Discovery Science Center

 Yesterday. we went to the Discovery Science Center with our friends the Denhams.  They have 4 kids and I had my 3.  Below is a picture of us eating lunch together (Baby Kathleen is not in the picture).  People do stare at times. 

 They had a cool Star Wars exhibit which we enjoyed. 

We also got to take a 5 minute "ride" in the Millenium Falcon.

 Lila likes Yoda...small but very powerful and not to be underestimated...kinda like her!

 Upstairs they have a cool exhibit where you get a digital shopping list and have to roam around a store to find the items on the list.  Sky completed the assignment and got her picture up on the wall of shoppers (top right). 

 Sky and Lila worked on a dinosaur puzzle outside.  Lila really liked this!

 Then we spent some time in a VERY fun Dora and Diego exhibit. 

 Lila's favorite part was Tico's Nuthouse where you had to gather nuts (balls) and load them into various vacuum suctioned tubes.

 Brad ate  his weight in grapes while outside in the dinosaur area.

 R2D2 and C3PO were a big hit.

 More Dora fun...  The kids enjoyed loading plastic coins into the piggie slots. 

 Lila loves Baby Jaquar.

Valentine's Fun

 Valentine's Day was such fun!  It started out with pet day at Sky's co-op and Sky shared her cat, Peanut.  Seriously, that is one good cat.  She came out of the cat carrier and let all of the kids hold and pet her!  Sky was so happy to be able to bring her to show her friends.  Sky had a party at her co-op class. 
Then we met Ken at BIOLA for an all-school Valentines lunch.  They even had a chocolate fountain.  It's funny that I took a pic of Brad in front of it because he doesn't even like chocolate!  But he sure looks cute, doesn't he? 
Ken got me pink tulips and chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine's Day.  I shared with the girls and Lila definitely approved.

 Another gift that Ken gave me was to take care of the kids alone for a weekend while I went on a retreat to the mountains with the Talbot Wives Fellowship.  It even snowed about 1/2 inch which was just enough to make everything beautiful and not enough to strand us or cause any trouble. 
My friend Esther and her husband are from Nigeria and this was her first time ever seeing snow!  She was so excited. 

 We had a group of about 18 women and had lots of fun doing nails and facials.  The theme was soul spa and it really was a refreshing time.

 Beautiful!!!  We spent 3 hours of solitude with the Lord on Saturday morning and it was great to have that uninterrupted time!  A few years ago I wouldn't have seen the necessity in something like that but I sure appreciated that it was built into this weekend away. 

 The nature was awesome!  Sometimes I forget just how nature starved I am and then I get to place like this and remember how awesome God's creation really is.  The house we were staying in is a renewal/retreat center and it was decorated so nicely!  I got to room with another faculty wife and we had a lot of fun staying up late and chatting. 

 So I have found this new website that I am totally addicted to!  It's called pinterest.com and it's a place where people "pin" ideas that they like to their various "boards".  You can make as many boards as you want and label them however you want.  I have a board for Christmas ideas, recipes, home improvement/decorating ideas, gift ideas, etc.  And it is so much fun to see other people's ideas!  Here are a few ideas that I used from pinterest.  Above are peanut butter cookies with dove hearts for Valentine's Day.  Below is a headband holder for Sky that I made from an empty oatmeal container (I put other hair stuff inside the cannister). 

 Below are brownie bites that I made into heart shapes by putting a marble on the edge of the cupcake liner. 

 Pinterest has TONS of fun stuff for kids.  One idea was to make creations from sticking pipe cleaners in different formations into a collander (see above).  Another idea was to use a big magnet with pipe cleaners.  Brad played with these for a long time!  Below Brad and Lila are making their own snow globes by filling empty water bottles with sequins, glitter, beads, etc.  Then we hot glued the caps onto the bottles. 

 This was another idea where you can stick a skewer into play doh and then put Cheerios on the skewers.  We added some popsicle sticks to this project.  Very fun! 

 Brad had a dentist appointment on Monday.  No cavities!  Yay!  And the dentist said that he was the best patient that they had all day!  That's Brad.  Notice his special blanket with him on the seat.
Sky came with me for the appointment and when we got home she opened her own dentist office with Lila as her patient.

The other day I found 2 rough and dangerous pirates in my dining room! 

 We spent Tuesday morning at the La Habra Children's Museum.  They had a members only breakfast and music class in celebration of the opening of their new exhibit on music and dance. 

 With Brad going to his Children's Music Academy on Mondays and Sky having piano lessons on Wednesday, Lila took this opportunity to have HER music class.  She really got into it! 

 Brad wasn't really interested in the class so he just sat and ate the free food offered at the breakfast while Lila had fun doing the class.

 The keyboard on the floor was a big hit as well as the regular piano with the front removed so that the kids could see what the inside of the piano does when you strike a key.

 Native American drums!

 Last week I took the kids to a MOMS Club tour of Trader Joe's (a local grocery store).  I was hesitant to go because the last tour I took them on was a bit of a disaster.  They wanted to run around the store and they got bored very quickly.  But, we had the morning free so I figured "why not?". 

 Oh my gosh!  It was the most awesome tour ever!  The tour guide (the guy in all of the pics) was fabulous.  He was opening everything and letting us try it: applesauce, carrots,  bananas, choc. covered pretzels, peanut butter cups, power bars, pepperoni, etc.  And he was GREAT with the kids (I later found out that he has 4 kids of his own).  He told the kids how the food sold here is from all over the world.  We got to see some interesting things like buffalo cheese. 

 He took us in the back room where the garbage is compacted.  The kids thought that was pretty cool.

 He showed the kids the refrigerator and freezer sections where the food is stored.  The kids were saying hi to customers who were on the other side picking out their yogurt.  They were a little freaked out to see kids back there so it was kinda funny.

 Brad was in heaven with all of the free samples.  He was the only one who tried absolutely everything.  Lila spilled her applesauce AND juice box on the tour guides pants.  Seriously!!!  He was so good about it.  He was definitely a fun-loving guy who enjoys kids. 

 At the end of the tour, Anthony, our tour guide, let the kids ring up the groceries.  Then he gave each mom a bouquet of flowers, the organizing mom a huge bag of groceries, and each kid a goodie bag with MORE FOOD.  Needless to say, I didn't have to make lunch that day!