Play Date at the Roberts' House

Wednesday we had all of Drew and Jillian's friends over for a play date. Drew has been excited for days. Our guest included Levi and his mommy Monica, Luke and Nate and their mommy Jenny and Owen and his mommy Shannon. Emily was at preschool that day so Jillian was the lone girl. Drew missed Emily and made sure to ask Miss Shannon where she was. Below are Jillian, Nate, Luke and Jenny. Nate and Jillian are the youngest two (only about 2 months apart) and I was very impressed with both of their big kid juice box skills.

Cutie boy Nate gave Jilli her first kiss - on the cheek. These two will be in the same grade together and Jenny told them it might not be as cute in 12 years. Agreed - we will have to watch these two love birds.
Owen, Luke and Nate

The whole crew - amazingly we corralled them all for a couple quick pics.

L to R: Owen, Levi, Nate, Luke, Jilli and Drew.

Nate had so much fun he lost his pants - now that is a party.

Levi is the oldest at four, then Owen is 3 1/2, Luke and Drew both turned 3 in December, Nate is 21 months and Jilli 19 months. Jilli would get and the boys faces and jibber jabber like she had something important to tell them and they would look at her like she was crazy. She is telling Luke something in the picture below.

Luke loved the guitar (Jillian's weapon of choice) - he may be the musician of the bunch. He is such a sweet boy, a little shy in the beginning, but I got a hug before he left.

Wild man Owen - Drew's best buddy.

Levi cracked me up with his expression in this picture. Levi was so busy playing with all the new toys that he couldn't even break for lunch.

So much fun - this is our third time getting together and I think these kids are going to be friends for a long time. We are already planning the next time.

Once everyone left the kids mellowed out with some chocolate milk and Backyardigans and then it was time for everyone to nap. I was exhausted, I had been up for 31 hours by the time my head hit the pillow.

Rocker's Rage

Tuesday night around 630 we were all in the living room and I was rewinding the TV to show Andy how short Shawn Johnson was (very important, I know) when out of no where I got a guitar smack in the face. Jillian and Drew were climbing all over me as usually and I wasn't paying much attention and Jillian hit me in the face with Drew's guitar with fire on it. I didn't see it coming at all and I didn't blink in time. Andy said I screamed like I just got stabbed in the kidney. So long story short I am fine now, but had to call into work because I had double vision, light sensitivity and the worst headache possible. Later that night I vomited, I think from the headache. The next morning the headache was still there, but my vision was better. That night Drew was so sweet to me and was very worried about me and did his best to make me feel better. Poor Jillian was scared to death, but we snuggled and made up after the initial shock wore off. Gator to the knees and guitar to the eye ball, do you think our children are trying to send some sort of message. I am not sure.

Baby Shower for Claire

Sunday at Brett and Anne's house we had a shower for baby Claire. Drew was excited for the party for Claire. Drew was big talk about Claire this weekend. He was going to tell her Happy Valentine's day and sing her Isty Bitsy Spider, but when Tammy was there he got a little shy. Saturday night he did tell Claire good night and kissed Tammy's belly. He is going to be such a good big cousin. Here is the yummo cake, it was really cute - matched the invitations perfectly.

Lots of my parents cousins and friends and of course my 90 year old great aunt Georgia were there. I was in charge of drinks and I asked Aunt Georgie if she wanted anything and she asked if we had beer - a definite family resemblance.
Tammy, Bryce and Claire got lots of cute stuff. Clothes of course, a rocking horse, some toys and their travel system. In the picture below Jillian is stealing some tissue paper and Drew was making an appearance at the party. Drew spent some time down stairs with the boys, watching daddy play pool and the end of the party upstairs watching Space Buddies with McKenzie and Payton.

Now she is just going straight for the presents.

The after party was full of static. Jillian was collecting all the balloons - her effort in the clean up process. We eventually let all the balloons go outside and Jilli would just point up to the sky.

Who need the Magic House, when you have balloons.

http://www.magichouse.org/e_gen.htm

The plan was to pick up the dogs at mom and dad's and head home. But... I was exhausted and had a bad headache, so we decided to spend the night and wake up 4:00 am Monday and head back so Andy could make it to class. It was a fun trip :)

Gator

Drew loves Papa's gator. This is Sunday morning that Papa took Drew for a ride. Drew tried to take himself for a ride the afternoon before. The keys were left in the gator and Drew pushed down on the accelerator. Andy was with him and unfortunately or fortunately (I am not really sure) was in front of the gator. Andy said that he found out he it not stronger than the gator. Drew knocked down a ladder and pushed a few things out of his way. I think that Andy's knees took the brunt of it. Andy is okay, just a little shook up afterwards. I hope that Drew learned his lesson that an adult has to be on the gator with him and I think the adults learned the lesson to not leave the keys in the gator when Drew is around.

Say Cheese. I love see my dad and my son together. Super Cute.
Drew waving at me before his ride down to the pond to see the geese.

Happy Valentine's Day

Jillian woke up at least an hour before Drew on Valentine's Day morning and thankfully didn't even notice the presents on the table for them. Once brother woke up (dry I might add) and went potty, it was time for gifts. Andy never puts his pants back on him after he goes potty - it makes me crazy.

Drew got Space Buddies for Valentine's day. He has been talking about it and asking to see it for a couple of weeks now. He was very excited. Look at the skinny little legs - so cute.
Jillian took the tissue paper out of her gift bag and came to me smiling saying "thank you." She could care less about what's under the tissue paper.

I love this little mischievous look on her face. That along with the crazy bed head makes for a cute picture.

Now Jillian is stealing her brother's tissue paper. Note to self - next time just fill the bag with tissue paper.

Jilli got a pink cow.

Drew got a red giraffe.

They both got more candy than necessary. Here Jillian is trying to eat some chocolate, but instead is eating the tin foil wrapper and the chocolate.

Jilli's reaction (so typical Jillian) when Andy took her candy away to unwrap it. Jillian hates to be told no or have anything taken away from her. Either usually result in squealing, screaming or crying, as seen below. Love Andy's expression.

Yummy strawberry marshmallow heart shaped Peeps.

I recommend everyone try them if the see them in the store. I don't even like Peeps and I like these.

What a nice healthy breakfast for my kiddos. After a morning of sugar, we packed and headed to Nana and Papa's house. Jillian practiced saying Papa all the way there and Drew watched Space Buddies.

Totally Amazing Drew

When I got home from work this morning Andy informed me that Drew had the same dry pull up on from the night before. He woke up dry and went to the potty. I am totally amazed with this kid. It is like all of a sudden he gets it. I probably shouldn't have wasted a year of our time forcing potty training and just waited for him to be ready. Yeah Drew!

What Newborns Need

Today we saw a newborn on TV and I was talking to Drew about how baby cousin Claire will be here soon. We were talking about how gentle you have to be with new babies and how small they are. So after our talk I quiz him and ask what is the most important thing new babies need from us - searching for being gentle, but his answer was better "our love." I could squeeze that sweet boy forever.

Sleeping Beauty

So at lunch Jillian couldn't keep her eyes open - so tired yet still wouldn't nap after lunch. It was after a long night with Drew and I could have used a nap too.

So I turn around to get the wash rag to clean her up and she was asleep like this. Looks comfy huh?

Elmo Live!

So I had been telling Drew that I had a surprise for him on Sunday. He really likes surprises. So that morning I told him that we were going to go see Elmo and he was so excited. On the car ride there I would yell "who is ready to see Elmo" and he would yell " I am." We got there in plenty of time to get some popcorn and some Elmo paraphernalia and find our seats.

The floppy Elmo pimp hat.
Me and the sis. It looks like she is picking her nose in this pic, but I am pretty sure that she isn't. Let's hope she hasn't started that yet. Drew does enough nose picking for all four of us. Cutie Drew with the Elmo hat and a matching red eye.

The show was called Elmo's green thumb. It was about his sunflower, sunny and where he should plant him, what he needed to grow and about things that are good for the environment. All things that Drew liked because he had just recycled the day before and we talk about the garden that Papa is going to help us plant this spring.

Jillian was having the time of her life. Dancing in the aisle every time they started singing. Drew on the other hand was just taking it all in and then in the middle of the show he said "Let's go home now." I convinced him we should stay and he spent almost the remainder of the show on my lap.

At intermission Andy took Drew on a false alarm potty trip and came back with cotton candy. What was that man thinking?!? Drew and I are not big fans of it, but obviously Andy is and Jillian had her first taste and loved it. I love the picture below.

The after effects of Elmo Live.

Exhaustion!

So I found out later why Drew was acting like he was at the show. The poor little man was sick and I was just too oblivious to see the early signs. I spent two days home from work with him. It was so sad and pitiful. He had high fevers, a horrible cough, coughing up stuff, and the worst for him was the sore throat. There wasn't much I could do for him. We called the nursing line and they said that he could have Cloreseptic spray for his throat. Andy went to the store and surprisingly Drew let him spray it in his mouth. The first night Drew and I were up at least every hour and the second night he cried inconsolably for more than an hour. I think that he had a fever and was achy and could decide what he wanted. A few sobbing quotes from Drew - "mom rub my back" "mom I love you" and " I just want to survive." Drew spent 4 night in our room and Andy slept on the couch the last two so he would get some sleep for the next school day. Jillian has also been sick with the same stuff just a little less severe. Drew is on antibiotics and both of them thankfully felt much better today.

Ms. Mashed Potato Head

This what happens if you leave Jillian in her chair to long. Once she is full then all food becomes fair game as entertainment.

Yes, an impromptu bath immediately followed lunch that day.
Gross and cute at the same time.

Wonderscope

There is a children's interactive museum called Wonderscope in Shawnee, which isn't far from our house. We planned on going on Friday the 23rd but we had a puny Jilli so we had to postpone. We went this past Friday the 30th which was Andy's last Friday off. He is going to be working at Wyandotte County Prosecutor's office, where he interned this past summer but this time it is actually for $money$ - yeah!

So the museum is in what appears to be a old school. Different rooms with different themes. The first room we hit was the ball room (they all have official names, but I don't remember them).
Buckets full of golf balls and a dozen or so contraptions to test the laws of gravity.

I wasn't even sure we would even see the rest of the place because Drew and Jillian loved this room.

Jillian loved carrying around the buckets and collecting golf balls. She is going to love Easter this year :)

In the area that appeared to be the old gym there was lots to do. It had a couple of Lego submarines. They had videos that showed marine life so it was like you were looking out the windows into the ocean. If you can't tell by the multiple pictures of Jilli chessin - she was having a good time.

There was a slide to exit the sub.

So Cute!

Lego scuba diver

Inside the sub was a Lego coffee pot and Lego toilet among other things.

Peeking in on Drew

Lego fish

Drew getting into character and Andy corralling wild women in the background.

Drew gladly wore the life jacket/tank, but the flippers only lasted one step.

Resting in the submarine.

There was a room just for kids 2 and under called Little Wonders. In the picture below, Jillian had climbed to the the top and was playing peek a boo with a little girl down below. There was Plexiglas window to look through to the other floor.

Jillian conquered all in this room. Her masterful climbing skills came in handy.

She crawled across this hilly path first, but then easily kept her balance and walked across it. Very impressive little girl.

Jilli flirting with a 15 month old boy, Nicholas. She must like younger men.

There was this very cool contraption that had large tubes and a vacuum/blower. Then you put in these soft balls (as in how it feels not the women's fast pitch kind) or scarves and they would travel through the maze of tube. There were valves that the kids could switch to change the path of the object.

It was entertaining to the kids and the adults. I was thinking maybe Papa could build us one for the basement.

Jillian was hording all the scarves. She would grab them all and then run off.

Our last stop was the H20 room for obvious reasons. The water was coming out of the pipes and Drew decided to take a sip- how gross. I put a quick squelch on that.

Jilli loved playing in the water. She found a duck and played with it almost the entire time. Jillian will say a version of duck and quack quack.

Lots of boats to play with.

Click on this picture so you can see the cute expression on Drew's face. You can imagine the sound effects that go with a boat flying from one place to another.

They had fun water toys and a whirlpool that Drew thought was pretty cool.

They also had an art project room we skipped out on and Andy and Drew visited the medical room while Jillian and I were in the small wonders room with the camera. Such a cool place that we bought a year pass that comes with 2 visitor passes. So if anyone wants to come visit us all the way up here in KC we could go to Wonderscope. Now I am just begging for my friends to visit me - sad huh?