Grandma! Aunts! Cousins! (and Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh, My!)

For Christmas each year my sisters and I try to give my mom an "experience" gift.  Because Mare was in east Asia for a year and just got back in July, we thought the best experience would be a lowish-key weekend all together.  My sisters and I made our proposals for the weekend and ultimately Akron won out (who knew, right? :)) so the troops made their way to our house for a fun-filled weekend of cousin-and-aunt-and-sister-and-mom-and-grandma time :)

I didn't tell my kids about the weekend until about 3 hours before everyone was due to arrive (and if you have kids you understand why!) and for the last agonizing 30 minutes they stood on the porch watching for their cousins!

We spent some time at the Akron Zoo and the kiddos loved it!  They loved the slide through the otter exhibit and somehow we were pretty much the only ones there, so they were able to go up and down as much as they wanted (which, in case you were wondering, was a lot).

Sweet Lukey Luke

"Baby J" aka Jacob

Maya, looking far too grown up...

...much better :)

After some minor issues involving the rope bridge which ended with "taking a break" and my encouragement to set a good example for the little kids because she is the oldest, Maya protested, "but I don't like being the oldest!"  Sorry sweet girl, it's your lot in life ;)

Jacob and Luke took it on like old pros!

Touch Tank!

They were all SO excited to ride the carousel...

...until it actually started moving!

Jacob really did enjoy it, despite his pensive face here :)

I love this one ~ I was trying to get Jacob at the end of the tunnel, and Luke decided he would like to be in the shot!

It's much faster if you ride on Grandma's lap!

Michael's trick for getting the kiddos to smile at the camera ;)

All dressed up and ready to go to church on Sunday morning.  Mary, I swear Jacob was making the exact same face in every single one of the pictures!

Conversations

Maya: Mommy, it would be really weird if you didn't die before us.
Charlotte: Ya, cause you've already lived a longer life than we have.
Maya: You've been alive waaaaay longer than us.
Charlotte: Ya, we weren't even alive when you were 16.
Maya: We weren't even alive when you were in college!

~~~~~

Maya: Mommy, I've been thinking about this a lot for the past few days.  When I grow up, I want to be a teacher.  Like Jesus.
Charlotte: When I grow up, I want to be a shark therapist!

~~~~~

Charlotte (running into the room, out of breath): Mom!  A piece of money just fell into Milo's mouth and he swallowed it!
Me: What?  How did that happen?
Maya: He was laying on his back with his mouth open, and we were making it rain money, and a piece fell into his mouth and he swallowed it.

~~~~~

(trying to help Charlotte sound out the word "pop" from banangram tiles)
Me: What is this letter?
Charlotte: "p", /p/
Me: Right!  What's this one?
Charlotte: "o"
Me: Yep.  O says "ah" like "octopus".  Do you think you can sound out the word?
Charlotte: The only word I can think of that it might be is "poctopus".

~~~~~

First Day

Maya and Charlotte have officially started school for the year!  Charlotte is going back to the same preschool she went to last year, and Maya started at a part-time school for homeschoolers.  So far they are both really enjoying the school year, and I'm planning on soaking up the one-on-one time with Milo :)

We also have our fall activities underway, and I'm feeling a bit crazy with the every-night-has-something-planned schedule.  Michael and I are able to participate in a Bible Study while all 3 kids are involved in other church activities, and it's so nice!  Milo only recently will willingly go into the church childcare so the free babysitting feels extra sweet ;)

Finally, today marks 10 years of wedded bliss.  I can honestly say that I fall more in love every year, month, day, hour, minute...life is not always perfect or easy, but having my very best friend by my side every day makes it feel like it is :)  10 years ago I could never have imagined what our life would look like today, and if I could go back and tell my 20-year-old self anything about what to expect, I would tell her that it just keeps getting better and better.  10 down, forever to go ;)

  

I just said, "do something silly".  I think Maya was being a seal?  And Charlotte is a zombie?  Not really sure!