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.