Good mornings

I'm not a morning person. Given the choice I would rather sleep in until I absolutely have to get up. I like my snooze button. However, a 3-month-old does not have a snooze button.

This past week it's actually been really nice, though. Erin is off from school so we've been letting the big kids stay up a little later at night. They've been sleeping in until at least 9 every morning. Caroline gets up at 7 and is back down by 8:30 for her first nap so I've had about 2 hours to myself each morning since she doesn't really talk that much.

Luke & Erin have been getting along and playing quite well together this week, which I am very grateful for and, frankly, a little surprised at. I was expecting the week to be more difficult. I guess having some new things from Christmas to play with helps. It's been especially nice and homey each morning- while Caroline naps, they play together (usually with Legos) and I work on sewing projects, something I don't usually have time for.

Today I took them to Brookside Gardens after Caroline's first nap this morning. A friend had suggested that they might like the model train display there. They did. Thanks, Bobbie!

The trains were mostly set up in the middle of the room, but there were a few around the edges as well.

A typical picture of these 3: Luke being goofy and not wanting to smile, Erin with a cute/cheesy grin, Caroline being . . . well, a baby.

The little dioramas were pretty cute and old-fashioned. There was a table with some papers that the kids could pick up - a sort of scavenger hunt for things around the display to look for. I appreciated that because it made the kids look a little closer at the set-up instead of just walking around following the trains as they moved.

Luke liked this trolley because it went into a little tunnel under all the other trains.

Fun, and free! Maybe next year we'll go at night so we can take the Garden of Lights Winter Walk. I'm not sure Caroline would have cooperated with it this year since she's decided to be cranky now every night from about 5 to 8. Next December she should be alert enough to appreciate a whole park full of Christmas lights.

Flubber!

*update - click here for the recipe at Carin's website

A HUGE thank you to my friend, Carin, who has inspired me in several ways over the past few days (more on that later). Today's fun idea from her was a big hit. We made Flubber! Best $3 (for borax and glue) I've spent in a long time.




A few things I overheard the last hour while they have been playing with it:

• "This is the best toy ever!" (this from the boy who has told me no less than 5 times every day for the last month what he wants for Christmas)
• "I'm pretending I'm a chemist."
• "I'm having so much fun!!"
• "pbbbblbbbppbbb" (that would be a farting sound made by blowing raspberries on the Flubber - really quite funny, but incredibly annoying after the first few times and hence banned for now)
  

I should also add to Carin's notes that if you have children like mine, you need to explicitly tell them NOT to put it in their hair. I just spent the last few minutes trying to get it out of Luke's hair. It wasn't too hard. I also had to get a spot off the rug where Erin dropped a piece of it - also not too hard, but you should try not to get it there in the first place.