COSI Part 2

Up next?

Progress!

Carriage Rides

How do I text on this phone?

Saddle Up

Take a picture

This baby loves Uncle Patrick.  I went to pick him up and he said "NO, Pat-wick."

In this picture Uncle Patrick took him for a ride down the bannister in the stairway.

A ride in a space capsule

Water

Bang! Bang!

Huge Light Bright

Funny Story about the 3D movie theatre:

As you can see in this picture everyone was wearing their glasses.  In the opening advertisement candy jumped out at the audience.  Two kids jumped and refused to put their glasses back on, for the entire movie!

Hey, look Mommy came too!

Who are those people on TV?

The 3-D shark movie was Dawson's first movie theatre experience.  While he was plied with twizzlers to sit still and quiet the whole time, I think he liked it.

Definitely a fun day, and I hope we can make it back soon!

COSI Take 1

Yesterday we went to COSI in Columbus and had a blast!  I'm kind of a museum junkie and this place was great!  It was new for all of us and we were so lucky to have Uncle Patrick join us in our adventure, and believe me, it was an adventure.  Be warned:  lots of pictures ahead!

See the orange band on his ankle?  Well as we were walking into COSI I see a sign that says put a band on your child with your name and phone number so if your child gets lost, they can easily contact you.  Within ten minutes of slipping this onto his ankle, we lost Dawson.  Ack!  We found him immediately, but this is a very easy place to lose a child.  We were so lucky to have Uncle Patrick so when they went in three different directions {which happens often} we had an adult to follow each child.

Ava says "It's my Lisa!"

The Mona Lisa made out of jelly beans.

Lego Exhibit

Playing in a helicopter with Uncle Patrick

Ava at the water table

Dawson was soaked

Carter had a ball

Even Daddy did a little experimenting

Then off to Gadgets

Dawson yelling "All Aboard!"  

It was not a train.

Carter's sweet little grin

He loved watching the dancing robots

Dawson got a lift from Daddy

Ava got a lift from Uncle Patrick

more to come.......

Good-Bye 2012!

2012, a year of change for our family.
We started out roaming across the state of Ohio, and said good-bye to our home on Drew Dr.  I will always feel sentimental about this home, although we outgrew it quickly {but really when you have three kids in just over three years, anything would get tight!}  It was our first home, and there was a lot of love in that house.  I brought home all of my babies to this house.  They took their first steps, ate their first foods and spoke their first words in this house.

 

Taken in January 2012, the last time I was at the house with the kids

Carter started off the year four years old.  He grew and learned, changed and yet, stayed the same sweet old soul.  There is no mistaking him for anything but a little boy when I walk into his bedroom and he is putting on his Batman cologne and listening to the radio.  Then he spends an inordinate amount of time in front of the bathroom mirror putting in hair gel.

 

 

Celebrating New Years 2012 with Meme and Grandpap Bob.  Cheers!

 

 

 

 Ava was two years old. She also grew and learned. I saw her grow into a little girl who loves pink and dolls. But yet spends most of her time building with legos, playing trains and cars and digging in the dirt.

 

Ava's Three Year Old Pictures

 

Dawson began 2012 as a brand new one year old. He learned to walk and talk and in this, his crazy, determined, energetic, fun-loving personality has emerged.

 

 

 

 

 

Wow.  I hardly recognize this shaggy little goober.

 

 

 

I must say I'm very happy to be getting out of the baby stage.  We attempted camping with the kids {twice!} this year.  While I would have never done this even last year, we enjoyed ourselves with our almost two year, three year and five year olds.  Dawson only made me regret it for about eight hours one night!  We are even attempting outings during nap time on occasion! 

 

2012 brought us to a new home, new friends and new experiences.  This move has been a wonderful experience for our family, and I must say I'm so in love with our new home. 

 

So good-bye 2012 and Hello 2013!  I'm sure with these three running around its bound to be full of excitment!

 

 

 



 

 

 

Tattletale

With Dawson's newfound verbal skills he is becoming quite the little tattletale.  On several opportunities Mike and I have caught him getting angry with a sibling when they didn't let him "play Godzilla" and then going to tattle.  "Ava hurt Dawson" or "Carter push Dawson" is often heard.  Luckily MIke and I have seen the circumstances and we know that he is making them up because he is upset with his sibling for telling him no.

Tonight after bedtime I had Dawson on the changing table and he grabbed the lotion.  Accidentally he pushed on the nozzle and it squirted lotion directly into his eye.  Of course he started screaming, and I had to try to wipe it away as best as I could and then comfort him.  He started chanting the most pathetic little chant "Dawson hurt Dawson.  Dawson hurt Dawson.  Dawson hurt dawson."  My poor little tattle tale was finally getting it right!

Siblings

 

These two have such a sweet sweet relationship.  Lately Ava has been playing house, and Dawson is her "son."  I'm constantly catching Dawson hugging his sister and Ava mothering her brother.  Today Dawson started calling Ava "mom."  I love watching them play together, usually trains per Dawson's request.  Love my little Buddies! 

Snowy Day

Yesterday we recieved around five inches of snow.  We spent plenty of time cleaning and organizing the house, playing and reading with the kids and in the afternoon we got out to play in it. 

 

 

Carter loves sledding on our hill, but he was the first to get cold and get in the house.

 

Dawson just sits on this sled while Daddy pulls him around the yard.

 

Ava had the most fun of all in the snow.  She was being shy and didn't want me to take her picture, but she stayed outside with me for a long time.  The boys went inside and I stayed outside to shovel the driveway and she stayed with me.  She was running and jumping in the piles, making snow angels and eating snow.  At one point I almost smacked her in the face with the shovel because I didn't realize she was trying to eat the snow off it!

 

 

 

 

Christmas Part 2

 

Everyone knows it isn't Christmas {or a baby shower, or a birthday} without a gag gift between Mike and his brother.  This year, Mike recieved a very lovely t-shirt:

 

 

By the way, this is the picture of Mike barely leaping over the fire at the Warrior Dash he did in August.

 

He also received a convenient tote bag, notebook and business cards. 

 

 

Mike and I decided to liven up Christmas by dressing like our favorite Christmas Vacation couple. 

 

I don't KNOW Margo!

 

By the way these sauna suits are equally parts uncomfortable, unflattering and sweaty.

 

 

The Christmas Carnage

 

Oh, and see Ava's third outfit of the day?

 

The word of the day today was organization :)

 

Christmas Part 1

Christmas Eve was a relaxing, fun easy day.  We played, lounged around and in the afternoon got ready to go to mass.  There were dual masses: in the church and gym and of course we had to go to the mass in the gym.  It's been awhile since we've been to mass as a family, Carter and

Ava are taking Sunday School and recently we started putting Dawson in the nursery {whether he likes it or not.}  Boy, that kid is a pistol in church.  This particular day he slapped Mike so hard in the face it echoed off the walls of the gym and spent time randomly poking strangers. 

 

But walking out of church there was a beautiful, fluffy white snow falling and as we were walking to our car the bells of the church started playing christmas carols.  Perfect.

 

Then back home for christmas movies, pepperoni rolls, taco dip and christmas cookies.

 

 

Carter and Ava put out christmas cookies and carrots for Santa.

 

Then, Christmas morning.

 

I can't believe I woke up before the kids!  Around 7:30 Dawson woke up crying and then everyone else stumbled out of bed.

 

Dawson got one gift from Santa, a train table!

He toe walked all the way over to the table, he was so excited.

 

Carter's Ninjago!

 

Ava's Mermaid!

 

Ava pretty much decided to have a fashion show all day long.  Outfit number one with her matching My Dolly outfit.

 

Next up?  Ballet outfit.

 

We owe Bo.  He labored over the Ninjago legos.

 

 

 

This is how Dawson spent most of the day: a cookie in one hand and a train in the other.

 

More to come.........

 

 

The Magic of Christmas

Family and friends have been visiting.  We spent two wonderful days with Meme, Bob Bob, Uncle Patrick and had dinner with Nana, Aunt Pam and Alex.  The kids spent lots of time playing in the little bit of snow that we did recieve.  Despite frosty noses and red cheeks and fingers they sledded, snowballed and enjoyed their little hearts out.  We spent today gearing up for the madness of the next two days by cleaning the house and prepping food. 

Finally the christmas spirit has taken hold of our house, and I'm ready to enjoy the next two days with family!