before and after

Allison was the lucky girl when we moved in to have floor to ceiling wallpaper. She said first thing, "blue is a boys color I want a pink room!" We started peeling and weeks turned into months...along with holidays and other things taking time...we just finished. We found a nice color wall underneath. (The inside of the closet should have warned us, the picture doesn't show just how bad it was!)

Allison choose her princess pink and was sure she wanted rainbow polka dots all over the walls. I kept trying to convince her white polka dots were what she wanted, she wouldn't have it. Then she decided she wanted them small all the same size. My parents were here to help figure out ways we could get dots on the walls. We considered painting them using a marshmellow, sponge, stencil, but we finally went for some vinyl dots which had to be punched from the bigger ones I had bought. Here it is

An adventure as a family

A brilliant friend of mine has a monthly family adventure where a different child chooses an activity for all the family to go and do. I loved the idea and decided our family would start a monthly family outing. David was the first to choose. His choice: drive through "THE TUNNEL" and go to the Ecotarium. Saturday was the day. Here is the photo journey.

In the car.

Since we have moved there is one thing that a sweet five year old boy has asked to do numerous times. Not knowing where it goes, or always heading to an appointment when we pass this tunnel we have never gone through it. I always figured it went to a hotel parking lot and we would get stuck. Our first spot was "the tunnel". If you can see through the dirty windshield

it goes off a main street and has no signs telling where it goes.

We were pleased to see that it put us right down to the main street avoiding a busy intersection. Guess I should have tried it sooner.

At the Ecotarium we saw animals on the way in, but the kids were excited to sit and learn about box turtles. We learned that boy box turtles have orange eyes and curved undershells and they will pee on the floor as they try to bite a toy turtle. Allison thought they were great!

Bridget liked her toy frog more.

We then moved on to see about wind and water. As I was watching David and Allison I learned they have something in common...watch their mouths when they are concentrating.

Making waves and making the boats collide was fun.

David had fun trying to connect tubes to see how air can lift a balloon or fabric.

He was so excited to figure out how to make the ball float above the red tube.

While the kids were working, Dad was too. He found a pendulum and magnets and sat moving them around. I couldn't get the camera out fast enough as he was straddling the base, but he looks quite proud of himself as he made the pendulum stop moving.

Bridget was still happy in her stroller.

Their was a biosphere with up close and personal chance to see the plants. Too bad Allison was a bit too short.

With a break for lunch we all were refreshed and ready to head outside to see some more animals.

It was a bit cold

That didn't stop Bridget from falling asleep.

David ran off way and Allison turned to find acorns. She was so excited to see so many.

Then when I told her I didn't have a bag for them she found a nice little place in the snow for them.

Then decided they were dirty and wouldn't be picking them up again.

We got to the polar bear and only wished that she would have been swimming.

What a fun day was had by all!

Baby Bilibo

All the kids got a Bilibo for Christmas.

They are these funny little plastic shaped things that can be used as chairs, turtle shells, stools. We have tried them as sleds, snow ball makers or beds for dolls. The kids seem to come up with many uses for them. Bridget got a little set of two more her size. Allison quite frequently hides them under her big pink one saying it is the mom and these are the baby turtles.

Allison took it upon herself to teach Bridget how to use them and have fun with them. Smack them together to make sounds.Wear them as a hat.

I think she is getting it.

Then take them to Grandpa and have him wear them as a hat too.

You have to hold really still to keep them on your head.

Trying to look through the hole is just as hard as balancing on your head.

Fun with Grandpa

The kids discovered another way they can have fun with Grandpa and how strong he is. They repeatedly made them lift them up and down in as many ways as they could think to balance on his hands. Alone or at the same time, poor grandpa got his workout for the hour or so they kept him busy. Then they started getting squirmy and fell on top of him.

(Notice the yellow painted walls...they are no longer purple thanks to our guests too! Can you guess who choose yellow. David. We still need to put the stripe around the wall, but it will come soon.)

A day out exploring

With a break in the wind and snow we went for an adventure today. After a drive down historic Deerfield's Old Main street and a flash back to the movie "Little Women" with Wynnona Ryder (all for me. I will have to go back in the warmer months to visit and tour all the old homes) we made our first stop at a Butterfly Conservatory and Garden. David and Allison were super excited to see if they could get a butterfly to land on them.

When we first went in we saw some really cool blue, green and yellow frogs. Allison was excited to see a real tree frog with red eyes...okay so was I! Then we happened upon these creatures. We decided maybe we didn't want to go visit Australia if all the bugs are so big.

Can you spot this 8 inch Australian bug that looks like a branch. UGH.

or this enormous Australian Walking Stick? This isn't zoomed in...they are BIG. We also saw bearded dragons and other Australian creatures. David kept asking, "I wonder if Jen (my sister) sees these by her house in Australia?"

Grandpa was having fun showing Bridget the big bugs.

Inside the Conservatory we found more birds, tortoises and TONS of butterflies. This is Humphrey. David and Allison liked to pet him and watch him explore the area around them. There were so many butterflies you had to be careful where you stepped and often they would fly right in front of your face. We even saw some coming out of their chrsyllis. My mom was busy trying to catch a picture of these certain butterflies that were blue inside, a Blue Morpho. I don't think she ever got a picture of one.

But David and Allison had the chance to hold one.

I caught a "hitchhiker" as they call them as we were walking through. It is an owl butterfly.

Can you tell it was very warm inside. We were all getting red cheeks as we walked around. We saw chameleons, a papaya tree, parrot, other lizards and exotic birds, magnolias, orchids, birds of paradise and gardenias. It smelled wonderful and was a little paradise from the cold New England day.

We then headed over to the Yankee Candle Factory.

The kids tried their hand at dipping candles.

We found some pirates

Visited Santa and learned we only have 358 days to wait until next Christmas. David signed his name on the good list and was out the door.

A sit in his sleigh and then on a horse completed the day.
My mom and I had great fun exploring the many candles, rooms, Christmas decorations and things at the "scenter of the universe".

We finished the day off with a yummy dinner at a little BBQ place that has won many awards. What an adventure and we found more things we want to go back and see.