his bags, and found that he was, indeed, ready to go with 2 blankies, his Froggie, pajamas, socks, and a lunch box with 3 apples and a pomegranate. I think it would have been a long night.

Buzzy Bee Halloween