Don't eat Pete!

Mom and Dad decided to do something bold, different, daring, and perhaps even a little crazy: they went out on a date. Without the kids. Left the Muffins with a sitter just like that. So, how did the Muffins like being left behind while Mom and Dad enjoyed a quiet dinner at a Chinese place? Very well indeed. The friends who took care of them introduced them to the game "Don't eat Pete!" and let them take the board home, too. From then on out, the game has been a favorite, and the friends are officially known as the "Don't-eat-Pete people." Is it the excitement of the game they love? Or the goodies?

School 2012-2013

The 2012-2013 school year marked the first time that there were more Muffins in school than out, with Amanda off to 3rd grade, and Jared and Curtis off to Head Start. Mom finally got a picture of all five Muffins together during a drop off time one morning:

The boys have really enjoyed school, and Amanda's been having a good year, too. Mom has felt rather like a taxi driver through it all, but we've had lots of adventures in the midst of it all and made some new friends, too.

Clarissa!

Our biggest big event this summer by far was the birth of our newest Muffin, Clarissa. She was a week late, but she came fairly quickly once Mom got to the hospital to be induced. Mom and Dad got to the hospital at 6 a.m. that morning, and Clarissa was born at 9:58 a.m. She was 8lbs 5oz and 19.5in long at birth, and she's been growing pretty quickly since then. Here are some pictures of Clarissa on her actual birth day:

And here are a few pictures of her a bit later. Here she is out for a girls' night with Mom and friends:

Here she is at home with Dad:

And here she is again:

More Clarissa and general Muffin news to come!

Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point

Four kids, an overdue Mom, and a summer day. What to do, what to do. Fortunately, one such day also happened to be a bargain admission day at Thanksgiving Point. We decided to see Farm Country, and when we saw the crowds at some of the other attractions, we were especially happy with our choice. Yes, there was a bit of a line, but the Muffins waited it out well. First stop: a cow bench.

We then moved on to some real animals. Here are Lydia and Curtis checking out goats:

They thought this little rock climber goat was especially cute:

We also saw a guanaco:

There's a series of picture books about sheep in various settings (Sheep in a Jeep, etc.). Here we have inspiration for the next great sheep classic: "Sheep in the Shade"

After passing through a variety of fowl, horses, and swine, we found a waterfowl pond, which looked like this:

And this is how the Muffins looked watching the activity at the pond:

Or at least that's how they were until Mom splurged and let them get a bit of feed for the fowl:

Eventually, we moved on to other exhibits, including an indoor attraction that had tunnels for the smaller Muffins to play in:

The major event of the outing was definitely the pony ride. The admission price included a ride, and Mom was determined that the Muffins would get their ride. Some doubted during the hour (or more) we spent in line waiting, but in the end, all four Muffins did indeed get on horseback. Here they are, as seen by Mom who was stationed by Lydia for the duration of the ride:

Amanda on a horse

Jared on a horse

Curtis on a horse

Lydia on a horse

There was one other special attraction of note: a great deal on fudge. On our way back from buying some, we passed by the rose garden:

And there you have it, the Muffins in Farm Country.

Of Slip-and-slides and Snails

One afternoon this summer we came home to find friends from Ohio on our doorstep! They couldn't stay long then, but since they were going to be in the area for a while, we set up some play times. First, their grandma graciously allowed us to join them at her place for some afternoon slip-and-sliding. The Muffins were also pleased to find a dog to play with.

But wet fun with long-lost friends was definitely the highlight for the older Muffins.

Another day, our friends came back to our place. Lydia and Kai made an important discovery: snails.

And that's pretty much what everyone was interested in for the rest of the play time.