Lillian playing with Water beads

Ms Zairel and the Pre-K class had waterbeads in their sensory table and when they got rid of them on Friday asked if any parents were interested in taking some home. I took all the leftovers this morning and Lillian has spent the past 30 minutes playing with them. Picking them up, dumping, bouncing and generally feeling them. 

Lillian One year ago

Was looking through my phone and found this from exactly 1 year ago. What a cutie!

Birthday Party!

We went to a birthday party at My Gym and both kids had a blast.

It's frosting and cake - not ice cream! 

Kids Play Time

Since Simon went back to school Lillian has really missed him. Last night at Lillian's bedtime she asked to play with Simon so I let them have 5-10 minutes to play - which they did in Simon's bed. Happiness ensued. 

Great Wolf Hotel and Arcade

Some random pictures from the room at the waterpark hotel and of the arcade that we walked by on our way to our room.

The hotel also did a story time every evening at 8pm. The first night I tried to keep Lillian in the room to go to sleep while Alan and Simon went to the story time. Lillian was having none of it and she screamed pretty solid for the 30 minutes they were gone. Everyone went to bed at 9:30 that first night (the night of the funeral). The second night, after a day at the waterpark and Lillian's 3rd day with no nap we just let her go to story time and again everyone went to bed at 9:30. Such tired kids.

Story time with Lillian was great. They had a big clock area with animatronics that talked and sang - and a Native American girl came out to sing with a European boy named SIMON! Then Wiley Wolf came out and stood next to the person reading a story. Simon sat quietly mesmerized the whole time, both times. Lillian was amazed as well, but dealt with it differently... she got up and wanted to touch everything. There was a crowd of parents and kids sitting around the lobby and she was so much quicker than me - I had a few parents in front of me who would help snag her and return her to me. When Wily Wolf came in she screamed and jumped she was so happy - then she shouted HI, I'm LILLIAN! It was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen (even as tired as I was).

When we registered they asked if we were celebrating. I told them it was Lillian's birthday and they gave her a special bracelet (which she ADORED wearing) and it gave her free ice cream for the duration of the visit. What a nice girl I'm raising, she shared with her mother.

Lillian mirrored Simon's movements with her arms.
We were watching some TV while waiting for breakfast restaurant to open.

She liked to touch all the balls,
but couldn't throw it quite hard enough to get the lift at the end.

Riding like a pro!

Wily Wolf made and afternoon appearance!

Lillian loved him, but from a few steps away. 

Showing off her sticker that Wily gave her - of Wily Wolf himself!

TVs in the restaurant played cartoons - we couldn't get the kids to look at us during breakfasts.

Ice cream in front of a fireplace

Checking to see if it will come alive in the day time too.

Water Park Pictures and Video

On our way home from the funeral we stopped at Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark and the kids experienced a waterpark for the first time. Both kids have swum in a pool and loved the experience, but this was waterslides, wave pools, lazy river and pools. It was a great time for us all - a fun filled break from the very emotional past couple months. The kids absolutely loved it - especially Lillian. We didn't bring our phones/cameras into the water park (except for one quick moment at the end) so we only have a few pictures that give you just a glimpse of the hours of swimming and pool time.

KiKi's Minnesota Funeral

On Thursday we went to Grandma Kiki's funeral. It was a hard day for me and even though we tried we never quite got a family picture. And somehow I didn't really get a picture of the funeral or reception displays either. The kids were great during the ceremony. Lillian called my name when I got up to speak and Simon wanted to hug Grandpa Bart when he got sad - and at the end Simon ran up to Grandpa Bart's arms and waved at the whole crowd. In general it was as good a day as could be expected and the kids brought a lightness to the whole thing (for me at least).

Simon and Suzy

Trying to get a picture with the kids. Didn't work.