rain, rain ... go away!

I'll be the first to say that I absolutely love a rainy day--every now and again.  I love to wake up to a dark house and the sound of rain falling.  I love thunder ... and I love the smell of rain.  But we have had four straight days of nothing but rain!  With a two year-old and an 8 month-old, I need to be at the park ... or the water park for that matter.  I need to let Colton run around the patio or front yard.  The first day wasn't so bad ... we made a fort.  Colton enjoyed playing under there ... he announced to me that he would not be sleeping there.  When I told him that it was just for playing, he seemed more okay with the idea of a "tent", as he kept calling it.

Colton enjoying his "tent" fort!

It's hard to get a good picture when Colton can't stop talking to Khloe.  He loves his sister!

The fort!

But after the second and especially the third days, I was going crazy!  It's not that it's just cloudy ... the rain is actually coming down all of the time.  If Colton was older, I would let him play in it ... but I foresee some sickness, if I let a 2 year-old do that!  The kids even took over a three hour nap on Thursday!  I think the rainy, dark house made them extra sleepy!

Had to wake the kid up!

So ... we have read a million books, colored, played with play-doh, watched cartoons, played football, played kickball, chased each other around and around, played hide-and-seek, and finally today, Colton painted a bird house.

Having a great time!

Love that face!

Taking his time.

All done!  He had a great time!

He did a great job!

Great rainy day project!

He's rather particular about things.  Colton likes things to be a certain way.  He doesn't like to be too messy or have things too messed up.  He will cry if Khloe messes with his train tracks and pulls them a part.  He doesn't like them to be out of place, and if they get that way, he wants me or Billy to fix it right away.  So, as he painted his bird house today, he painted the color of his choice on each side and wanted it to cover all parts of the wood.  He chose every color on the bird house (and consequently, he used every color in the palette that I bought).  I think it was a fun activity on another rainy day.

This morning, we did go to a MOMs Club event.  It was a tour of one of our favorite ice cream shops--Bruster's.  First, they showed us around the main room where they make shakes, waffle cones/bowls, and ice cream cakes.  Then they took us to the back of the store where they make each flavor of ice cream there in the store.  The guy made a chocolate chip ice cream while we all watched.  It was fun.  The kids even got to go inside of their special refrigerator.  Colton thought it was nice inside (probably because it's been so humid and hot lately).  After we made the ice cream, everyone got to take sample spoons and taste each and every flavor of ice cream as many times as we wanted to!  Colton and I tried every flavor.  It was tasty!  Then the kids could pick whatever flavor they liked and make a sundae.  Colton liked the gummy worms on top of the ice cream the best!  It was a fun break ... at least it didn't rain this morning ... but it was pouring by the time we got home from the tour--and it rained the rest of the day.

At Bruster's Ice Cream on our tour.

Ready to make ice cream with Landon and Mason.

The ice cream maker--we made chocolate chip ice cream.

Khloe was a very popular item on the tour.  The kids gathered around her and talked to her.

Finally enjoying some ice cream after the tour.  Delish!

It's the second plague here at our house.  With all of this rain, I have been waking up to the croaking of frogs--and they are loud--in the morning.  Then last night, I was headed to bed when I saw it ... probably 30 frogs on our front porch.  They are of the tree frog variety, and they are on our windows, doors, side of the house, ceiling of the front porch area, lights, driveway, porch, etc.  I guess they are attracted to the light and probably brought out by the rain ... but it is creepy!  Luckily, I'm not scared of amphibians (or reptiles) ... or I would be freaking out!  As I type, they are out there again ... attacking our house with their suction cup feet.  Ribbit, ribbit!

Khloe is getting around so easily ... she just bolts around.  It's crazy how she moves through the house.  She goes wherever she wants to go ... usually somewhere I've just been.  She pops up on her hands and knees ... rocks a bit, but then she just drops down to her tummy and scoots around still.  She is pulling up so much, though, that I moved her crib down to the second to last spot on the rail, so she won't accidentally fall overboard.  Now, I can sleep easier knowing she can't get out.  One morning this week, I woke up to find her monitor in her room on the floor.  She had grabbed the cord and yanked it down off of the ledge next to her bed.  So I had to move it further out of her reach.  Her newest thing is that she throws her pacifier out of the crib.  I find it on the floor after every nap and every morning.  I'm guessing in a couple of months (or earlier) she won't be using that anymore.  She is chewing on EVERYTHING.  Her top right tooth is at the surface, it is just waiting to break through.  Poor girl ... she is ready for it to come in.  She gnaws on her hand, drooling, gnaws on anything she can get her hands on ... drooling!  It's quite a mess.  I swear she is saying two words now ... "Da-da" (which she says all of the time!) ... and "hi".  Today, she even waved to herself.  I laugh, because I remember that's what Mei Mei used to do!  It cracks me up.  She looks at her hand like what is THAT!?! and waves to herself.  I love to hear her say "hi" ... and last Sabbath, she said "ma-ma-ma-ma-ma", so she is finally getting closer to "Ma-ma".  

Pulling up on her crib ... she is ready to wake up!

This Sunday, we are going to visit with some of my friends from when I worked in Minnesota at MCA.  I am excited to see them!  I haven't seen them in nearly 7 years!  They had a little boy a year ago, so I'm excited to meet him and have them meet my kids.  It will be fun!  After that, I have our MOMs Club end-of-the-year event.  We are getting pedicures and having dinner out without the kids.  I guess since we take the kids to all of our events, we get one night to go out with just the moms.  Sounds like fun!  I'm excited.

A few Colton funnies from the week:

He got up from his nap on Thursday, and he gave me a frowny look.  He said, "Mommy, I'm a Wild Boy!" I said, "Is that your Wild Boy face?" And he said, "Yeah, I'm your WILD BOY!"

I asked him this week if he would throw something away for me.  He answered, "Of course!"

When I hold Khloe, he says, "Mommy, Khloe wants to crawl around down there!" And he points to the floor.  When I say, "Why?"  He says, "She just does.  She wants to crawl around. Put. her. down!" Then he will cuddle up to me or ask me to read him a book.  I guess he will tell me what she would rather be doing, if he wants my attention.

We were looking at a book about the sea this week.  When I asked him what one of the animals were, he said, "That's a whale shark.  Oh man, I LOVE whale sharks!"