Santa's Village

I got a good deal on tickets to Santa's Village. It closed a few years ago due to gang activity. It just recently opened so we thought we would give it a try. I went there frequently as a kid and have great memories. Unfortunately a lot has changed. They sold most of the old rides and Santa no longer resides there. It was a hot day and had the kids not just been to Great America perhaps it would have been a little more fun. It took Charlotte a while to warm up to the idea of rides. They still have the mushrooms, but no polka dots. :(


The older kids enjoyed this ride but as you can see Charlotte was very unsure.





This ride had metal seats and was way too hot. I had to put my hand under Charlotte's legs so they wouldn't burn.



The truck ride was a winner.



The balloon ride was Charlotte's least favorite ride. It went 25 ft. into the air and she cried the whole time.




After lunch we enjoyed the race cars. Ben got the Bears' car and Joe got the Packers' car. Finally, Charlotte was starting to enjoy herself.





They still have the big slide. And now trees completely shade it so it is never a hot ride.



We had so much fun on the trucks, Charlotte wanted to ride one more time before we left.

Six Flags Great America

The three older kids went to Great America for the first time last week. My mom and dad came, too. That was a huge help. The kids were so excited but they had no idea what to expect. They had so much fun and they were fearless. Mia and Ben even rode on the Demon. It was a great day!

A Minute to Win It CHALLENGES

We have been watching Minute To Win It on NBC this summer. The kids have really enjoyed watching it and have enjoyed trying to complete the challenges at home.

The Mia and Joe Show

Here is an original short film performed and written by Joe and Mia. Enjoy!

The Entertainment

At our house we have a lot of entertainment.

Here is some video of the middle two doing their thing.

For Ben's birthday he received a book that played parts of speeches for each president. This quickly became their favorite. They hope to memorize one from Abraham Lincoln next.

Disney on Ice

Interviews with the children

Not so random interview with a 2 year old

What is your favorite color? Red
What is your favorite animal? Cow
What is your favorite food? Candy
What color are your eyes? Blue
What color is your hair? Brown
What do you like to play with? toys
Who is your best friend? Papa
What does a donkey say? Hee haw (in a hoarse voice)
What does a cow eat? Grass
Where do bananas come from? Trees
How do you make a sandwich? Put it on a tortilla
Where do worms live? Castles
How many feet do you have? 2
What letter does your name start with? 2
What does Mommy like to eat? M&M's
What does Mommy like to drink? milk
Where does coffee come from? Papa
What do you want to be when you grow up? Ben
How do you feel today? Good and sick
What is your favorite body part? My ears

Not so random interview with a 4 year old

What is your favorite color? Pink
What is your favorite animal? Pig
What is your favorite food? Turkey and cheese on a tortilla heated in the microwave
What color are your eyes? I don't know
What color is your hair? Brown
What do you like to play with? girly stuff, dolls
Who is your best friend? Carson
What does a donkey say? Hee haw
What does a cow eat? Grass
Where do bananas come from? Trees
How do you make a sandwich? Put the stuff on bread or a tortilla, close it, and then eat it
Where do worms live? In the ground
How many feet do you have? 2
What letter does your name start with? M, I was meaning my short name
What does Mommy like to eat? Mac n' noodles
What does Mommy like to drink? Water
Where does coffee come from? Coffee machines
What do you want to be when you grow up? A ballet teacher
How do you feel today? Good
What is your favorite body part? My hands and feet

Not so random interview with a 6 year old

What is your favorite color? Red-orange
What is your favorite animal? Cheetah
What is your favorite food? Pizza/Popsicles
What color are your eyes? Bluish-green
What color is your hair? Kinda blond, kinda brown
What do you like to play with? Astroboy and Zog
Who is your best friend? Caleb, John, Thomas, and Jack (I have 4 best friends)
What does a donkey say? Hee haw
What does a cow eat? Grass
Where do bananas come from? Banana trees
How do you make a sandwich? You put peanut butter on one slice of bread and you put jelly on the other slice. Then you put it together.
Where do worms live? In the earth
How many feet do you have? 2
What letter does your name start with? B
What does Mommy like to eat? Cereal
What does Mommy like to drink? Water
Where does coffee come from? Coffee maker machine
What do you want to be when you grow up? A police office and a fireman
How do you feel today? Great
What is your favorite body part? My head because I can see and think and smell and sing and talk and hear and . . .

Update of the Kids

Rock the Race

I participated in Rock the Race, a four hour race that included a three mile hike, 2 1/2 miles in a canoe, and 3 1/2 miles mountain biking in the woods with four other women. It was great!

At the Playground

A Day (a couple hours) at the Museum

We went to the Discovery Center Museum today. It is free from 1-5 pm on Thursdays. So, with a friend who has four little ones, we all went to the museum. I think it is something we will do more frequently in the future.

Knock, Knock Jokes

Knock, Knock!
Who's there?
Boo!
Boo who?
Don't cry. It's a joke!



Knock, Knock!
Who's there?
Little old lady.
Little old lady who?
I didn't know you could yodel.

A New Punishment

When the children are behaving badly, we just empty out all the toy and stick them in the box.