Spyrou Chronicles

Go Speed Racer, Go!

Today we spent the afternoon with Nana and Grandpa Bill.  Nana bought Grandpa Bill one of those extreme sport packages where he gets to do 14 laps in a Nascar car around a track going no more than 120mph.  He was given a special suit to wear and he attended a half hour class on what exactly he was going to be doing.  And then we waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Luckily, we packed everyone a lunch. :)  The boys did really well considering how toasty warm it was outside that day and having a lack of things to do until Grandpa Bill got to "race."  Even then, the thrill of seeing him go around the track was lost after the first 3 times.  But, we all had a nice time.  It definitely was something different to do.

Calling Mckenna on her birthday....

Grandpa Bill is the one in the very colorful white and green car in the middle.

Getting a push-off....

Hayden's favorite....the M&M car!

Next time, Grandpa Bill says he wants to drive an Indy car!!

While Mom's Away, The Kids Will Play

This morning I scheduled myself 3 doctor appointments.  One was my regular OB appointment, the second was an ultrasound and the third was an appointment at the blood center to have my rhogam shot.  All were within an hour of each other and all were going to be done by Noon and since my first appointment started at 8:30AM, I asked Grandpa Bill if would like to come over and watch the boys for me.  He was thrilled and so were the boys.  He warned me ahead of time and told me they might take a walk to the park if it was nice that morning.  GREAT!  They were going to have a good time. 

So, I went about my doctors appointments.  After the first two I called my mom to give her the low-down.  She likes to hear how things are going.  She then tells me that Grandpa Bill took not only the boys for a walk, but Nanny too!  And they didn't go to the park like originally planned, but instead they went into town for ice cream!  The walk into town isn't a short one, it isn't too long either and the boys have walked it many times before, but God bless him for taking Nanny along with him.  At this point, I'm not worried at all, I was actually looking forward to stopping at home, where it was going to be nice and quiet, before heading to my next appointment.  I then called Grandpa Bill.  He reaffirmed to me what I already knew and said to call him when I was on my way home because they might need a ride home.

My last appointment ended early so I called Grandpa Bill to see if they needed me to pick them up.  He said they were almost home.  So, I made one last stop before heading home and when I got home......this is what I found:

Hayden's face looking like this..... 

And his clothes looking like that!

Joshua wasn't as bad,

And his shirt was the only thing that took a beating.

Would you believe I found them looking like this, all the while they are jumping and playing all over the couch?  I couldn't either, that's why bath time was at 12:30 that afternoon.  I really am very appreciative of Grandpa Bill for taking care of the boys while I took care of myself.  The boys really did have a great time eating ice cream, watching trains and finding money.  I heard Nanny enjoyed herself as well and that she got pistachio ice cream and enjoyed her walk with Grandpa Bill and the boys.  So, thanks again Grandpa Bill, you should come by again and take the three of them for a walk....they'll love it! 

Vacation - Day 6 - The Final Ride

Our vacation was coming to an end and the boys weren't very happy to leave.  Although, I must say, I've never seen Hayden so happy as when he heard the words, "When we get home, you can play with your trains."  He then couldn't get home fast enough.  The farm is a wonderful diversion from our everyday lives and we get to do things we don't normally do at home, but you have to admit, there's no place like home.  We had a great time and we look forward to our next visit on the farm.  Thank you everyone for a fantastic time!

Vacation - Day 5 - Miscellaneous Adventures

A Movie

We've been promising to take the boys to the movies to see Ice Age 3 - The Dawn of the Dinosaurs for over 3 weeks.  Well, the time finally came.  I don't think I've been to movie with this many people since (dare I say it,) grade school, but besides the two boys, I was accompanied by Greg, Nana, Grandpa Bill, Grandpa and Michael.  And it was funny!  If you haven't seen it yet, you need to.

Blueberries for Mom

After the movie we took a detour before heading back to the farm.  When you're in the country you're always taking detours.  My mom was dying for some fresh Michigan blueberries.  And what better place to get them then on a blueberry farm.

 

Overexposing Our Life a Little More

Tractor Rides with Grandpa Are Free!

The Farm Through My Eyes

One S'more Kiss

Vacation - Day 4 - The Fair, The Rides, The Bugs and The Late Night Card Games

By day 4, Friday and the weekend had arrived.  And so had Nana and Grandpa Bill.  So, we headed out to the LaPorte County Fair!  The boys just love the rides and especially the food.

Joshua wanted to ride the Himalaya.  I thought for sure he was going to puke, but the kid proved me wrong and actually enjoyed the experience.  Check out the short video of it below.

 

That night, Joshua got to do what he had been dying to do all vacation.....

Catch lightening bugs!

The only thing I caught was this goofy expression on Hayden's face.

Once the kids were in bed, the rest of us stayed up LATE and played a very friendly game of Hearts.  Guess who one???

Vacation - Day 3 - The Farm, The Fun, The Park and Ice Cream

I think we may have the makings of a professional sports photographer on our hands.  The following pictures were taken by Joshua while Gregory goofed around and took a few shots of his own. :)

 

Vacation - Day 2 - Breakfast, Beach, Boardwalks, Shopping and S'mores

 

 

Somehow, we managed to slip in two shopping trips!  First, we got a few things at the Lighthouse Outlet....

....Then the kids managed to spot this store on the way home.  The I Love Toy Trains store!  The same people who produce the I Love Toy Trains DVD children's series.

 

 

Vacation - Day 1 - The Beach

The first day started off a bit slow to start.  I don't think we left our house until 10:30 that morning.  Luckily, we were just headed about an hour and a half east into Michigan.  We arrived, unpacked the car and got our suits on to head to the beach.  And we stayed there for 3 hours!  Building sandcastles, taking small dips into the 68 degree water and just letting the relaxation of being on vacation take over. 

What a great first day!

The Life Cycle of the Butterfly - Up Close and Personal

One of Joshua's birthday presents from his Yiayia and Papou was a Butterfly Pavilion Kit.  Yiayia ordered the kit and we waited.  Joshua and Hayden couldn't have been more excited when the live larva came in the mail.  There were 10!  For two weeks we watched them get bigger and bigger. 

  

Then they turned into their chrysalis stage.  When that happened, we attached them to the side wall of the pavilion and hung it up in their room for them to watch.  Eventually, we started to notice them starting to emerge from their cocoon.  It only took a day and before we knew it, we had 9 Painted Lady Butterflies.  (One of them did not make it out.)  We kept them for about 5 days before we let them go in the wild.

 

At first, 5 of them left the pavilion right away.  The rest of them.....

 

hung out and kept eating. 

Then, there was one.....

who took his sweet time leaving.

 

What a great gift...I'm thinking of getting Hayden the Grow a Frog Kit for his birthday!

A Picnic at the Park

During breakfast this morning, Joshua turns to me and says, "You know Mom, it's a great day for a picnic in the park!"  "I couldn't agree more with you,"  I said.  "We'll pick a park with a picnic table," I added.  "Well, I want to have the picnic on a blanket, not the table," he said.  So be it.  I drove Gregory and boys to the park, where they played until I got back with the lunch.  After lunch, they played a bit longer and when it was time to go home....they didn't want to!