Home again, home again

I'm taking a break from unpacking and cleaning up the inevitable disaster that results when the kids come home after a week away and reacquaint themselves with all their toys by spreading them all over the house.  I realize that my ornery little sister already posted the cream of the crop of the photos from our visit, but here are some fun ones she missed:

1.  Charlie Jo, Sonia, and Petey had countless tea parties (often lasting only a few seconds) with the new tin sock monkey tea set we gave Sonia for her birthday.  Auntie Ernie is going to LOVE hunting down all 15 pieces of it every day when she cleans up!  You're welcome.

2.  When the cousin convention got a little whiney or crazy, the kiddos took a little TV break.  Erin and I are trying to figure out how to get the kids together at Halloween so they can dress up as the Wonder Pets.  Charlotte would make a great Linny the guinea pig, Petey would of course have to be Tuck the turtle, and Sonia's blonde feathery hair makes her a dead ringer for Ming Ming the duck.

3.  There were many many hugs exchanged between the cousins.  By the time we left, Peter was getting in on the act and hugging all sorts of people.

4.  The sheer look of glee on Petey's face inspired Grandpa Spike to feed this train full of about $50 in quarters at the All Aboard Diner.

5.  Driving a train is serious business.

6.  The best part about the All Aboard Diner is when the train runs down the counter to bring you your food.  There are tables for the poor unfortunate souls who can't squeeze in a spot at the counter, but we made sure to get there right as they opened to stake out our stools.

7.  Grandpa Spike's entire job during the visit was to charge up the kids.  He is an EXPERT at making Charlotte laugh like a hyena.

8.  Meal times were wild.  The kids took turns driving their respective mothers crazy while the grandparents giggled and reminisced.

9.  There was always a big pile of shoes near the back door, and all three kids mistook them for toys.

10.  We celebrated Grandma JoJo's birthday a little early (it's today, in fact!) with a chocolate cake that sported a marshmallow top drizzled with warm icing.

11.  I was smiling in this photo despite suffering from a nasty stomach bug that knocked me for a loop and caused us to delay the second leg of our journey to Michigan.

12.  We were never successful in getting those three knuckleheads to pose for a pretty picture.

13.  Easter morning, we managed to limit the candy intake by distracting them with toys and books in their baskets.  With the stomach bug making its rounds, we feared the worst in the event of a candy binge.

That's enough for now.  I'm sure Erin and I will do competing posts about our visit to the Arboretum on Easter morning, so stay tuned for more!