Fun with Granny and Grandpa Great

A playdate with Granny and Grandpa Great was next on our agenda.  When we showed up, we found a great set-up of car toys that Corey says he remembers playing with at Granny's house when he was little.  The kids were entranced.

Granny is such a cutie.

More pictures!!

The cars were a huge hit!

Charlie Jo, our resident sleuth, had a great time looking for clues with Granny and Grandpa Great's magnifying glass.

Maisie loved goofing off with her Granny Great.

I love this ridiculously adorable photo of GG & GG.

Fun with the golf putter toy!

Buddies!!

These photos of NanaB, Uncle Doug, and Uncle Dave always make me smile whenever I see them at GG & GG's house.

Who knew the shower in the guest bathroom would have provided such entertainment?

Peter liked playing outside the shower better than inside.

Charlie and Grandpa Great checked out a book about birds.

Petey teased Granny Great all morning, but never would give her a cuddle.  A combination of teething and a separation anxiety phase inspired him to be extra stingy with his hugs on this trip.

Thanks for inviting us over for a playdate, GG & GG!  Can't wait to see you again this summer.

Feeding the ducks -- FAIL

Stephanie and I learned a tough lesson one afternoon.  Apparently, a 3-year-old, 2-year-old, 1-year-old, and an 8-month-old are NOT good candidates to feed ducks by an idyllic pond.

First, apparently it is physically impossible for any of them not to to charge wildly at the ducks upon sight.

We dragged the kids to the playground to see if they could run off some energy before harassing the ducks again.  Petey kept stopping by to check in with Maisie.  I still can't believe he was so gentle with her all week.

Quinn raced his mom down the slide.

Charlie Jo ran around and made friends, and I pushed Peter on the swing for what seemed like eight hours.  We finally decided to head back to see the ducks and give it a whirl.  We gave Quinn and Charlie some cracked corn, and then this happened:

Yeah, they charged at the ducks with the corn held tightly in their little fists, screaming "DUCKS!!!  COME HERE DUCKS!!!"  Even with some tutoring, they completely freaked the ducks out.  We cut our losses and left the ducks in peace.  After all that fun outside, the kids needed a bath.  Good thing NanaB and GrandDad have such a big tub!

I had to include this last photo of Quinn and Charlotte watching cartoons the next morning.  So cuddly!

Michigan cousin convention

After Charlotte and I stopped puking our guts out and felt well enough to drive, we loaded up the Big Red Van and raced to NanaB and GrandDad's house in Michigan.  There, we met up with Corey's sister, Stephanie, and her kids, Quinn and Maisie.  For some reason, my first batch of photos from this visit omits both GrandDad and Quinn!  I guess even though Maisie learned to crawl forward that week, she still moved a little slower and was easier to catch on film.

Charlotte was so excited to be reunited with Maisie's "fat cheeks for me to pinch!"

Granny Great stopped by to check on her namesake.

I'm still not sure how NanaB did "Rickety Rickety Rocking Horse" so many times without ending up in the hospital.  Look -- you can see Quinn's rear end in this photo!

Maisie knows how cute she is.

Zoinks!  Is NanaB goosing her?

Cuddles with NanaB are the best.

Crawling around in a hand-me-down outfit from Charlotte.

I'm GORGEOUS!  And MOBILE!

Oh yeah -- Peter was there too.

Oops -- Maisie was still better at crawling backward than forward at this point, and it kept getting her into trouble.  Did we save her?  Yes, but not before taking pictures.

Easter at the Arboretum

After we opened Easter baskets last Sunday, we headed over to the Children's Garden at the Morton Arboretum.  Charlotte, Peter, and Sonia had the place practically to themselves!

The mirror ball was a big hit.

As was the xylophone coming out of a flower.

We put Charlotte in the doghouse and told her to stay there until she learned to eat vegetables other than baby carrots.  We may be able to pick her up in about 10 years.

WHEE!!

Climbing Mt. Everest is easier when you wear lots of purple.

Uncle Andrew led the way across the bridge to the tree house.

Peter charged right across like a pro, but Charlotte needed a little help.

What do you see, Charlotte?

Sonia was looking for baby animals to rescue in the trees.

Hold on tight, Charlotte!

The floating granite sphere was so cool.  Andrew wants to put one out on his deck.

The next morning, we set off for Michigan to rendezvous with Aunt Stephanie, Quinn, and Maisie at NanaB & GrandDad's house.  More photos to come!

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!

Happy Easter from 3 Funny Bunnies

The dynamic trio of goofballs had a lovely Easter with beautiful weather.  Still leery of the stomach bug, my sister and I didn't allow very many Easter treats to be consumed.  We did let them play outside most of the day and gave them some fun little toys, but never fear -- we will make up for it in years to come.  Charlotte, Petey, and I leave tomorrow and will take with us some great memories!