Jacksonville Museum of Science & History

Today we visited the Jackonsville Museum of Science & History (MOSH) with our friends, the Jacksons. We toured almost the entire museum. Some of our favorite spots were Kidspace, where the boys played at the water table while the girls played in the tree; the Planetarium, where "Sol" the sun talked to us (Landon was so cute; he just kept pointing and laughing when he saw "Sol") and we learned a little about our solar system. At one point during the show Jonathan leaned over to me and asked, "Why is the sun talking to us? The sun doesn't talk." There were some mixed emotions about the Giant Insects exhibit, all of the kids thought the huge bugs were cool, but they didn't want to get too close when the bugs started moving.

It was a great day, made even better by sharing it with friends.

Here is a picture of Landon and Jonathan playing at the water table. Jonathan enjoyed building dams while Landon enjoyed trying to drink the water.

Here is a picture of the girls (Ellie, Jocelyn and Lauren) playing up in the tree. Lauren loves playing with her girlfriends!


Here is a picture of the Praying Mantis. Marissa tried to get a group picture, but once it started moving no one was going to get near it.

Friendship Fountain

After our day at the museum we went to Friendship Fountain for a picnic lunch. All was going well until the birds showed up (that would be like two seconds after we started eating). All I could think of was the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds. At one point I counted 24 birds!

Here is picture of our little group at lunch (left to right): Jonathan, Jocelyn, Lauren, Landon, Caden (in his stroller), Ellie (behind the stroller) and Marissa. Jayden is helping me take the picture.

Landon didn't like the birds . . . they terrified him. He tried to scare them away by throwing his goldfish crackers at them . . . I tried to explain how the birds like his goldfish and would come back for more, but his 2 year old little mind couldn't comprehend this idea; so while Landon attempted to make them leave, the birds thought they had made a new friend and kept coming back.

Thank goodness for heroic big brothers. In an effort to protect us (and our food) from the pigeons Jonathan began chasing the birds away. Soon after the girls joined him.

(Ellie, Jocelyn, Lauren and Jonathan)

Our little heros celebrating their victory - the birds are gone! However, if you look closely you will see the birds in the background headed our way.

JAYDEN
my beautiful little butterfly

I thought she was beautiful before her ears were pierced, but I love how earrings have added a little feminine touch to my little girl- my beautiful little butterfly.

At 2 months old (you have to wait until after their first round of shots) Jayden has her ears pierced. I took her today and she did pretty well. She slept through us marking her ears (a dot to show where the earring would go), but woke up when the first earring was shot (I say “shot” because they use a piercing “gun”) in. She only cried for a moment. It would have been nice if they could have done both ears at the same time, but with her being so small and not able to hold her head still they would only do one ear at a time so as not to mess up the placement of the earring. After the second ear she cried longer, but stopped once I got her out of her carrier.

I wish I could call in sick tomorrow –
I really NEED a vacation!

I am a stay-at-home mom and I love my job, but there are days when I would like to take a vacation. This has been a week of those days -and it’s only Tuesday!

Pictured above starting at the top left and moving clockwise: Jonathan (5), Lauren (4), Landon (2), and Jayden (2 months).

The top 3 reasons I need a break:

1. Landon throwing food. He really enjoyed watching Jonathan and Lauren hide under the table as he flung his milk and cheerios at breakfast, and laughed while mom told him to stop, but was helplessly stuck on the phone (not portable) setting up an appointment for Jayden.

2. Jonathan and Lauren are constantly bickering. A few things they argue about: who was the first one to wake up - whose cereal was poured first – who is finished eating – who gets to use the bathroom first– who gets to open the door - who buckled their seat belt fastest (and don’t get me started on the pushing and shoving to get in the van first) . . . you name it and they’re arguing over who was/ is / or will be first. It’s insane!

3. A fussy Jayden (translated “I’m sleep deprived”).

it begins

i am not a good storyteller and yet i find myself sitting here with a story to tell; the story that is my life-simple, yet full of people and moments i hope never to forget. so this is where it begins.