How to get a 3 year old to pick up the living room...

Rebekah loves the Wii - LOVES the Wii!  Before she turned four she had mastered several of the games. Her favorites are on the Wii sports resort game which came with the Wii. She likes a few of the games on the Wii Fit but I don't need her getting focused in on weighing in at this point in her life. We haven't purchased any of the "kids" games yet but if anyone has any recommendations we are willing to listen.

Anyway, often after dinner, Bekah asks to play the Wii with Daddy or myself. One night I told her there just wasn't room because of all the toys on the floor. Next thing I knew she was picking up all those toys and putting them away!  Whoo hoo. So far it has worked just about every time. Sometimes she states she can't do it all - which is understandable...we have too many toys and certainly need to go through them...again. But she does do it - without complaining and we do help her as it's only fair. :)

She also certainly has the gift of encouragement. Since she can beat me often you can hear her saying "Come on Mommy, you can do it!"  I do believe that is one of her gifts - words of encouragement.  

Kayaking

How to keep kids busy...

I love Fisher Price Little People. If I had my way we would have every set and all the accessories - however, we don't have the $$ or the space or do my kids have that much interest in them. However, I did get the Fisher Price Nativity scene. Bekah also got another one as a Birthday Gift so we have two. Fisher Price also has a little Drummer Boy set, a Three Wisemen set, and a Bethlehem Inn set (Fisher Price Nativity. They all connect to each other and are a great way to tell the Christmas story and have a manger scene that toddlers can handle without fear.

I pulled out the sets this year and put them out on the table. For the next two hours the three kiddos were busy with this set. They shared (it helped that I had two mangers and Ricky just wanted to put the trees together) and set up their scenes and did their imaginative play. For a while the only noise would be the songs of Away in the Manger and Drummer Boy (since the pieces play those songs). They have been a favorite all season and I will be sad to see them go back into storage. However,  I think one of the reasons it was a favorite is that it was "new" to them so it will be "new" again next year, and the next, and the next....

There were a few extras in the cast - Mickey, Minnie and Strawberry Shortcake all participated.

Even Mickey worships Jesus! :)

These make me happy!

I love the look of the Department 56 houses. I've been collecting them for years - mostly back before I children, and had money and space! We put them up the first year of our marriage 5 years ago but haven't put them up since. I was determined to get some of them up this year. A house down the street had them up on their kitchen cabinets last year. I stole the idea from them.  I saw them through their windows one night while we were on a walk and thought they looked great up there! The only disadvantage of having them up so high is you can't put out all the little accessories. Well, you could but you wouldn't really see them. It was a lot of work. Not sure when they will come down.  Recently a friend of mine told me that she had put hers up on her cabinets and ended up keeping them up there for 3 years.  Do I dare?

" I'm Not Tired!"

The other day when it was time for rest time Bekah declared that she wasn't tired. I told her she needed to sit in the red chair and rest anyway. I did give in to her pleas for a "Gogurt" (which is yogurt in a tube). A few minutes later I looked over at her and she was sound asleep with the yogurt tube still in her mouth.  Reason #287 as to why you don't believe a three year old when they say they are not tired! :)

State Fair--Oops - forgot to post this!

It's that time of year - State Fair time - Back to school time - although since I have no school age children and am no longer teaching it doesn't hold quite the same meaning.
We had a pretty good time at the Fair - the kids were amazed at all the sights and sounds and the baby cows! I didn't take many pictures. Not sure why - perhaps it was just too hot!  It was a sunny clear day and we stopped in the shade any chance we got. I think both the girls enjoyed the parade the most - followed by the animals. Although the food was a big hit. One advantage of it being so hot is that you don't really want to eat anything. We shared some some smoothies which were delicious and nice and cool.

Here baby cow...come here...

That Sun is Bright! 

Shade, shade - we took it anywhere we could get it!

Looking Cool - or trying to...

Lizzie is Two!

Lizzie turned "2" on November 14th. We were to have a Birthday party for her that weekend, however, due to snow and me being sick we ended up canceling it...again. (For those that don't remember we had to cancel hers last year due to both girls and Les having H1N1). I see a habit forming here - and I'm pretty sure I don't like this one!

However, on her birthday Grandma Sherry and Grandpa Jim came up and visited. They stayed in a hotel with a pool which we were able to use. The pool was quite chilly but the hot tub was fabulous!

OW!

The Flash is TOO bright!

 After the pool we got dressed and Grandma and Grandpa treated us all to dinner at Cuzzy's - a new restaurant in town. The food was quite good and I am sure we will be back. Grandma Sherry and I shared a pizza - they say they are for one but the two of us had some left over so be warned! 

What is that???

They brought out the wrong pizza so instead of the tiny little individual birthday brownie they normally do they brought out this HUGE Sundae. Lizzie was in heaven! (And Bekah didn't mind either). It took all of us to make a dent it and I'm pretty sure we wiped it clean! Should have taken an after picture!

Hamming it up for the camera!

Faster Grandpa!

After that we headed home and opened presents! That was the best part! lol 

Lizzie loves to walk like a penguin and will say "Waddle, waddle, waddle" as she does. I'm not sure how she started that but as a result she received many penguin items and more are coming for Christmas!

Because of the huge sundae we had at the restaurant no one wanted cake that night so we had it the next night - which was just fine - we could celebrate our birthdays everyday!!!