Brothers

The tablets kids got for birthdays and Christmas have been a big hit.  How sweet is it to see Reid with his arm around Cole?  It is super sweet considering he is often trying to figure out the limits of rough play with his big bro.

This kid has two super wiggly top front teeth.  He refuses to pull at them and does not want help.  I'm pretty certain they will just fall out into some food this week!  Also note Cole's reddish eyes.  The school nurse called on Wednesday because he needed to be picked up.  Her guess was pink eye and she was correct.  Thankfully after a lot of fussing I managed to get the eye drops into Cole's eyes (Andy was skiing) and he hasn't put up much of a fuss since.  We have our fingers crossed that everyone else stays pink eye free.  The doctor did seem amazed that we had managed to avoid it for 7 years :)

2016 Blizzard

It snowed and snowed and snowed and before we knew it we had about 31 inches of snow!  We enjoyed a weekend of playing in the snow, drinking hot chocolate, sipping sparkling cider and snuggling up for lots of book reading.

Boys checking out the view after the first wave of snow ended.

 All ready to play in the first snow of the season!  Reid lasted about an hour. Big kids were outside for at least 2 hours.

 Snow piled up against our slider

 Inside view of snow on slider.  I have done many double takes thinking someone is standing at the door.

 Big kids toasting to the first snow of the season!  They were thrilled to drink out of glass champagne flouts.

Reid trying to climb through the snow.  Check out how the compost bin is almost completely covered.

Manicures!

Tonight Gwen and I went out on a little date to get manicures.  I think she was overwhelmed when it came time to choose a nail polish color but she managed to pick a pretty teal color.  She also wanted a coat of silver sparkles. 

Weekend Adventures

 Gwen's second top front tooth fell out on 1/16.  She wiggled that little one super hard to get it out.


On Sunday, 1/17, we went to The Inside Scoop to celebrate Mommy's birthday.  It has become a tradition to go for ice cream for birthdays and The Inside Scoop seems to be the the biggest hit.  Each time we go the kids ask to try the volcano which consists of like 14 scoops of ice cream and multiple toppings.  Thankfully they always settle for a single scoop of ice cream.

 They didn't have mint chocolate chip so Cole tried oreo mint.  andy said he looked like he had been making out with a Leprechaun.

 A rare photo of Reid.

 Check out that tooth gap!

 Quakertown playgound in the snow.  What could be better?

Still sliding after an hour in the snow and wind!

Wildlands Program 1/16/16

On Saturday we braved the cold and wind and went on a short hike with the Wildlands naturalist.  First we got to pet the skunk and opossum and then we looked for animal tracks.

 
 Reid loves the skunk

While the Naturalist explained tracking Reid was content with a stick and old tree stump.  He was amused that each time he hit the stick on the stump parts of the bark came off.

Warming up with hot chocolate.

Post hike hot chocolate

Over the hump

Once everyone was over the virus they were ready to play.  

Cole rediscovered these magnetic sticks/marbles of Daddy's and designed a cat.  For some reason he refused to give it a "normal" tail.

Cole was excited to finally sleep in the top bunk.  The excitement lasted a few nights until he announced that his room was quieter and he started sleeping back in his full size bed.

Reid enjoys checking out Domino's new water fountain.  Both of them have been camping out on the kitchen floor.

New Years Eve Celebration

This was the year that the kids announced that they wanted to stay up to watch the ball drop so we went with it.  We bought all of the supplies including light up glasses, noisemakers and chocolate fondue.  Well...before we even set up the chocolate fondue and sparkling cider the kids started dropping like flies.  Reid asked to go up early.  Cole decided to watch the movie another time.  Gwen lost her first top tooth and the adrenaline kept her up until about 11:15 pm but at that point her little eyes were closing and she decided to call it a night.  A few hours after these pictures were taken we figured out that the boys had a nasty virus.  They had fevers,chills and were miserable for days.  Gwen dodged it at first but came down with it the following week.  What a way to welcome in 2016!

 Poor guy only made it to 6:42 pm

 Sporting the light up sunglasses!

 Down for the count at 8:58 pm

Check out that tooth gap!

Pip the Mouse

On December 31, 2015 Gwen, Cole, Reid and I went downtown to the Liberty Bell Museum to meet up with the Nemitz Family and see the Pip the Mouse Before Christmas show.  This activity has become an annual tradition.  It is the same show each year but there really is something magical about it.  I love how I was able to snap a picture of all three kiddos in the same spot as in previous years.  Some day i'll have to put all of the Pip the Mouse pictures together in one album.  

Christmas Celebration at Granny's House

On December 30, 2015, we took a little trip down to Aston to visit Granny.  We enjoyed our time with her as well as Nana, Pap Pap, Aunt Erienne and Rose.  Our kids played nicely and gently with Rose and we even managed to snap a picture of Granny with all of her great grandchildren.

Four great grandchildren

Rose climbed up in the chair to listen to Cole read his Minecraft Activity Book

Reid's Big Boy Bunk Bed

After much thought we decided to purchase Reid a set of bunk beds with trundle as his first big boy bed.  He is a very restless sleeper and rarely stays in his convertible crib all night so up until this point we just kind of went with the flow.  But recently he has been looking huge when i put him in the crib after his breathing treatment at night so we decided to try out a big boy bed.  Reid was on board right away.  He was happy when his new set of dinosaurs comforters arrived and he loved sleeping on the new mattress on the floor while Daddy and big kids assembled his new bed.  Tonight is the first night he is snuggled up in his new bed.  He looks so small in the bed with all of his stuffed animals surrounding him.  He wanted to hold a new stuffed animal that he bought today at Cabelas but his two favorite dog dogs were placed right by his side for middle of the night snuggles.

 Pre bed time picture

 He's a happy boy!

And of course i had to take one after i laid him down after we snuggled during his breathing treatment.

Oh and this afternoon we took a last minute trip to Cabelas.  We had planned to see a movie but we missed the start of the only one in the area.  Our back up plan was to head to the science center but when we pulled into the parking lot it was a madhouse.  I knew Andy had been wanting to buy some new snow boots and look at winter coats so we made sure we had snacks for the kids and headed to Cabelas.

 Kids posing with a large catfish.

And i watched the "drive" these ATVS and couldn't help but think that one day we will have to teach them to drive.  Thankfully they have a very patient Daddy because I don't think this Mama will be able to handle that kind of stress!

Christmas Celebrations

After opening presents we ate our traditional breakfast casserole and then hopped in the car to drive to VA to celebrate with the Jones/Stamps/Lewis side of the family.  The drive was smooth except for a lot of rain.  I commented that if the weather wasn't unseasonably warm it could be a lot of snow to which Andy responded:  "Yeah, it would be snow if it was 40 degrees colder!".  It really was strange to celebrate Christmas in such warm weather but we did enjoy our time together.  Gwen and Reid had fun singing carols and playing the instruments Aunt Carol had for them.  Gwen wasn't feeling 100% but as usual she didn't let it stop her from celebrating.

Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning finally came!!!

 Mommy attempted to have them sit at the top of the steps for a picture

 Gwen opening her new alarm clock

 Cole checking out his Pokemon Trainer Box

Reid showing off his new tablet

Christmas Eve 2015

On Christmas Eve we snuggled up and watched some Holiday Movies.  We also bid farewell to Elfie and

 sprinkled our reindeer food all over the lawn

 opened christmas pjs (actually robes this year) from Mom and Dad

and wrote on our special plate to put next to the cut out cookies we made santa and the carrots for his reindeer.

The kids were very excited and Cole reviewed the time he could wake up in the morning multiple times.  He was just too excited to sleep so he started coming into our room at 1:30 am and continued every hour until the designated wake up time, 6:30 am.

Kreiger/Stamps/Plourde Family Holiday Trip to Longwood Gardens

Instead of exchanging presents this year our families decided to plan to do a Holiday activity together.  Erienne thought it would be nice to go to the light display at Longwood Gardens.  Since we were a little late in giving Pap Pap his 75th Birthday Present we brought along the book that we had made of special stories and memories from friends and family, and gave it to him.  We chose a spot by a heat lamp because we went on the coldest day of the season.  Pap Pap was surprised by the present and said that he looked forward to reading the individual entries later.  The kids were bundled up complete with snow pants, hats and gloves.  I had to giggle because there were at least three people who told me that it was smart to put them in snow pants.  Cousin Rose showed up a little late but we still got to enjoy some time with her.  She loves interacting with Gwen, Cole and Reid and they definitely play it up for her.

 Checking out the train display.  This is the exact sight of the incident that occurred a few weeks prior when Reid had mulch in his hand and a Longwood employee yelled at him to put it down.  Reid was very upset and Nana and Pap Pap said it took a trip to the car, dog dogs and 45 minutes to calm him down.

 Pap Pap opening his birthday present.

Christmas Activities 2015

On 12/10/15 we went to the check out the holiday lights at the LV Zoo.  This has become an annual tradition and this year our friends joined us in the fun.  We enjoyed time walking around, searching for the animals in the dark; spinning on the merry go round that makes Mommies and Daddies sick just watching kids go around and around; sipping hot chocolate and making smores and just being wild and crazy kids  I swear Reid was present but he was not in a great mood and refused to be photographed.

 Max, Noah, Cole, Emmalyn and Gwen posing with Santa

We waited for awhile to go inside this slow globe that deflates every time people go in/out.  At one point we realized that Reid was not in line with us only to find out that he fallen asleep in the stroller.  In it a good thing he did because these 7 year olds were out of control.  Within seconds of entering the globe Cole fell off the stage.  Looking back i have no idea how i was elected to take them in and did i mention that there were at least 30 spectators watching our craziness?

On Saturday 12/12/15 we were planning to meet up with the Waldrup Family to go to the Macungie Holiday Celebration for the first time.  Unfortunately, one of their kids was not feeling well but we decided to check out the activity anyway.  We enjoyed a carriage ride around the park and then headed to the fire station to make glitter stockings.  The glitter and glue were a huge hit with the kids.  We decided that they would make perfect outdoor holiday decorations.  We also voted for the best gingerbread house and bought a special Moravian star Christmas ornament to add to our collection.

 Cole holding his stocking before the glitter and glue started running

Yes, Reid rubbed his head up against the glitter glue and then had a tantrum that he had sticky glue in his hair!