Snow!

It rained last night and this morning, but around 8 am, it started turning into snow. After a few hours we had 1/2 to 1 inch of snow (it's almost all melted now). So we bundled the boys up and took them outside. This was Rylan's very first time playing in the snow.


He was a fan!





I always try to make snowmen when it snows, but it's never been the right type of snow (at least since we've had kids). We've managed to make a snowman once a couple of years ago, but it wasn't easy. Today, it was super easy. Just start with a little snowball and roll!

We made snowmen to represent our family (L to R: Rylan, me, Brian, Charlotte, Carter) ...



As soon as we were finished and I got a few pictures, the boys decided to destroy the snowmen!




The destroyed family ...


One of the gifts I ordered for Christmas was from LL Bean. With the order I got a free gift card for $10. There isn't much you can order for under $10, but I found a snowball maker for $9 and ordered it.


It makes awesome (and hard!) snowballs!




Carter enjoyed throwing snowballs at me. Rylan enjoyed collecting the snowballs and then putting them through our fence.



The boys FINALLY got to really use their boots from GG and Papa Art.


The last few years Carter has been in regular shoes and jeans and non-waterproof jackets when we play in the snow. Today I finally felt like the boys were dressed well to prevent them from getting soaked and freezing. I got some really cheap snowpants at Old Navy at the end of last winter and have much better jackets and gloves this year.

Charlotte had a blast in the snow too. She was soaked from laying in the snow though by the time we went inside.


Now that we had a snow we can play in, I'll be fine with not getting any more the rest of the winter. I'm happy the mild weather is supposed to return this week.

U.S. Space & Rocket Center

Yesterday morning Carter made up the gymnastics class he missed on Monday and then we drove down to Huntsville, AL to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (this is where they do Space Camp). It was a 1 1/2 hour drive down I-65. And best of all, we got in free with our AMSE membership (which is a super cheap membership to a museum in Oak Ridge). The kids are still free but it costs $20 per adult at the Space & Rocket Center!

Rylan slept for most of the drive down, we had a quick lunch, and then went to the Space & Rocket Center. It was like a mini Kennedy Space Center. Parts of it are a little old, but there is a great new building housing a restored Saturn V rocket. It's just like the one we saw at Kennedy a couple of years ago.

Unfortunately I forgot all my cameras. We didn't decide to go to Huntsville until an hour before we left for gymnastics and so we had to hurry to get everyone ready and get everything together. I took pictures with my phone, but it definitely isn't the best.

Rylan pointing at a tall rocket (he was mesmerized when we first got there) ...


The rocket Rylan liked ...


We did a quick walk through the traveling exhibit hall and then headed outside because it appeared that the rain was coming (we got a couple of light sprinkles while there but the major rained stayed south of us).

We checked out the Rocket Park first.



Here is Carter in the Lunar Crater ...


Carter with a submarine in the Military Rockets section ...


Everything other than IMAX shows is included in the cost of admission. I missed out on all the fun rides when we went to Florida because I was pregnant with Rylan and so I decided I wanted to go on the Space Shot Simulator. And it was "free" and I can't pass up anything that is free.


Why?!?

I did NOT enjoy that ride at all. I have apparently gotten old since the last time we've been to an amusement park!

So I made Brian go on the ride next. And he apparently isn't as "old" as me yet.


I think Rylan hated it more than me though. When both Brian and I got shot up in the air, he started crying.

Next we went into the building that houses the Saturn V. It was really impressive and there were a ton of smaller exhibits lining the walls of the building.


The boys as astronauts ...


Carter checking out a lunar excursion module ...



A blurry picture of Carter with a quarantine suit ...


The Saturn V from the top ...


Next we checked out the Space Shuttle Park and had some snacks ...



Our last stop was to actually check out the traveling exhibit center. Here are the boys with Brian this time as astronauts ...


When we were leaving, we saw this guy. Carter is scared of costumed characters and people right now but Rylan was willing to give him five and have a picture.


Brian and I really enjoyed our visit to the Space & Rocket Center and the boys both seemed to like it too. Hopefully I'll remember a camera the next time we visit! Both boys slept the majority of the drive back (SO NICE!) and we were home for dinner.

I'll never pay for the pictures they take of you at tourist places, but I was able to get this off their website this morning. Not a bad picture since everyone is actually looking at the camera!

Redheads

One of Carter's friends from school came over today to play. Carter describes Sophie as his friend with the same color of hair as him. Sophie's mom told me that their teachers told her that Carter and Sophie sit together at storytime and that Carter puts his arm around Sophie. They are quite a cute couple :)


Sophie's little brother Blake (13 months) and her mom Lauren came as well. We also invited over Kelly and her little boy Charlie (18 months). Kelly went to high school with my friend Sarah and just moved to Nashville from Atlanta a couple of months ago. Sarah introduced us over email and we met up this week at the Brentwood Library storytime.

Here are Rylan and Charlie (one is a little more of a ham for the camera) ...


The pool of balls was a big hit. I think that all but about 20 of the balls eventually ended up out of the pool though!


After our playdate and lunch, I took the boys outside to play for awhile before nap. After a few cold days, it's warmed up again. Though I think Sunday we have a chance of snow.





After nap we went to Publix to get a few groceries. The racecar cart was a treat for my boys that are used to the boring carts at Walmart!


Carter hasn't tried to get out of crib yet so we've been leaving him in it. I had planned to get him a big boy bed (probably a twin) once we moved into this house. I haven't gotten around to shopping for a bed yet so we've mentioned to Carter a few times that we were going to take the side off his crib to change it into a toddler bed. (It seems like a good transition step anyway.) We hadn't gotten around to it yet but then Carter asked for me to do it after his nap today. So here's Carter tonight in his "big boy bed", as he calls it. And those are pillows for him in case he rolls out :)


Carter seems to be asleep now. We'll see how the night goes!

Nashville Library Storytime

We ventured downtown to the main Nashville library for their storytime today. We met up with Missy and Suzy and their kids. This was the first time we'd been their for storytime and I was really impressed. There are puppets, juggling, singing, and a few books.

At the end the kids get to come up to the stage for a song. Carter went right up and Will found him to sit next to him (Rylan got up there put got shy and came back to me) ...


I got a little taste of how sweet it's going to be when Carter has a class that performs something (I know he wasn't doing anything here, but I felt like the parent videoing their kids recital) ...

We stuck around for awhile afterwards and let the kids play. The kids discovered this old mouse hole that now has a little house around it with a plaque.

No one was shy about sticking their fingers in there!

Happy Valentine's Day

Carter had PDO today so he got to have a party and exchange Valentines with his friends. In addition to all the lollipops attached to the kids' Valentines, his teachers gave him a bag of Hershey's Kisses. Carter has never had that large of a piece of chocolate before (the most he's had is a few M&Ms). He put one in his mouth, got really large eyes, started rubbing his belly, and said "I like that, Mama".


This is the pouch Carter used to collect his Valentines ...


The craziest Valentine Carter got is this huge chocolate bear! There is no way he'll be eating this!


Sophie's mom is a photographer and she put my cute Valentine of Carter to shame. Isn't this adorable!!!



Sophie and Carter are so cute together with their matching hair!

A few weeks back I came across an awesome deal for a Step 2 table and chairs set sold by JCPenney. A couple of the deal blogs I check regularly posted about it. It was priced at $15 and after a coupon code, tax, and shipping, I think it was going to cost $21. I ordered it knowing it was probably a pricing error and they may not honor the advertised price.

Well, it was an error. They apparently sold as many as they had in stock at that price and then decided to cancel the remaining orders. As consolation, I was sent a code for $50 off a $50+ purchase (at no cost). Score!

I ended up ordering 3 Melissa and Doug toys for the boys that totaled $50 and only had to pay shipping (about $6). These ended up being the boys' Valentine's Day gifts ...





My mom also sent the boys some Valentine gifts. One thing she sent are these dog banks that the boys enjoyed playing with this afternoon.

Rylan's is a little more spastic ...

I gave each boy a few coins to play with. Carter took his to Brian this evening and asked him if he made that money. (Carter doesn't like that Brian has to go to work so I'm always explaining that he works to make money to buy us stuff.) Anyway, it made us laugh.