Tea Party

On Friday we met friends at a local tea room for a tea party for Ava's birthday.  Everything was so cute!  The kids got their very own tea cup and a tea pot filled with chocolate milk or lemonade.  They loved the pizza and cookie lunch!

 

 

The birthday girl

 

Carter smile!

 

"OK, Mom."

 

 

 

This kid had a ball pouring chocolate milk into his tea cup.  Unfortunately there was one little incident involving the lid of the tea pot and the floor.  As you can imagine it did not end well for the lid.

 

It was a fun experience for us all, can't wait to go back!

Phone Pics

 

I have so many pictures on my phone that I've been meaning to upload lately to preserve for years to come.  But time has gotten away from here, so here are a whole slew of them. 

 

 

 

I love finding little notes like these

"When you find your destiny."

 

Crazy Dress up Kids

 

Tinkerbell

 

We haven't started potty training, although this kid is very interested.

 

I'm wondering if I could recruit Ava to do all the dirty work? 

 

Oompa Loompas spotted at the library

 

 

 

At the cabin I had mentioned to Carter we would be roasting hot dogs over the fire.  We never got around to it, so despite the 30 degree weather I had to build a fire for dinner to roast some dogs.  They came in and said "Look Mom, hot dog smiles!"

 

 

I'm sad to report the big woods in our neighborhood are nearly gone.  Carter was very upset and wanted to write signs to say "Don't cut down the trees."

But it was fun checking out the logging equipment.  I laughed because Dawson said "trucks open up dair {their} eyes?"  Too much Thomas and Bob the builder.

 

 

 

We did have a nice warm spell this week and managed to make it to the playground.  Dosen't he look so like such a KID instead of a toddler?

 

Nickajack Farms

This morning we ventured out to a nearby farm having a spring open house.  We were there in the fall for the pumpkin patch, and really enjoyed ourselves again today.  As we were pulling up there were a bunch of horses running in a pasture.  I pointed them out to the kids and Dawson told me "horses love Dawson."  What a funny kid!

 

 

We looked at the petting zoo first.  There were sheep, pigs and horses.  Dawson's favorite was the sheep.  Mike's favorite was the sheep named tater tot.  I assume it is because of the name.

 

We walked up to the horses and Dawson decided that although "horses love Dawson"  Dawson does not love horses.  He started shouting "go outside, go outside."  Then the horse whinnied and that kid freaked.  After some Mom hugs I convinced him to stay in the barn.

 

We went and saw a baby horse named Sunny.  After watching his brother and sister pet the horse, Dawson even followed suit!

 

Everyone loves the discovery barn.  There is a corn pit to play in, grocery store and corn conveyor belt.

 

 

Roover refused to let Mom touch her hair today.  So Dad did his best, and although it was one of his best jobs it failed to keep the hair out of her face. 

 

 

 

We took the coldest, longest hay ride of the year.

 

 

Dawson like it though!

 

We also did the bicycle go-carts.  A warm up for next week!

 

Can you see Mike in the background pushing Dawson around?

 

Speed Demon

 

We topped it off with a spin on the play tractor!  A fun day, although I'm still wishing for it to get warmer!

Mckinley Museum

Today I took the kids to the Mckinley Museum in Canton.  Our typical thursday music class is on break this week and the kids needed to get out.  Although it was small {you can get through the whole museum in about two hours} we enjoyed ourselves and even learned a thing or two.

 

 

TRAINS!

 

We spent forever looking at the model railroad.  Ava and Carter began begging to move on, so finally I had to pry him away from his beloved trains.

 

 

Big Train Mommy!

 

 

This is the Masoleum that is outside the museum.  I still cannot believe every single one of them made it up ALL those stairs under their own power.  Do you see the edges of the stair are made to look like little slides?  Well the kids saw older kids sliding all the way down, so of course we had to follow suit.  I must admit, it looked pretty fun.

 

Carter has been really interested in electricity.  We've been doing LOTS of reading about it, so he was excited to see the plasma globe.

 

 

 

watching a real life indoor tornado

 

MOM!!  I found a replacement for your saltine cracker tin.  Unfortunately it was in the museum...... :{

 

Goodyear shout out!

 

Another thing that I learned from this trip....Dawson and Ava are petrified of animotronic dinosaurs.  Imagine us walking up to it, then it begins to roar and move.  The two littles turn around and begin running away.  I picked Dawson up and his whole little body was shaking.  He plastered his head on my shoulder and would not move until we were well past the dino.  Good to know!

 

Fun day with my three little guys!

Family

 

Grandma and Grandpa B, Jason and Tiffany, Andrew

 

Bo and Grandma, Mike and Tracey, Jason and Tiffany

Carter, Ava, Dawson, Andrew 

Egg Hunt

When we were at the Easter cabin I did a little egg hunt with the kids.

 

 

 

Roover was on the hunt.  I found it much easier to fill her eggs with non-candy items: bracelets, stickers, squinkie rings and hair bows.

 

But there were treats as well, gummy bunnies and fruit rolls.

 

I don't know why but I love this picture of Bo and Carter.  He had fighter pods, socks, stickers and treats in his eggs.

 

 

The bridge that we ran over and over.  {Although not as many times as last year!}

 

Dawson's eggs had trains, stickers, cars and treats.

 

The original Shadle Boys

Hiking

While visiting the cabin we took a little hike.  The boys were in seventh heaven.  They loved the little stream that we walked by.  We also learned that

 

bumpy ground + Ava's coordination {inherited from Mom} + easily embarrassed little girl = unhappy Ava

 

But after she calmed down and held my hand we had a really good time.

 

 

The boys wanted to run around in the creek so bad, just like Daddy.  Unfortunately they were wearing snow boots that I do not believe are water proof like Dad's bog boots.

 

Baby Andrew's first hike!

 

 

 

Enjoying a cookie snack.

 

 

 

Big smiles!

 

 

What an amazingly beautiful day it was.  Sunny and right around fifty degrees, we couldn't have asked for a better spring day!

 

I love sticks!