Party!

Yesterday was Abby Golz's birthday party at Paradise Pond.  The kids were so excited.  I forget how much they love it there.  They actually have a PJ Party with the Pastor there on Friday.  They are going to be thrilled.

Aaron found some planes from the movie Planes and was so happy.  He was just flying them around the room.

Picture time!

 My kids were both cheesing!

 We knew that the cake was going to have balloons on it,

 so Abby actually picked out a balloon dress so she could match the cake!

 I had to take this picture.  Abby is the slowest eater, but she sure enjoys her food.  Every single other kid had finished eating and was playing in The Pond and Abby just ate her cake, bite by bite, as the room was cleaned around her.  Love this girl.

 This Merry Go Round is powered by the kids pedaling the bikes.  It was going really fast here and I'm sure that was because of the older kids participating, but Abby was super focused and just pedaling her little heart out.

 Slide fun!

We love the Golz Family.  The kids have such a great time at their parties.  The favors were awesome - Aaron got a National Geographic Shark Book (you could not pick anything better) and Abby got a Princess Book.  Aaron said "that party sure was fun!".

The last few days

Jory was out of town all weekend so the kids and I were on our own.  On Saturday we met Kristi in Roanoke to do some pictures for their birthdays.  Aaron is having a fire truck party and I thought it would be fun to get a few shots of him in his fire fighter outfit for the invitations.  Kristin took him to the fire station.

Abby had her pictures made in front of a candy shop in Roanoke.  It was super cute.  While she was waiting she road this toy car at the shop.

After naps we had to go pick up snacks for Aaron's class.  Yes, he is wearing a PJ shirt.  Because that's what he picked out.  He doesn't have any concept of the difference between pajamas and other clothes.  The other day I said something about one of Abby's Pajama Shirts.  He asked me why I was calling it a Pajama Shirt.  To him, it's just a shirt.  Suitable for all times.

The kids did fantastic at swim on Monday.  They have one more week of this semester and I can't believe the changes in their swimming. 

Aaron had to swim in clothes for survival swimming.

At school on Tuesday with some of his class snacks.

On Wednesday Abby and I ran around while Aaron was at school.  We had our weekly lunch with him and then dropped by Julie's parents house to see her (and pick up some more clothes for Abigail). 

Today Aaron helped me make a cake for a group tonight.  He really loves to help in the kitchen!

Abby's last interview as a Two Year Old!

One month from today this one will be Three Years Old.

What is your name? Abby

How old are you? Two

What is your favorite color? Blue

Who is your best friend? Bubba

What is your favorite animal? Butterfly

What do you want to be when you grow-up? A butterfly

Who is your favorite person? Bubba

What is your favorite book? Elmo

What makes you happy? A butterfly

What makes you sad? Elmo

What is your favorite food to eat? Yogurt

What is your favorite song to sing? Chugging Town

What do you like to play? Toys

Random

When I got the dolphin pictures off Jory's phone I found pictures of the Courthouse in Cambridge where we watched the light show over Christmas.

 

 Abby and I ate lunch with Aaron Friday.  We love that day of the week!

 

Abby had white day at school last week.  She also wore a white sweater instead of a jacket.

Edited Pictures

 

Sheri took some of the pictures I put on facebook and edited them and reposted them.  I haven't ever tried to edit pictures, but hers looked so good, so here are a few I cropped. 

 

 

I have a ways to go, but I'm trying.  Maybe by the times my kids graduate from high school I'll have some decent pictures!

Some more cruise pictures

These were on my phone

The day before we left, Mickey and Minnie Mouse called our house.  It was such a fun way to start the trip!

 

When we first arrived in Galveston

About to take off

Funny selfie

Abby trying her hand at photography at dinner

Leaving Galveston

FUN!

Aaron's Monthly Interview

What is your name? Aaron

How old are you? Four

What is your favorite color? Brown

Who is your best friend? Mama

What is your favorite animal? Giraffe

What do you want to be when you grow-up? A crocodile

Who is your favorite person? Mama

What is your favorite book? Chugging Town

What makes you happy? When I get to get treats

What makes you sad? When I don’t get treats

What is your favorite food to eat? Oatmeal

What is your favorite song to sing? I don’t know

What do you like to play? Trains

Leaving the Ship

Aaron pulled our heaviest suitcase on the morning of departure.  He was so proud and so many people stopped to tell him how impressed they were.

 

We stopped at Cracker Barrel in Galveston.  We did Express Departure, so we got off the boat before breakfast and we had to wake the kids up, but we got home at lunch time so that was nice.

The travel to and from Galveston was really uneventful.  We were so glad that we were able to take a cruise within driving distance.  This was Disney's last cruise from Texas, but Royal Caribbean is sailing out of there starting next month and there are three other lines, as well.  So, we don't think this was our last cruise, though we have no idea how we will explain to the kids that Mickey isn't on every ship! Seriously, they were at the perfect ages to be so taken with Mickey and Minnie.  Grandma Sheri bought them each a Mickey (or Minnie) doll and they have not let them go!  So Fun!

Day Four

This was the last full day of cruising.  We had eaten all of our day time meals at buffets or fast food and I wanted a sit down meal, so Aaron and I headed to the Menu Only Restaurant.  He wore his PJs to breakfast every morning.  Partly because Abby was still sleeping when he left each day and it was easier to get him quietly out of the room without changing him.  And partly because he wanted to.

This was a raining, windy day and we didn't go on deck.  We went to a game show and we went to crafts.  Which was ridiculously fun and the kids' crafts were hilarious.  Of course, I wasn't much help.

We went dancing on the strobe light floor

 

 

Abby was Snow White for lunch.  She loved all of the costumes.  Everything she wore on this trip, except for a Finding Nemo dress was given to us.  LOVE.

 

 

Aaron had a make your own sundae at lunch

 

 

We went to another show that day.  It was called Dreams and had lots of Princesses and Disney Characters in it.  Mickey and Minnie showed up, too.  It was fun.  The theater was fun and there was popcorn!

Dolphin Encounter

 Sheri did such a great job of taking pictures for us!