Mommathon

We went to Paradise Park today. We had never been there before and it was so much fun! My mom went with us and Grandmas get in free on Wednesdays, so lucky us. (Moms get in free on Mondays and they have coupons on their website.) Anyway, there was quite a bit to do. They have a water area, a play pizza restaurant, a dress up room, a toddler area, a pretend classroom, a climbing room, a building with blocks room, a paint your face area, an art area and a cooking class (where we made penguin cookies). There is also a restaurant in it so you can each lunch right there are keep on playing if you want. But they also have stuff outside that is open when it is warmer. There is an area to dig for dino bones, a fishing pond, a playground area, mini golf, go carts, bumper cars and probably a few other things I don't know about. Another thing is that it is SUPER clean. Not only did it just look clean, but you could see people cleaning the whole time we were there AND there were very few people there. It was not crowded AT ALL and another mother there said it is always like that, at least on the weekdays. We will definitely be going back when it gets a little warmer so we can explore all of the outside attractions as well.

This is the foam fun area. It costs more and it scared the hooha out of Colm...tears. :( These vacuum things suck up the balls and shoot them out somewhere else when you press a button, but it was LOUD! Liam thought it was okay. Next time we won't go in this room.



Painting a penguin

Liam the cat

My hubby is a techno-geek (love you, honey). He buys me a new computer when I don't really feel like I need one. He got me an iPod. Why? Because he appreciates the technology and he wants me to have one. He insisted that I get a Palm when I was completely happy with my paper calendar. Now I am INSISTING that I get the new Apple phone. It is an iPod, phone and e-mail/Safari thing all wrapped up in one device and it is SOOOOOOO cool. It does the most amazing things. Sean and I watched Steve Jobs' keynote address where he unveiled it, explained it and demonstrated how it works. It will blow you away. Start saving your dollars...it will be available in June.

It is that time of year again. The time of year when all moms start gearing up for the upcoming school year. Anyone who knows me at all knows I LOVE this time of year. When everyone starts calling, visiting, interviewing and checking out prospective schools for their little ones. Anyone who knows me also knows that I have run about twenty different scenarios for my own little ones for next year since Liam will be starting kinder and Colm will be starting school as well, but they can't be enrolled at places that have pick up and drop off at similar times since there is only one of me and I can only be in one place at a time. Colm will be attending a Montessori that he has been on the waiting list for since October, so I am not too worried about him getting in and Liam will be at the local kinder in the afternoon while Colm is at home napping. I think it will work out great. While Colm is at school Liam and I can go to the library and he is going to take an art class and maybe a gymnastics class. It will also give him time to have his violin lesson so he won't have to do it after school. Another part of this whole enrollment thing that I love (and it cracks me up, too) is the waiting game. Will they get in? How long is the waiting list? At some schools they make you wait in ridiculously long lines at crazy hours of the morning just to get on the waiting list...and then around late March/early April, everyone is breathing a collective sigh of relief. By that time everyone knows where they are going and we can all get on with our lives...until next year.

What have I learned so far? That building a house is full of little surprises...and not the good kind.

This was SUCH a good book. I rarely read two books by the same author back to back, but I really like the way this author writes. This book takes place in Wisconsin in the 1940's before, during and after WW II. This book is a fictional story of how war effects a town and those who are left behind to worry about the ones who are overseas fighting.

We started our New Year's celebration at Red Robin...

then we went to Nanny and Papa's house where Liam played with Tatum's Littlest Pet Shop and we also played Eye Spy Bingo, Lucky Duck and Zingo.


Ringing in the New Year (at 8:30)

Liam: Momma, do you love me?

Me: Yes, I love you.

Liam: Momma, do you love me so much your heart tickles?

Me: Yes (insert heart filling with all the momma love it can hold)