Great Wolf Lodge

Last weekend we went to the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine for a little weekend getaway! It was so much fun, the kids did not want to leave. This resort has a giant indoor waterpark available only to the guests.

Ben and Aliza walking into the "wolf den"

The kids had such a good time, Aliza even got to go down some of the large slides. She really did not meet the height requirement, but none of the lifeguards were enforcing it so we took advantage and let her go down them all with us.

Aliza and Dad at the end of the waterslide

Lilly loved the water as well, she kept wanting to go down the little blue slide, she did not care about water in her face or anything. Ben loved swimming around the lazy river, and Aliza loved the wave pool. Needless to say we spent alot of time at the waterpark.

Lilly having fun

Go Ben Go

The hotel also had an interactive magic game called Magic Quest which was basically like a treasure hunt around the hotel. This was a very expensive game because not only did you have to buy the magic wand for $15 you then had to pay $10 to activate it. They are raking in the money with this thing let me tell you! Don and Ben had fun playing it though.

Cute Lilly

Overall the hotel was very nice, it was set up like a log cabin, the room we stayed in was the wolf den suite. It had a "wolf den" with bunkbeds for the kids and there own tv, they loved it. Let me say the bed we had to sleep on was HORRIBLE! I mean come on this is a brand new hotel, and we are paying a pretty penny to stay there, they can do much better!

Ben and Aliza

We only ate in the hotel one time due to price, but it was fun. We had a great desert called smore's fondue. It was melted chocolate that came with skewers, marshmallows, graham crackers, bananas, and strawberries, it was delicious. All in all it was a nice little break from the everyday, thanks Great Wolf Lodge!

Magi "Sonic"

Magi "Peach"

Go Cardinals

Ben played t-ball again this spring, and this year he was placed on the Cardinals. They have done very well, they are currently in 3rd place and the playoffs start tonight (yes there are playoffs for t-ball, crazy I know)! Ben has really enjoyed playing, and is actually pretty good. The coach usually has him playing in center field, but he has also played first base and short stop. During the last game, he got 2 outs in one inning! He was really excited. Next year he will move up to coach pitch and that should be exciting, we need to start practicing for that now!

Ben on first base

Ben running home (he was safe)

Lilly walking

So this is my first video blog, I just realized my camera can take video clips! So here is Lilly walking, pushing Aliza's carebear in the stroller. Both my girls just love to push the baby dolls in the stroller, but it is so cute to see Lilly do it, she was walking it all over the house.

Family Time

We had such a night relaxing night last night, scouts was cancelled so Don was home and the kids were all in good moods as well. Ben spent the evening playing a new computer game, Aliza spent time dancing with mom and dad, and playing polly pockets, and Lilly spent a little time with every one.

Aliza dancing with daddy ( isn't this picture adorable!)

Aliza, Lilly, and mom playing polly pockets

Lilly in Aliza's cowgirl boots

Ben's haircut

The days are getting warmer here in Texas, school will be out in just a couple of weeks and Ben was overdue for a haircut. Put all those things together and I guess I really had no choice it was time for a buzz!

While this really isn't my favorite Ben wanted it so I guess it's no big deal, no more fighting to get him to brush his hair I guess! He and Lilly look even more alike now - what do you think?

Don always works late on Wed. night so after the haircut I took the kids to McDonalds for dinner, here are a few cute pictures of Lilly eating her hamburger (she is soooo cute!)

Dinner time antics

So last night we were eating dinner and Ben wasn't feeling very good, so after eating only a few bites I let him leave the table. Aliza happily ate all of her breadstick and mashed potatoes, but did not want to eat her turkey. She went to the refrigerator to get the ketchup and came back with a pudding cup. I told her she could have the pudding after she finished her dinner. So she ate about 4 bites of turkey, and then started her show! With one hand on her stomach and the other hand on her forehead she told me she was too full and that her tummy hurt. I told her she could be done and she gave a sigh of relief and got down from her chair. She walked over to me to get her pudding of course and I told her "remember Aliza you are too full your tummy hurts". She just looked at me then looked at Don with a little twinkle in her eye (because she knew she was caught!) and said "oh yeah, I have to go to the bathroom". She runs into the bathroom and comes right back out and says "I was just joking my tummy doesn't hurt I can eat my pudding"! What a con artist, She then of course had to eat the rest of her dinner (which she quickly did) before getting her pudding. It was hilarious, Don and I were cracking up. I only which we had it on tape. Aliza you are a funny funny girl.

Time for glasses

On monday Aliza had an appointment with the eye doctor where we learned she had some problems with her vision and that she would now need to wear glasses!

I had mixed emotions that day, I felt bad as a mom for not knowing that there was a problem for so long, the dr told be to her everything probably looks blurry. Then I was glad that we found out there was a problem while she was young and not yet in school, where it may have caused some learning problems, and then I remember how I felt as a kid having to wear glasses - I hated it. As all of my family can attest to too. So I think how am I going to make this poor girl wear these glasses. Although once we went and looked at frames I realized the glasses they have now are soooooo much cuter than what I had! She picked out the ones she wanted which are pink and purple (of course) with the Barbie design logo on the side. So then last night the lady from the optometrist called and said Aliza's glasses were ready. We had been hyping her up about them all week so she was excited to get them. She looks precious in them (precious is something people here in Texas say all the time). So whenever you see Alilza tell her how cute she is with her new glasses!

Kittens

Yes we are irresponisble pet owners, back in July we got two cats and never had them fixed, and now we are the proud parents of 5 baby kittys! While they are very cute, and the kids love them we will not be keeping them. Don has started to think of the cats as real people and is digusted by their behavior. First of all we think the mom and dad are brother and sister - I don't think that any more needs to be said there. Most of the time the cats stay in the garage, so if I ask Don to go get something from the freezer or the car he just looks at me and says, "You want me to walk through the den of sin?!" It's hilarious. Then he gets mad at Leo (the dad cat) because he eats all the food or sleeps in the nice box bed and says to the cat - "nice Leo you knock her up (I hate that phrase by the way) and then you take her bed. Anyway it's just funny because he treats them like real people.

The kittens are cute, they are about 4 weeks old now, Aliza and Ben go out to play with them every day. When they were just a few days old they even gave them a bath, dunking and holding them all the way under the water! Luckily dad came out and saw what they were doing, they weren't allowed to see the kittens any more for awhile! Lilly loves the kittens as well, when she sees them she gets all excited and tries to grab for them and then gets mad at us when we take them away.

What a GREAT student

I can not believe that Ben's first year of school is almost over. He has loved every day of it. He is so smart. Every time I talk to his teacher she just praises him and tells me how smart he is. One area that he excels at is reading. By the end of kindergarten the students must be in a level "C" book, Ben is currently reading in level "M" with one other girl. Ms Henry (Ben's teacher) told me the other day that most of the kids in first grade are still not reading at this level. So the other day Ben got to go down to the Principal's office (Ms.Nerby), and read to her. He was very excited about that and he recieved this certificate.

A few days after that he was chosen by his teacher to go to the EAGLZ news room to present the morning announcements with another little girl. They are the first and only kindergarteners to be asked to do it this year. They taped it like a newscast and it will be broadacast to all the classrooms on Monday May 12, Ben was so excited to do it, he came home and told us word for word everything he said. We are so proud of you Ben, you are a great student!