Images from the Park

Escape the Kid Room

The facts were these:

• Liam and Dash's doorknob was reversed when we moved in and we left it that way. 
• Three nights ago, Sean got home as the kids were getting ready for bed.
• We all gathered in the twins' room and someone shut the door.
• We could not open it.
• !
• Someone must have turned the lock sometime that day, which locked it once the door was shut.
• We tried to MacGyver our way out for about 45 minutes, hoping to flip the lock or unhinge the door, but we just didn't have anything in the room that could manage the job.
• We called a nearby friend who came over, with her kids, so she could come inside and unlock us.
• The house door was locked. She couldn't get in.
• !
• But the garage was still open! Some tools were in there.
• Sean broke open the window screen. (we think it's fixable...)
• Our friend tied a hammer and screwdriver to a string (we happened to have in the room) which was tied to the fan cord (in order to reach far enough) and we hitched them up.
• We wiped the sweat from our brow since the fan was no longer plugged in. HOT ROOM.
• We removed the hinge pegs first. Door wouldn't budge. Strong lock.
• We unscrewed the door handle and wiggled the pieces around...
• It unlocked!
• We removed the entire door and at last found freedom.

Lesson: Keep a screwdriver in the twins' room.

Amalgam

It's a bit of a crap shoot whether my computer will work these days, so if I'm ever going to catch up blogging, I need to start combining photos. Which I'll do now. Behold, my blog amalgam!

1) Raincoats

Can I just eat him already?

2)Como Zoo

Sean had a day off, we went to the zoo! Even though it was cold.


Penguin peeking


Grey gets a good vantage point. What's he watching?


This silly bear. We decided that he was exercising.


Watching the bison... not do a whole lot.


This fox mesmerized Grey. For a while, we was just squeal laughing non-stop.

3)Rocking the horse

That toy never gets old.

4) Phone Photos

Liam saw this photo and said "It's little baby Pompa and Rufus!"


Future rock star.


Beware the accordion closet!


Do you think he's saying "love you" back?


Cuties on their BDay!


Grey's sweet little tune, followed by a quick conversation and some whispers.


I should let them all sleep in the same place some day, just to see what will happen. (Except I know what will happen: chaos).


Fan-speak is a summer-time favorite. "Mall of 'Merica!" ha ha.


Spotting Squirrels. (He often points that way, too cute)


Brother pulling brothers.


Trio watching cars.


So, hard water makes for frosty shower doors, perfect for peekaboo.


Friends sharing hats.

5) Dad Departing

Sean worked nights for a couple weeks. It meant 13 hour shifts six days in a row. He'd see us a little bit in the morning, slept, then see us a little bit in the evening before heading out. It was bizarre and I madly missed my evenings with my man. None of us could ever remember what day of the week it was.


But all the kids were of course awake when Sean left so he'd get these grand farewells, waving to him from the porch, then running up to give him kisses. More waves and yelling followed until he was out of sight. I think that kept him a bit more cozy during those long shifts.

Minnesota History

Hot Tip: If you get to the MN History Museum less than an hour before it closes, they just might let you in free! Though you won't have a whole lot of time to look at the museum...

Favorite thing for the kids was "grain elevator" playground. Lots of stairs to climb, tunnels to navigate, and paths to choose.


For a history museum, I was quite surprised at the amount of hands-on activity. Which kept us all interested (history isn't exactly my thing).


Now let's create some severe weather! Tornado comin'!


And Grey found our town's snowman statue on the giant Minnesota map. We're famous!

Edit: Forgot to include this priceless dance video. Hope you don't mind, Seanie :)

Cool Convos

Sean: What are you going to do with Mimi and Pompa tomorrow?
Liam: We not get to jump on them. We give them kisses. And hugs. [They had been prepped that they couldn't go down to the basement and jump on their bed in the morning]

Dash: [Singing] Jesus wants me for a throw up.

Liam: We need to find the book.
Katie: What book?
Liam: The book batteries. My book with batteries died. MY book with batteries died. We need to find it. The green little book. With batteries.

Dash: [Singing] I like to eat grass. I want to eat grass.

Liam: It's a candy cane! It's a candy cane!
Pompa: It's a candy cane!
Liam: [silly voice] Hi my name's candy cane.

Liam: Mommy can we watch the prophets? [speaking of general conference]

[Riding on Sean]
Liam: We are cowboys. We are riding to the temple to fight bad guys.

Liam: Daddy, we're making cappamole! Mommy, are we making cappamole? There's the cappamole.
Dash: Holy moley guacamole!

[overheard]
Dash: Do you like the bad ones?
Liam: Yes. I do.
Dash: I like the bad ones.

Dash: [sorta singing] The itsy bitsy spider went up the spiderweb. Down came the rain and washed the spider away. And the itsy bitsy spider went up... again.

Katie: That's the Jordan River Temple. That's where your Aunt Jenny and Uncle Josh got married!
Liam: *gasp* I love them!

Katie: This is the Arizona Temple. Your Mimi and Pompa were married there.
Liam: We went there last night.
Katie. I don't think you've ever been there before.
Liam: Yes, we went there with them. You were there. We went on a walk and we saw them get married!

Liam: Hey someone didn't erase that. You did it.
Dash: Yes. I did that last night.
Liam: You didn't erase that, you need to erase that.

[activity book in hand]
Liam: I flip it over than I flip it this way then I do it.

Katie: I don't know where they live. Do you want to guess?
Dash: I think they live in Italy!
Liam: I think they live in Texas!
Dash: I think... ooooooh, actually, they live in Italy. I was right!
Liam: No they live in Texas!





Liam: [kicking a ball] Pause. I need to go potty!

[playing catch with me]
Liam: [knocks my hands away] Somebody didn't catch it.

Liam: I'm going to take my socks off. My socks are wet.
Katie: Why are your socks wet?
Liam: Because I don't know.

[Dash's bike falls over and he sits on it]
Dash: Look at my little chair! Look at my little little little chair. Ha ha ha. [he spoke the "ha"s, he didn't actually laugh]

[watching a play doh video]
Dash: They're mixing colors!
Liam: That's okay, they can get it out.
Dash: No, that's not okay!

Liam: With Pompa we went to the clouds.
Katie: You went in the clouds?
Dash: With Pompa!
Liam: We went in the clouds with Pompa!
Dash: It was really high!
Liam: We got on a tallest ladder!
Katie: A tall ladder?!
Dash: There were bad guys there. They were falling.
Katie: Bad guys?
Dash: Pompa got them.

Dash: [singing] Grey is my baby. My baby baby baby baby. My Grey baby. My Baby Grey. Baby baby.

[watching frozen]
Liam: He said sorcery. That's not sorcery. That's ice.

Liam: Mommy, how far until our birthday?
Katie: It's just four days away!
Dash: How old will we be?
Katie: Do you know?
Dash: ... four!
Liam: Four!
Katie: That's right! You'll turn four!
Dash: Mommy, how old will you be?
Katie: How old will I be when it's my birthday?
Dash: Yes.
Katie: I'll be 30.
Liam and Dash: ... whoa.

Liam: Squishy squish squish.

Liam: Mommy, Grey is putting this into my hand and I'm putting it down here. That's so nice.

Grey: Auf.
Dash: Auf. Auf. Auf. Auf. Auf...a...bet. A B C D E F G [etc]

Dash: [muttering] I juuuust can't waaaait to be kiiiing.

Liam: Hey, Mommy! How you are doing?
Katie: I'm pretty good. How are you?
Liam: Good. ... AAAALLLALALALALALA!

Liam: Mommy, talk about poopoo.

Dash: I love you, Mommy.
Katie: You are just full I love.
Dash: I AM full of love.

The Leaf Remains

So remember how last fall we just mowed all the leaves and hoped they'd break down over the winter and somehow fertilize the lawn? They didn't. Once the snow all melted, it was still all there.


Leaves to throw.


Leaves to sprinkle.


Leaves to put upon your head.


So gather the leaves we must! And I had just the crew to do it.


Dash raked the leaves on the ground.


Liam raked the leaves in the air.


While Grey swept them all in (and out of) a pile.


Then it's time to play!


Except not for Grey, he doesn't like the pile. But, dude, Dash was committed.

And we now have a dozen bags of leaves that have yet to take to the yard waste site. At our rate, we may as wait until next fall.

Dry Erase Activities

These activity books have been keeping us very busy on Sundays during sacrament meeting. They're dry erase and super perfect for Liam and Dash. Here Dash is showing me the brain he drew!


These are Liam's ferocious teeth. The only downside is that every minute or two someone's asking me to read the instructions for a new activity. Still, good enough.