My Everyday Life

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We went to a birthday party at a bounce house place where they moved the party from the first room with all the toddler sized bounce houses to the next room with (in my opinion) bounce houses for older kids.  That of course, did not stop J and R from wanting to go into the bounce house designed for older kids.  There was a rock climbing wall that you had to scale to get into the bounce castle and then you ran across a bridge to a huge (and steep!) slide with a little bounce in it so you could catch air halfway down the slide.  I.was.terrified.  But, as any good mom would do, I agreed to help the kids scale the climbing wall – J could mostly do it on his own except for the part where the mostly flat and vertical wall had a cliff kind of sticking out that you had to manuever.  R could not do any of it without me following him up and placing his feet in the appropriate footholds.  Then after we got to the top, I had to go down the slide to get out – also terrifying.  First of all, the slide was way too fast for my liking and catching that little bit of air did me in.  What a wimp I have become in my old age!  I got quite the workout helping them through that terrible place.

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This is about our max creativity level with Kristoff.

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The sun sets so early that we have been taking flashlight walks at night with Bauer.  They love walking with their flashlights and asking any neighbors we pass “Can we flash you?”  And then they proceed to flash their flashlights in their faces.  But everyone gets a good laugh from their question.

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The Santa display at our local mall is licensed as a Frozen theme this year.  So of course, when J saw it we HAD to go in.  The first time, the line was 5 hours long.  I said no way and chose to deal with the inevitable tantrum that would (and did) ensue.  The next time we went I prepped him beforehand “we’ll only go if there is a short line.” Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Sure enough we got there and the line was pretty short BUT was for dogs only – they called it “Santa Paws.”  J was heart broken yet again.  But the third time we went the line was really short – I was thrilled!  We ran through the mall, to the elevator and then back to center court where the display was.   It still took over 2 hours.  But they did love playing in the ice palace while we waited to see Santa.

Not the most accurate measuring tape.

J with “Grace Picerno” and the “other Grace.”  These are his two besties at school.  We hear about “Grace Picerno” all.the.time.  It’s really hilarious that he calls her by her full name.  And the other Grace in his class he refers to as the “other Grace.”  To her face.  Anyhow, they are besties and were so excited to see each other when we arrived at the Arboretum that they all squealed and started jumping up and down.  And then they held hands as we waited in line to look at the gingerbread houses. (cue heart melting from the cuteness!) They stuck together like a little posse and the only time they were separated was when J went back (multiple times) to admire his favorite gingerbread house (see below).

This is the one I voted for as “best gingerbread house.”

And the Frozen ice palace is (unsurprisingly) the one J voted for.