George & SeaWorld

Sunday and Monday were fun days for the girls.  Sunday morning we went to a birthday party at the Science Center for Zachary (turning 5) and Kaleb (turning 3) Zbaraschuk and also Luke Deininger (turning 5).  I had always wondered about what birthday parties at the Science Center are like and now we know.  The party was in a private back room and it starts off with several experiments as one might expect when you're at a science center.  One of the experiments was lighting a fire underneath a balloon until the balloon pops.  Apparently this freaked Calleigh out (couldn't believe it was her instead of Aubree) and she started crying.  So Duncan had to quickly remove her.  She eventually calmed down and was able to come back to participate in making some ooze.  The party was neat in that we got to see some people that we don't see all that often like my old boss, Doug, and his family.  After the party, we were able to go on our own into the museum as the party attendance gives you access to the museum for the day (our passes expired at the beginning of March and we haven't renewed them yet).  At one point, Calleigh went over to a car simulator ride to find Luke, the birthday boy, using it.  We don't know him all that well but Calleigh started talking to him and asked him how old he was turning.  When he said "five" she asked him, "Do you have any loose teeth?"  She's very much into loose teeth thanks to several library books we've read of late.  Needless to say, she won't be crying about losing her first tooth like I did!  She can't wait until she has a loose one.

The theme of the party was Curious George, which goes along with the exhibit there, and my friend Jennifer made George (well, sortof George, it's a long story) cookies as the parting gift.  The girls and I have been nursing those cookies a little at a time since then and they're SO delicious.  I had been tempted to try to avoid having the girls see the cookies so I could just eat them myself but I figured that was a little mean.

Stirring the goo or ooze, or whatever you want to call it.

The birthday boys.

Sunday night I got a message from said friend Jennifer about going to SeaWorld the next day and since we didn't have any plans, I thought, why not?  I had momentary second thoughts when I thought about pushing the double stroller around the park, being 7 1/2 months pregnant, in 90 degree weather.  But, that didn't stop me.  I ended up taking the single Bob stroller which is much easier to push.  Calleigh can perch herself on the front and as long as Aubree doesn't kick her (which is actually a pretty big "if") all works well.  Thankfully, Aubree saved her kicking for the very end so it worked out.  Jennifer's boys, Blake and Evan, are almost five and three so they're both a year older than Calleigh and Aubree, respectively.  Calleigh gets along just perfectly with Blake despite him being a boy.  She was chasing him all over the place and laughing up a storm.        As I told Jennifer, she's not a delicate flower so she can hang in there pretty well with the rough housing.  My favorite part was when just the two of them went on the roller coaster together.  There was barely anyone else on it but somehow they picked the last row.  Calleigh was smiling broadly the whole ride.  And then they made the executive decision to ride it a second time and didn't bother getting off.  I had to go up the ramp and tell them to get off when it came into the station the second time.  Awww, she's growing up!

Not that you can see this very well but here they are on the coaster.

Since it was so hot, we brought the bathing suits and they all went in the splash fountains.  I was intrigued as to how Aubree would do.  I brought Calleigh to SeaWorld with my mother for the first time on 4/2/09 which would make her and Aubree virtually the same age.  Calleigh went bonkers over the fountain and I got so many great pictures and video of her running around in it.  Well, Aubree was just a little bit different you could say.  She did go in but it certainly wasn't with any of the exuberance Calleigh had displayed at that age.  Aubree only stayed at the one fountain and would put her hands in from time to time.  I keep telling myself that they're all different and there's no question that Aubree is certainly different than Calleigh when it comes to water activities (fountain, pool, ocean, etc).

Calleigh, in all her glory, at the same fountain at the same age.

Not quite the same reaction from Aubree.

As we were walking through the park I heard this voice say "Corey, Corey."  I looked around and there's Mika and his wife Cara and their twin boys.  Ricky works with Mika in Maryland and I went to Andrews with both of them.  I knew they were in the area this week but I certainly didn't think I would bump into them like that.  So that was neat.

By about 1:00, Aubree started getting pretty grumpy and that was definitely our cue to leave although I was planning to leave around then anyway.  I had to bribe her with Gatorade to get her to be quiet and stay in the stroller (it was just as well as it was so hot and they barely had drunk anything).  Calleigh gulped hers down like it was an addictive drug.  We pulled out of the parking lot at 1:24 and got home at 2:00 so it was a quick trip home.  I had brought a lunch to eat in the car so I could keep Aubree awake (which it did).  I've always wanted to go just go to the park on a random weekday and it was so much better going with friends.  What was also VERY nice is that Calleigh fell asleep within 10 minutes of quiet time starting.  However, when she woke up (she was on her cot), I noticed a giant wet spot underneath her and I could have kicked myself for not thinking of putting a diaper on her.  Obviously all the Gatorade had flowed through her system.  Oops!

Last night Megan came over and I helped her with her taxes.  I would say she's the only one I know who waited until the last week to get it done but that would be a lie!

Today we were off to our usual storytime festivities with Yolanda and Emma.  I don't think I mentioned it before but Calleigh is the proud owner of her very own library card as of a few weeks ago.  We really got it more out of necessity than anything else.  Apparently you can only check out a maximum of 25 books which I had done on my card.  We had a bunch of books to return and instead of lugging all the books into the library, I returned them in the receptacle outside to save myself the trouble.  Well, of course, the library doesn't retrieve them until the end of the day and thus, I couldn't check out any more books on my card.  Hence, Calleigh got a card.  She was very proud of the fact so I was happy she got it.  She made sure that the books we checked out today were on HER card.

I forgot to mention that on Sunday afternoon we went for, what I hope be, our weekly recycle bin dive.  Man, they make it so easy for us.  Duncan hopped in there and within about 10 minutes, we had a ton of papers.  Somebody with access to many papers is throwing the leftovers in there and it is so nice especially since it's probably about 125 degrees in that bin.  This time there were a bunch of Spanish newpapers that had inserts and it was for several different dates.  For the paper from 3/20, I got 68 coupons inserts!  Of course, I realize there is no way I'll use anywhere near that many (even after splitting it with Jennifer).  But speaking of coupons, earlier in the day, in between First Watch and the birthday party, we made a quick stop at CVS so I could cash in on a great deal.  I got four Air Wick Freshmatic air fresheners, two face cleansers, and a newpaper and I made a net of $2 (yes, that means it was all free plus profit)!  The air fresheners retail for $13 at CVS so I was pretty stoked.  They aren't just your average air fresheners.  Not that am I'm doing a commercial for them but these things are pretty nifty.  They actually sense when there is a smell in the air and it will spray freshener to cover it up.  We put one in Aubree's room right next to the diaper pail and it's definitely doing it's job.  Plus, the girls are pretty intrigued by the whole thing (we have it up very high so they can't reach it).  Anyway, Alison and Lori, this is what you could be getting in on this week but no doubt, they'll all be sold out if you went now.  That's why I hit it up pretty much first thing Sunday morning.

This is much more than it looks when you realize that those aren't full papers but just the advertisement sections that contain the inserts.

I think that's all I have to say for now.  I know there are things that Calleigh talks about during the day that I always tell myself I should write down so I can remember them but of course, I never do.  I think I need one of those little tape recorder thingys so I can make notes to myself as things happen.  Until then, I'll just have to rely on my brain which, at this moment, can't remember anything else of note.

In closing, though, here's a little photo shoot I did with the girls after church.  The dress Calleigh is wearing I got for $.50 at a yard sale on Friday.