Wordless Wednesday

Just a Random Saturday...

I think Ella predicted the future today...

Mike left for work early this morning, so I was in for another weekend day alone with the kids. On days like today, I usually make them pancakes or waffles...but of the frozen variety.

Ella and Aidan know the sound of the freeze drawer opening and always come running when they get the slightest hint that I may be in that secret drawer of fun. 

Ella loves ice.  Aidan, not so much.  She will carry around pieces of ice and suck on them until they are either gone, or melted puddles scattered about the floor.

This morning, she picked her biggest piece yet!

After breakfast, I took the kids on a Target run, and then to lunch. On our way home from lunch we stopped at the fire station to see Mike and spend some time with "Dada".  Well, poor little Aidan was exploring and when I chased after him, he tripped over my foot and landed face first onto the hard concrete.

Aidan got his first fat lip.  

Good thing we were in a fire station!  All of the medical amenities we could want or need, and plenty of assistance!

He was pretty miserable for the rest of the day, and refused to eat much dinner.  It's a good thing he always has his bunny.

Ella and Aidan's First Snow!

We actually got snow yesterday!  We got about 1 1/2 inches...not much, but enough for the kids to have a ball!

I am so glad that Mike just happened to be off - it was perfect timing and we had a wonderful day!

Snowy morning:

Watching the snow fall:

So excited to go outside:

Taking a snowy walk:

 

Poor Aidan took a MAJOR faceplant!

Ella's first sled ride:

Aidan's first sled ride:

Happy boy:

Happy girl!

Happy family!

Mealtime Manners

What happens when Daddy is in charge of dinner:

Discovery Place

We spent a wonderful morning yesterday at Discovery Place.  We purchased a two year membership a few months ago (which also includes the Charlotte Nature Museum) and to date, I think that we have already made it worth the money!

We love it - and more importantly, Ella and Aidan LOVE it!

Here are just a few snippets of the fun we had!

Ella kissed a pig....

.....danced....

....saw a shark up close....

....had fun with her reflection....

...and crawled through tunnels...

Aidan discovered bears....

....dinosaurs....

....the man behind the curtain...

....and learned about gravity.

Together, Ella and Aidan learned about snakes....

....and bears....

....drove a truck...

....played in water....

....and saw the WORLD (or, according to them - "ball")!

Nature Museum

Mike and I took Ella and Aidan to the Charlotte Nature Museum on Saturday morning and they had a total blast!  They had fun the last time we went, but this time, they really got into the animals a bit more and were so funny!

Ella went up to each animal (owl, dove, skunk, opossum, groundhog, etc) and greeted them by waving and saying "hello".  Adian, well he had more fun just running, running, running all over the place.

We spent a long time in the butterfly pavilion - Ella loves butterflies (fwiii - as she calls them). They would chase the butterflies, and when one would fly towards either Ella or Aidan they would giggle with pure delight!  

While we were in the butterfly pavilion an employee asked if we would like to help him release some of the newest butterflies from their "hatching station".

So, we got to participate as he released a new baby butterfly for its very first flight.  She / he sat on my hand and Ella and Aidan got an up close look at the butterfly. What a wonderful and truly unique experience!

After the museum we headed out to lunch at Cantina 1511.  

It was a wonderful morning and was so nice to spend some much needed time together as a family.