Just a Saturday!

How many girls can you fit in one laundry basket?

They might take after their mama!

The dress up of choice for Elizabeth

And Kate.

Got to love that Spiderman hat!

Girl Talk

Just had to smile listening to my girls talk to each other this morning.

Elizabeth came upstairs with two cups full of play food.

Elizabeth: "This one is for me. This one is for Erin. Is Erin coming here?"

Me: "No. She is not coming here today."

Elizabeth: "I like Erin."

Anna: "I like Sarah."

Kate: "I like Sarah."

Anna: "No, I like Sarah."

Elizabeth: "Remember there are two Sarahs?" "Because one is Aunt Sarah."

Kate: "Okay."

Elizabeth: "Do you want to have Erin, like me, Kate?"

Kate: "Okay."

So that was the conversation. The cup I tried to drink because Erin was not here, but Elizabeth wanted to "save" it for her. Then she was asking when she is coming here. And Anna asked when Sarah is coming and Kate was thinking Claire was coming, too--with Mimi. No, I had to tell them they are not coming today.

They do love their big girl cousins!

They also had a bath this morning and I let them take a barbie in the tub. First time for that. They kept telling me to be quiet because their barbie was sleeping (wash cloth covering them up). Then the barbies would wake up and "go 'fimmin" and then back to napping. The bath was a good hour long! I had to add more hot water because Kate was getting cold. Sometimes it is funny to sit back and listen to them talk to each other!

Lake Erie Nature Center

I took the kids to the Nature Center yesterday. John had to work all day so I thought it would be fun to out of the house. It is right up the road from us. It was a good visit today because we saw the one of the turtles move across the cage (usually they all lie together and look like a pile of rocks) and we saw many of the snakes moving. The kids got a kick out of one of them in particular that would move from one of the kids to the next. They kept saying, "He's is looking at me!"

We also saw them changing the cages out and then put new batches of snakes in--from bags! It freaked me out a little, but the kids loved to see them move. After a while, Kate said, "I don't like them, Mama."

Neither do I, Kate, neither do I.

There is a big log to climb in that the kids loved.

One of the snakes looking at Jack

Getting ready to put the snake back in his cage.

You couldn't pay me enough to do that job!

The turtle tank. The big turtle under the lamp was the one that moved across the cage.

Dance Class Dress Up

Mom/Grandmom Turns 60!

Mom/Grandmom turned 60 today! We had plans set in motion to surprise her on her actual birthday months ago. Due to illnesses, we had to modify our plans last minute, but all of her children and most of her grandchildren were able to spend her birthday with her today. We met in Lansing for breakfast and she was surprised to see all of us waiting for her. After breakfast, we went swimming at the YMCA (hard to find things to do in the winter with 15 young children!) and then we had cake and watched a slide show that Sarah and John put together with the help of the rest of us in gathering pictures. The slide show was great and showed all parts of her life from birth until now. It was a great day and I am happy we were able to spend it with her!

Flap Jack Restaurant. Jack got a kick out of the name. Grandmom is just seeing Jack for the first time.

Jack and Braden

Maggie is always smiling!

These two are peas in a pod! I couldn't tell if they were fighting or playing!

Three generations

Love you, Mom.

After swimming, some of us tried the rock wall.

John made it to the top! (easy side--he tried the other side and didn't make it so far)

Grandmom gives it a try! Not bad for 60!

Jeremy and Julie made the cake. It seemed fitting that we would make her a cake rather than buy one after all the cakes she has made for us over the years.

Singing to her

The picnic of cake

Watching the slide show

Jack loves his Grandmom. They are buddies.

Alexa woke up from her nap and wanted some cake.

"Hey, that's me!"

That is what Elizabeth said when she saw this picture.

Of me.

Mimi thought it was Elizabeth, too. She said, "Look how tan she was." I realized she didn't know it was an old picture of me, at almost 3 years old.