Birthday Fiestas!

January brings many birthdays in our household, which although it is a little too close to Christmas, it adds little excitement to an otherwise somewhat boring month!  We also had Pokagon in the beginning of the month, which we still talk about and miss so much. 

Andrew woke up to this train city throughout our living room on his birthday.  It was a hand me down from a friend, but we waited to give it to him on his birthday.  We have oodles of Geo-Trax train toys. 

Although it may be little going on in January, we still take time to enjoy the snow.  This is our first snow day of the year! 

One of Andrew's presents, a nerf gun.  He also received a pillow pet, some squinkies, and the train set.  The grandparents used their talents and made Andrew a catapult (sternberg) and a ABC photo book (koning). 

Sylvia looking through the fish tank at Pokagon.  Love this picture!

Exploring the Lodge, one of our favorite things to do at Pokagon

Gracie's FAVORITE shirt.  She would wear it everyday if it were allowed, even in the winter.

We played many games

Painted in the craft store

I think swimming won the prize for the amount of time spent and our favorite for this year.  Thanks, Aunt Jane for the swimming toys.  It would have been a totally different experience without them!

Gracie's birthday pictures to come soon!

1/8/12

A funny thing happened this weekend:

Gracie?  I think not!

First if all, to answer the last poll question, Andrew did indeed get 2 goldfish for Christmas (valued by Meijer at 19 cents each, and guaranteed to live for a week!).  When asked what their names were, he replied, "Gracie and......Lisa!"  This of course upset Sylvia.  But she was assured that the fish would die soon and that the next replacement would be named Sylvia.  (By the way, no idea whatsoever where the name Lisa came from - cute preschooler?).

Well, here is the funny - and sad! - part.  A week went by (Wednesday was their 1 week birthday), and our new family members were thriving.  Getting ready to leave for the weekend (Pokagon - more pictures of that later), Laura asked some friends to watch our fish.  We usually watch their dogs when they leave town.  It was mostly a funny way to have someone watch our fish.

As you can guess, Laura picked them up from our friends (who shall remain nameless until the lawsuit goes through!) and we soon realized Gracie was no more!  She used to have a small black dot on her tail, which was now gone and she was slightly bigger now.  This was not Gracie!  Imposter!

Funny thing is, our "friends" mentioned nothing about it.  Hmm.  Sounds fishy to me!

More on this case later.

Birthday Wishes for the Birthday Boy!