Happiness is time with the cousins

We celebrated Micah's fourth birthday at the end of May. I have to be honest, besides chocolate milk for Drew, and Nemo for Lilly, there is nothing that my kids love more than their cousins.


Evidence of the cupcakes


Why is everyone looking at me?


A successful group shot with a difficulty level of 10.0 due to 3 out 4 kids being under 5.

Can't anything be turned into a game?

How cute are they?

There is something to Sesame Street

So yesterday morning over a scrambled eggs, fruit, and cereal bar breakfast, Drew picked up his breakfast bar and says plain as day, "This breakfast bar is scrumptious." I started to giggle because his statement was completely unprompted by any one in the room(which was a monkey :-) and me)

I said, "What did you just say Drew?" As my mind wandered back to a Sesame street episode the other day when Jessica Alba was telling the audience what the word scrumptious meant.

Drew again said, "This breakfast bar is scrumptious mama." He also told me at lunch that his wheat thins were scrumptious.

I am liking my sons expanding vocabulary, and Todd likes Drew's taste in women because we all know Jessica Alba is pretty easy on the eyes.

Looking back..long ago

I was little, my brother was a baby, and my parents were trying to figure out how to be parents too.


This was when my Dad's number was retired in Columbus Ohio, ohhh so long ago. I just wanted to be picked up and talk into the microphone if I had to make a guess :-)

Well yes of course...

It only makes sense that Drew's love for McQueen would transition to NASCAR. He doesn't even get the least bit dizzy either and he could do this for 20 minutes straight.



Todd or I go to get him at 7 am every morning and he asks "I watch NASCAR please?" as soon as hears the turn of his door knob.

I guess I need to get him a white cut-off tank top too?

How to accessorize

You really can build an outfit around your accessories.

Comparing talent

This is just another day in the Petersen Household. But even more so, as they played this game, I listened to Lilly screaming and realized the striking similarities between her and Adam Lambert. It gives you chills really.

Lilly Lambert presents:



I mean if you really want to compare, there is the obvious annoying screaming. Lilly is very dramatic and entertaining, and she likes boys typically more than girls. :-)

How is something so small, so loud?

Bay Area Discovery Museum

We had such a great time here at the Bay Area Discovery Museum. We hit a beautiful day last Friday and the kids were in toddler heaven. There was so much to do and explore and we didn't even really get to do all of it due to hunger and tiredness.

Drew thought he was pretty cool climbing in and out of this huge tree.


So I have come to conclusion that all Drew needs in life is dump truck and a ramp. He seriously could have done this activity all day.


Lilly enjoyed the shovel and brooms in the Pirates Cove area. Luckily there weren't too many kids around at this point so no other kids met Lilly and her giant weapons.



The ship in pirates cove. The prized bell you could ring(super loud by the way) and it was not Lilly's turn to ring it any more....thus the face.


The rest of the pics were all taken in an area called the tot spots which was just so magical for my kids. It is designed just for toddlers and you had to be under a certain height to go into the tots spot area.

The toddler tepee.


Indoors was a variety of activities for kids to play on, run on, touch, etc. The tubes with "frogs" was a popular one. You could press a button on the ground and huge bubbles would go up the giant tube.




I would say though over all, this was the kids favorite part of the tots spot and probably the day. It was a man-made river(that actually had a small current)and there were toy fish, frogs, and crabs for kids to play with. They hung out here for close to 30 minutes which in toddler time is like 3 hours.


The waterfall....


Results in pure joy.


Lilly modeling the aprons that keep you "dry"


We had so much fun....

Until we walked to the car......


And then there was a stick incident. See next post

Just for kicks

This series of photographs gets the award for parents trying and toddlers unhappy. I believe it all started with a stick. Lilly hit Drew with a stick. Stick gets taken away from Lilly, and then all if this happened. We just wanted a shot with the Golden Gate in the background. Is it that much to ask?





I got say..I think that this one is my favorite due to Todd's face.

Spring Lake

Loved it...fascinated by the lake. So much that I felt like I need one of those kid leashes to avoid having two wet, mucky, algae covered kids on the ride home.

I do it..I build tower...by myself

I would say Drew is responsible for making about 10% of this tower. He will tell you he did by himself.



The other 90% of the tower was completed by:

a) Lilly
b) Gabby
c) Papa Coach
d) McQueen

There is hope.

Don't worry everyone. This blog is not turning into a book review critic corner or anything like that, but I have finished my first book since the Twilight series. This is a BIG deal over here at the Petersen house. Some might even use the word monumental. This is to give others hope. There are other books out there that are very enjoyable and bring new things to the reader. I finished the book below and am already well into the second in the series.

There is hope.



But don't worry, what is gone(or finished) is not forgotten.


;-)

Under supervision

We are dog-sitting again our favorite dog Gabby.

Lilly and Drew monitor Gabby during eating. Do you think they are close enough?



Seriously.
Let the dog breathe and eat you two.

The big pool has arrived

Not as big as we thought...but it will work out just fine.







By the way, Drew was getting ready to slide down into the water and yells, "Here comes the bigness"

Should I be more worried about the fact that he referred to himself in the third person?

OR

That he has taken a liking to his nickname?

Mama love

You got to love the effort made here my Lilly.



Funny side note story about my mom....Drew and Lilly's Grandma or Dama

It seems like a daily occurrence that something is missing or broken in our house. Sometimes it might take me a day or two to notice it is broken or missing, but I end up noticing. When I go to ask my kids what happened to this item that is now broken, bent, in pieces, etc... on the floor I get this response.

Drew: "Umm, ya okay. Grandma did it."
Lilly: "Dama, Dama, Dama"

I am not joking. Everything is grandma's fault in this house. I am starting to wonder if it was my mom who colored on the walls now too?? Hmm. Curious.

The Evolution of a model

First off...Lilly has decided that the off the shoulder look is a fabulous look for her. She has it going on every day when I go and get her from her nap.

Now I (kind of )know my ABC's

Benefits to the new table

Real actual art space


Having dinner with friends...please enjoy Patrick's face in this one

Is it 5 oclock yet?

Waiting for Daddy to come home and play tickles with us.




Our whistling allows us to hail(or is it hale? not sure) a taxi, call a dog from across a field, or even to call our parents in the middle of the night when we might need something.

The wet soggy blanket

You could pick up this blanket at any given part of the day and think it just was fresh out of the toilet, sink, pool, or washing machine. But then you realize it is saturated in Drew's drool and spit. Yummy.