Ikea

This morning we headed to Ikea.  Meme was in town and I needed to pick up something to decorate the shelf above our TV.  (You know the one that has been empty since December?)

Meme threw Ava into a bin of puppies.  She was in seventh heaven!

I thought Meme was going to insist that Ava go home with a stuffed puppy and I was going to have to throw a fit about NO MORE STUFFED ANIMALS!!!!!!

Ikea is a big place, and Carter walked most of the time.  Meme and I were browsing candles, vases and containers and then I looked up to see this.  So I, good mom that I am, told him not to move until I took his picture.  Then get off the floor because it is dirty!!!

And in case you were wondering I did get some candles for my shelf.  So now it is officially half-decorated.

Children's Museum and tidbits

Today we went to the Children's Museum for a Songs and Stories class and a little playtime.  The kids love the children's museum and always have a blast when we go (and take good naps afterward, which makes mommy happy!) 

Shopping Shadle style

The kids followed each other around pushing shopping carts.  If only they could be so helpful when we go to Kroger.

In Ava news:  she is slowly working her way up to walking.  Back in may she started taking 2-3 steps at a time and last night she was walking up a storm.  She was walking from room to room, changing directions and stopping and picking up toys.  But when we go places she still prefers to hold onto a hand or walker.

In Carter news:  he is coming up with new phrases that make us laugh every day.  Last night at dinner he was irritated because his sock had a hole in it.  So he reached under the table, pulled off his sock and threw it on the ground.  Then he told his sock to "rest in pieces."  Surely he picked that up from somewhere, but I have no idea where!  That kid is a character all right.

Iron claw

This week Carter gave Daddy his very first iron claw.  Like father like son.

IRON CLAW!

Also, Ava has recently been spotted with mysterious bite marks.  I think we may have a vampire on the loose, not that Carter would know anything about that.

Hairy Scary

You can always tell when Meme comes to visit because Ava sports new hair barrettes and hair styles.

Come on Meme, this is just embarassing.

A day at the zoo

Today we went to the zoo.  Meme was down for the day and she got to join us!

First we rode the train.

Carter rode in the caboose for the first time.

We also got to ride the carousel.

Since I had extra hands, Ava got to ride the carousel also.  Usually she's on my hip while Carter gets the ride.

Meme believes in starting them early with the visor.

Checking out a rooster at the children's zoo.

On the other side of this fence were GOATS.  Ava likey.  A LOT.  She stood and screamed and yelled and giggled at the goats for quite awhile. 

Meme got Carter the world's most annoying toy.  It's a penguin that makes really loud squeaking noise.  Carter had to show it to every single animal, adult, child, volunteer, and plant that we saw at the zoo.  It may disappear tonight.

A rainy day?

Yesterday we canceled a playdate at the squirt park because today was supposed to be a rainy, thunderstormy day.  And it was for about an hour this morning.

But the kids have had a cold they can't seem to shake for the past week so I figured it was a good day to stay home.  Ava decided to take a little walk.

Will someone please tell this girl she can walk on her own, if she would stop being such a little scaredy cat?

Carter decided to play on his scooter for a bit.

 

Of course, what day would be complete without a dig in the mulch?

The weather has been beautiful this afternoon, so we'll probably go back out after naps.  Definetely not a rainy day.

Kissing babies

Today I asked the kids to give each other a hug.  They decided a kiss was in order instead.