How to Tame a Dinosaur

...North Museum Style

I mean what boy doesn't dream of riding a moving mechanical dino?  And what I love is that all within one room the boys stay busy doing totally different things.  But there are lots of rooms and displays and interactive family fun things and I'll spend any free day I have playing there with my kids!

The Days Between

After present time: it's Chow Time,

Then family visits and 150 lb. dogs,

Playing/using Christmas Gifts,

Jay came back and we opened more presents,

Visiting museums and field trips,

 and two more hockey days.

Highlights and Lowlights of July

Lowlights:

• our suicidal fish - Gemma: while at church she leaped out of her fish bowl in background and died in the sink
• farm equipment slowing down traffic 
• our last North Museum visit - we are letting our membership expire for this year

Highlights:

• iconic image - our own fireworks (waiting for sparklers to be lit)
• proving to Women's Club of Manheim members at book club/pool party that i can tread water for over an hour
• a big family bbq and swim - no we don't do burgers and hot dogs; we do London Broil
• neighborhood parties
• and VACATION (teaser pic)

All In A Week's Work

Truly being a stay at home mom is hard work, but being someone who has never minded doing work and actually loves it for the most part I thrive at my job. Last week I got home on Sunday from being gone a week. By Sunday night Travis had said, "Mary is back home" referring to tornado effort to not destroy but instead organize the house from top to bottom making up from when I was gone. And Monday morning I woke up at 5am to jump back into my life and 40 minutes of fun. Travis and I have been working out together before he leaves for work doing the Insanity Workout. Once he leaves I do my thing till the kids wake up and honestly most mornings that means going back to bed. Hey I get points for working out right? Plus I go to the gym later in the morning again anyway.

But being gone the first official week the pool was open my kids were chomping at the bit to get there.  So we spent a lot of time there.  And one day when it was raining we headed on over to the North Museum, honestly I love my annual membership here.  Priceless I tell you.  Then Thursday night we went into Philadelphia to see the Mormon Tabernacle perform.  It was awesome and not being a particular fan of MoTab, take that seriously when I say it was awesome.  The cultural diversity of the music was really great especially when I was sort of expecting it to be all hymn type music.  Then Friday night our family washed and vacuumed both of the cars because of the small rodents who had made nests in my car.  They actually really have...they are named: Bella, Wyatt, Issac, and Kody.

Kody bonked his head shortly after arriving at the museum.
This pic is too cute, but he ended with a bruised lump.  Poor kiddo!



Saturday morning we headed to DC to go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints temple there. We went to see a friend take out his endowments in preparation for his mission, another friend do hers, and a sweet couple from our ward to be sealed. Conveniently it was turned into our ward temple day and so Travis and was there early for youth baptisms too. So the kids and I played on the grounds until it was time for me to go in and than others in our ward watched our kids. The weather was perfect though and Bella really showed what a great little photographer she is when she stole my camera to experiment. The only down side was a bug bite Bella had a bad reaction to that made me consider taking her to the doctor. No small feet but literally it had swelled to a 7" in diameter circle of super hot, red and swollen madness behind the back of her knee. Luckily it is disappearing slowly.




Issac found a caterpillar that entertained him for about an hour.
Notice in the pic below Wyatt has his found some critters too.

 

And I am spent.  Time for a nap!





 

My hope is that everyone is enjoying the great summer weather and basking in the work of motherhood.

Home Is Where?

Many people say home is where the heart is, but often there is a real address too. Based on my last month of travel, mainly day trips, I'm not sure I remember any kind of physical address. Here is where I, we have been, in no particular order.

Hershey's Chocolate Factory

Two Class Christmas Parties

The North Museum of Natural History and Science and the Planetarium

The Smithsonion (The National Museum of Natural History) and to see the Hope Diamond

To the Brick House for dinner with friends. I wouldn't recommend it, but hey, it was fun.

Manheim Auto Auction to sell cookies for Women's Club

To the Cabin

And last, but not least Chuck E' Cheese for some birthday celebrating.

And one last location that deserves it's own post. I bet your curious now!