The weather has decided to coorperate with us, so yesterday me, Grandpa, Scott, Adam and Zach headed to Burr Oaks nature center and let the boys walk off some energy. We took a 1/2 mile nature walk and saw dead bugs, mushrooms growing out of trees, squirrels and birds. It was so warm that the boys didn't wear any coats. Inside the center we saw live snakes, turtles and fish, and a stuffed bobcat, beavier, eagle and a few other things that I can't remember. After, we stopped to play at Pink Hill Park. We met Grammy for lunch at PT's...a diner that specializes in pork tenderloin sandwiches. We all enjoyed our food and decided we were so full we may not even eat dinner!

Today me, Scott and the boys headed out to Fort Osage, an 1812 reconstructed historic fort overlooking the Missori River. It served as one of the first military outposts and government trade houses in the Louisiana Purchase. You could go into the barracks and lookout towers, which even had old cannons in them! The "Factory" showed how a military officer might have lived...the bedroom and kitchen. The boys decided the bed did not look comfortable. Downstairs was a place where they skinned animals (it has a certain name, but I can't think of it now). There were animal hides around, and the boys were a little leery of the one with the bears' head attached, with his mouth open showing his teeth!

Today we went to Union Station to see the model trains that are set up at Christmas each year. It's become somewhat an annual thing...and even though Adam tells me he's too old for trains, we stood there for about an hour and watched.

Then we walked over to Crown Center and let the boys run off some steam. As a rotating exhibit, Crown Center usually has a room set up for kids with different themes. It's been a forest, "What do you want to be when you grow up" dress up, and this time it was a Crayola obstacle course. The boys were almost to old for it, but they went through it about 20 times and seemed to enjoy themselves.

After that, it was off to the much-anticipated Fritz's restaurant, where a train brings your food to you.

For the grand finale, Adam, Zach, Scott and Grandpa rode the glass elevator to the very top floor and back down again!

The boys were up at 6:01 am today. They came into our room (already dressed for the day) to wake us up to see what was under our tree. We managed to talk them into letting us sleep for about 10 more minutes, then we couldn't hold them off any longer. Favorite gifts included Lego's (as you can see from the video below) and BaKuGons.



After all the gifts were opened (6:45 am), the boys headed downstairs to put their new Lego's together. I made some much-needed coffee and jumped in the shower, and Scott may have gone back to bed for a few minutes. We didn't hear a peep out of Adam and Zach until it was time to open stockings (3 hours later). Mom, Dad and Grandma Agnes came over for brunch of sausage and egg casserole, fruit, and pancakes. Then we loaded up the van and headed to KC.

Snow day!

We put Adam to work shoveling the snow (his idea). After he cleared the porch, he informed me that he should get paid $10 for doing this kind of work.


Here is Zach with his face in the snow (his idea). Then he got upset because he got snow on his face and it was making his face wet. Well, if you put your face in snow, you're going to get wet!

We attended Zach’s preschool Christmas program today. More than 70 four and five year olds…along with about 100 admirers attended this world-class concert. Video cameras were a-rolling and flashbulbs were popping. Zach was in the front row and waved at us as he walked in.








They sang 12 songs including Jingle Bells (Zach’s favorite), Special Star, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands and We Wish You A Merry Christmas.







After the program we had apple juice and apple cider and Christmas cookies...that was the most exciting part of the whole day, as you can imagine.

Here he is singing We Wish You A Merry Christmas.

Why I am exhausted today.

6:00 am: Alarm goes off. Hit snooze.
6:15 am: Alarm goes off. Turn alarm to OFF.
7:00 am: Finally get out of bed
7:10 am: Fix Adam and Zach breakfast.
7:20 am: Inform Adam he needs to wear a red shirt for school spirit day. Mention that he has no clean long-sleeved red shirts, so he’ll have to wear a long-sleeved white shirt underneath his short sleeved red shirt.
7:21 am: Lay out Zach’s clothes.
7:22 am: Argue with Adam about wearing the long-sleeved white shirt under the short-sleeved red shirt. Decide to let it go.
7:23 am: Adam comes out wearing a dirty red long-sleeved shirt he wore to school on Wednesday.
7:25 am: Zach says he can’t move his arms with these “rings” on his sleeves. Inform him that the designs on sleeves usually do not hinder movement in limbs, and besides, he has no other clean shirts.
7:27 am: Zach comes out wearing a different shirt that I think came out of his dirty clothes basket.
7:29 am: Break up an argument because “Zach is acting like a robot and keeps twirling my hair.”
7:30 am: Eat breakfast in peace.
8:10 am: Start the roundup for school – socks, shoes, coats, hats, gloves, backpacks, show-and-tell…does everyone have everything they need?
8:25 am: Off to school.

8:35 am: Drop off Adam.
8:45 am: Starbucks drive-through.
9:00 am: Drop off Zach.
9:10 am: Hobby Lobby.
9:45 am: Library to return 2 books…one that was under my stove that I already paid for, another that I was done reading. Also needed to pick up a book on hold that I talked the nice librarian into holding for me ONE more day, since I couldn’t get there yesterday to pick it up.
9:47 am: Librarian informs me that the library book that I found under the stove I had paid for three years ago and I could keep it. She indicated that maybe she should check under her stove for lost items.
10:05 am: Dillon's to pick up eight items on my list (please note, this is my first trip to Dillon's today).
10:45 am: Check out and end up spending $168.
11:15 am: Drop off Scott at the doctor.
11:30 am: Pick up Zach from pre-school.

11:40 am: Zach comes out of his room wearing sweats because his other pants were “too pinchy.”
12:00 pm: Start getting lunch ready.
12:20 pm: Adam gets off the bus and we start eating lunch.
12:30 pm: Scott calls for me to come pick him up.
12:45 pm: Pick up Scott and drop prescription off at Dillon’s pharmacy (2nd time).
1:00 pm: Finish lunch and boys go to their rooms to rest.
1:05 pm: Clean up kitchen and start dishwasher.
1:10 pm: Back to Dillon’s to pick up filled prescription (3rd time).
1:30 pm: Dad informs me that my van is done and is ready to be picked up.
2:15 pm: Dad picks me up to go get my van. Put carseats in Dad’s car.
2:30 pm: Move carseats from Dad’s car to van.
2:34 pm: Start driving to Adam’s doctor's appointment.
2:35 pm: Realize the radio in the van does not work.
2:45 pm: Adam’s appointment with a nurse practitioner who seemed to be talking really loud. Adam has a sinus infection, so she calls in a prescription.
3:15 pm: Back home.

3:30 pm: Start making pasta for baked spaghetti tonight.
3:35 pm: Call auto repair shop to inform them that I just picked up my van, and now the radio does not work.
3:37 pm: Pasta is overflowing on the stove.
4:00 pm: Back to the repair shop.
4:20 pm: Repair guy does not know what is wrong with the radio. Informs me that it will probably have to go to the dealer to get it fixed.
4:30 pm: Back home and put baked spaghetti in oven. Had to use a smaller dish, because the one I usually use is dirty.
4:50 pm: Hear something sizzling and realize my baked spaghetti is overflowing in the oven. Put a cookie sheet underneath it to catch the drips. Decide to clean it up later.
5:00 pm: Eat dinner.

5:15 pm: Tell the boys they have to put on turtlenecks underneath their shirts because we are going to be outside looking at lights at the gardens. Have to listen to Zach complain because turtlenecks “squeeze my neck.” Load up boys to go see lights at the gardens - socks, shoes, coats, hats, gloves.
5:25 pm: Stop by Dillon’s to pick up Adam’s prescription (4th time).
5:40 pm: Pick up Oma & Papa.
6:00-6:45 pm: Repeatedly say “please walk,” and “don’t stand so close to the fire.”
7:00 pm: Let the boys pick out a “treat” after seeing the lights. Explain to Zach that “Frito pie” is not like a dessert pie.
7:05 pm: Am mortified when Zach says “Did you see that little lady?” in a loud voice, when referring to a little person.
7:10 pm: Inform Adam that if he asks me one more time about his candy cane, I won’t let him eat it at all. Ever.
7:40 pm: Back home. Tell boys to get their pj’s on. They do, and then run downstairs to watch part of a roller coaster show with Scott.
8:00 pm: Realize the pharmacy gave me the wrong prescription. It was a prescription for Adam that was placed two weeks ago, that I had forgotten about.
8:01 pm: Call Dillon’s to see if they have another prescription for Adam. They do.
8:05 pm: Go downstairs to tell Scott that I’m going back to Dillon’s to get Adam’s prescription. Adam is already asleep. Zach is wide awake.

8:10 pm: Off to Dillon’s (5th time).
8:12 pm: Gas light comes on.
8:25 pm: Get prescription at Dillon’s.
8:30 pm: Almost home and then realize I still need to get gas. Head to QT to fill up.
8:51 pm: Zach still awake watching roller coaster show with Scott. Adam still asleep on the couch.
8:52 pm: Help Zach get ready for bed.
8:55 pm: Carry Adam upstairs to his bed.
8:57 pm: Zach asks for a drink of water.
9:07 pm: Finally get around to clearing dirty dishes from dinner. Stacked them in sink to deal with later (like tomorrow).
9:34 pm: Zach finally asleep.