City Museum

On Sunday, we wanted to get the monkeys out of the house for a little activity.  Carl and I were going over all the options...the zoo, Grant' Farm, Science Center...all the usual suspects, but I wanted to do something different.  Then I thought of the City Museum.  We don't go to the City Museum a lot because it is geared more for older kids, but I thought it might be fun for a little change so we gave it a whirl.

 

 This is the rooftop of the 14-story building, equipped with a massive preying mantis, huge slide, a bus hanging over the side of the building, and a fully operating ferris wheel.  (Somehow Lily managed to convince me to go on the ferris wheel.)

 

 The coolest part of the building (in my opinion) is on the ground floor at the entrance.  It really is a work of art with lots of spaces to climb and underground caves to explore; there is a magical quality to it.  However there are many small spaces which young kids could get into but would be very challenging for an adult to squeeze into should a rescue be necessary.  Also, it is nearly impossible for an adult to track kids once they disappear into the nooks and crannies.

 

 Emilia checks out the fish and turtles in the tank.

 

 William had a ball and was able to enjoy more elements in the museum than I thought he could.  Having Lily there undoubtedly gave him more confidence.

 

 There is a small area for the 6 and under crowd which Emmy enjoyed.

 

 The museum has a very urban/industrial/art deco feel to it.  Elements like this one which can be used to run or slide exemplify the museum's vibe.

 

The building is filled to the brim with these structures.  These climbing tunnels twist and turn between different floors, again posing a challenge for adults to follow.  So, all in all, it's not the most relaxing outing you will have as a parent of little ones, but they did have a great time and did not want to leave after two and a half hours.  We will undoubtedly be back for more explorations at the City Museum, but I think we need a few months recovery time in between.

From harvest to home

It's that time of year again: blackberry picking season.  Actually, it is the end of blackberry picking season here.  Somehow it never fails that we seem to remember these things at the very end of the season so that the good berries are few and far between.  Carl claims that we just want more of a challenge.  Yes, that's it.  I need more of a challenge when taking 3 kids berry picking on a 90-degree day in the summer.  Luckily, Lily has become an expert berry hunter.  She takes great pride in finding the perfect berries and even has to carry her own basket so our inferior berries do not get mixed up with her stellar finds.  William and Emilia were not so in to the activity this year.  But, if our experience with Lily is any indication, they will be berry-picking with the best of them in no time. 

 

 Closely examining her find.  Emmy tried a couple berries and then clearly identified them as fruit so that was it for them 

 Lily's up for the challenge

 

 Old-fashioned candy sticks are the perfect treat after working hard in the berry patch

 

 There's my crew

 

 The berries were a little tart this year so I thought they would be best in a baked dessert.  We opted for blackberry bars, and the kids couldn't wait to join in process.

 

 My tiny helper

 

 The more experienced helpers with very different techniques.  Lily carefully examined and gingerly added each berry while William threw the berries in like he was playing basketball (with sound effects and all).

 

The timing for this baked dessert could not have been better.  Unbeknownst to us, it was the birthday weekend of Kit and Rebecca.  Carl found a red star candle (which happens to be the symbol for American Girl dolls), and it was party on.

Look who loves the potty!

 

Following in the footsteps of her brother and sister, Emilia started talking about the potty right around 18 months.  Just as with them, we are not potty training Emmy right now but let her play around with the concept when she shows interest.  Hopefully, she will continue to take after them in this matter.  If so, we will be done with diapers next summer....yay!

Zoo day

One morning we got up and got the notion to go to the zoo.  So away we went!  One of the best parts about being able to stay home with the kiddos is the flexibility and spontaneity it allows.  It was a great morning with my little monkeys.  I really hope they remember these times together.  (If not, I'll be sure to remind them).  :)

 

End of year softball celebration

Lily decided to play softball this sping/summer, more in a show of support to Ava than any genuine interest in the sport.  I give credit to Lily for continuing to attend practices and games, but I wouldn't say that this was exactly Lily's sport.  Even though I really, really liked her coaches, I'm not sure this is a sport we will commit to next year.

 

 Hamballs

 

Visit from Carl's Aunt Carol

Carl's Aunt Carol came into town a few weeks ago to visit her mom and sister.  We had a very nice lunch together and look forward to her return!

 

Camp #1

Lily's school district offers a 3-week summer camp for its students.  You can choose from a number of fun classes, and this year Lily chose a cooking class and a CheerReading class.  She really enjoyed both.  On the last day of classes, the CheerReading class offered a demonstration of all their hard work throughout the camp.

 

 Lily's personal cheerleaders

 

Look at that girl rockin' it!  She took her job as a base very seriously.  :)

In Never Never Land

Lily has participated in two camps so far this summer.  The second one was a musical theater camp.  It really was a fun camp.  The kids went to an "audition" (all kids got a part) about a month before the camp began.  Then they received their role and a script with a cd of the songs from the play.  They practiced at home until the week-long camp began.  Lily had a great time and even made a new friend.  I asked her if she wanted to do this camp again next year, and she said that she did not want to wait until next year to do it again - she wanted to do another one right away!  Yay...success!  (Even through they do not offer it again until next year.)

 

 Noodler, the pirate

 

 Arrrgh!

 

 

 The set

 

 Lily's dramatic debut (notice Lily's eye patch - hee hee)

 

 The capture of Tiger Lily

 

 Nothing like a good swashbuckling song to get you going!

 

 My mateys

 

 

 Lily's pirate friend

 

Mee-maw joined our adventures in Neverland too!  (And, no, Carl is not right.  We are bound to end up on an inappropriate family pictures website with this photo.)

Dance recital

Lily and her BFF, Ava, decided to take hip-hop classes this year.  The year runs from August to June, so this is the longest commitment to a sport activity from Lily thus far.  I think the only reason she really stuck with it is because she got to see Ava every week, but I know she had fun too.  They have decided that they want to do jazz together next year so we have that to look forward to.  I'm just so glad that Lily has a good friend to share these experiences with; these girls are truly two peas in a pod.

 

 They performed their routine to "Footloose".  It's never too early to be properly introduced to the music and movies of the 80's.

 Aunt Ingrid and Uncle Ryan came to watch our little dancer.

 

 And Grandma too!

 

After you get the feeling that times are holding you down, it's best to take a lunch break at Cheesecake Factory (as opposed to hitting the ceiling or tearing up the town).  

Great Wolf Lodge

What a summer so far!  It certainly has been a whirlwind.  Many changes and new experiences, mostly good with some not-so-good, have kept us at a fast pace since school let out in May.  Right now I have a terrible cold and therefore had to forego some plans for this weekend.  What better time to blog, right?  I know that I'm so far behind in the life and times of the Deetz family that I won't ever be able to catch up, but I plan to go back and hit some of the highlights at least in the next couple days. 

 

We will start with our latest trip to Great Wolf Lodge.  Lily's one request for the summer was to go to Great Wolf Lodge.  We had a bigger family trip planned for this week but that had to be put on hold due to Carl's back issues.  It was a disappointment for us all, but Lily handled it like a champ and was super-happy with the "runner-up" activity of going to Great Wolf Ledge with her cousins!  A big thanks to mom who had the foresight to see this coming and planned our big adventure together.  You can't get any better than that grandma, I tell you.  William, Emilia and I ended up getting sick during the trip, but I don't think it dampened their fun in the least.  Kids and their resilience...if only I had the same!  Now on to the trip...

 

 Arriving at the lodge.  It was hard to tell who was more excited, mom or the kids

 

 

 Well, and look who happened to be right there when we walked in, Oliver himself.  And can you get a load of that little charmer on the end?  My William.

 

 Pretty darn cute in her own right.  Little Emilia settles right in.

 

 Mom booked the Kids Cabin room which featured a separate area for the kids with bunk beds, a daybed and their own tv.  The kids were over-the-moon with this arrangement.

 

 Girls walking hand-in-hand, ready for some crafting fun

 

 Our little artists

 

 ...plus one!  Such concentration on that little face.

 

 The adorable Kissock girls showing off their spectacular sand art.

 

 C'mon, that is about as irresistible as they come (even when she's sick)!

 

 What amazing fortune to have close cousins to share in these childhood memories.

 

 William and his Mary. 

 

 Photo op with Violet

 

 William was only satisfied with this slide until he spied the bigger slides.  He was able to go on two out of the three big slides with me.  I have to admit, they are super fun.

 

 Lily and Katie after coming out of the slide.  Those two went nonstop in the water park.  Just watching them made me exhausted!

 

 There's that little girl.  I didn't get too many pictures of Emmy swimming.  She hung out with Grandma most of the time while I hung with my little man.

 

 Eating at the restaurant.  Everyone knows that I love a good theme, and Great Wolf Lodge does it right.

 

We officially saw all the characters.  Above the kids are posing with Wiley. 

 

It was an awesome trip, no doubt.  Sure, it had some bumps.  We may have encountered some high temps and restless nights.  Emilia may have thrown up all over me during a story time.  I may have had to drive to my sister's house at 2 am with Emilia and William in order to isolate the sickies and make sure that everyone got their much-needed sleep.  Emilia may have had an encounter with a garden decoration that could have left her with sight in only one eye, but what is a vacation without a little color added to it?  We are making memories here, people.  It may not be perfect, but it is wonderfully imperfect.  The very best story from the trip happened to -- you guessed it -- Suzanne. 

 

There is nothing like a good Suzanne story so, of course, I must share it with the world (or at least the 4 readers of this blog). Getting onto the rafts at the top of the slides can be a bit tricky.  Getting into one of those things honestly makes you feel about one of the most uncoordinated, ridiculous people in the world.  There is just no graceful way to get your bottom in that hole with your legs up in the air.  When at the top of an enormous water slide with a mountain of people waiting behind you, the pressure is on to get in and get going.  Feeling the pressure, Suzanne hastily mounted the raft, but a little misstep left her hanging on for dear life to the raft while her legs dangled into the watery blackness below.  As the prepubescent worker diligently tried to hoist her raft back up onto the platform, Suzanne calls out to him, "Just let me go!"  With determination in his face, the dutiful worker calls back, "I can't".  Now you must know, the only thing I can think of in this scenario is the scene from Backdraft when Ax is hanging onto Kurt Russell over the firey pit below and says, "Let me go Bull".  And naturally, Bull heroically responds, "You go, we go".  Who would of guessed that this very scene would play out with an unsuspecting lifeguard at Great Wolf Lodge on an average Monday afternoon with my sister?  Now that is one for the memory books.