Vacation Day 4: Dutch Village, fireworks

Picture overload!  There were so many cute ones today.

The full group shot.  It's a bit dark, but the only one we managed to take.  Oh, we went to Dutch Village today.

We started with the Ferris wheel because there was no line.  Isaac loved it, as expected.

Joshua went on it with Ben, but only once.

Then Joshua went on some scooter things, where you're supposed to turn the wheel back and forth to go forwards.  He did ok.  I gave him several pushes.

We watched the Dutch Dancers.  They asked if people thought the shoes were uncomfortable and when hands were raised said that because we didn't have enough socks.  I'd like to mention that I did wear enough socks and they were still uncomfortable.  The dance was fun, although different than the one done on the public streets during Tulip Time.  Probably for the best so visitors can see multiple variations.

We went on the swing chairs.  Isaac liked it, although wished the sprayer was on.  Joshua did not like them, but at least didn't freak out.

Then the thing that spins with horses (because I can never spell carasel.  Or spinny/spinney/spiny).  I asked Joshua if I should stand by him or ride behind him and he said ride, so I got to ride too!

Ben watched our youngest member.

There was a wooden shoe making demo, along with a large shoe for pictures.  (I know, they're dark.  I'm not going to edit them though as there are too many.)

The pumpers!  This was the non-ride item that Isaac wanted to do the most.

The band picture!  We've managed to take a similar picture ever since Niagara.  The kids got in on this too.

And just the adults.

We then went home for lunch and naps (since it was going to be a late night).  But since admission is for all day, we came back!  Isaac wanted to ride the Ferris wheel and Joshua wanted to go down.  We think he just wanted to go down part of the play structure that was there.  He dragged Dusty over to the play structure, got some help going up, stayed there for five minutes, and came down.  And he was happy.

We went on the swings a few more times.

We made it over to the train.

The kids decided to try the pumping trains.  The younger girls had a hard time; the older boys did ok.

On the way home Isaac suddenly asked, "Mom, do you know someone you died?"  This was an odd question as he knows that my mom died.  I said, "yes, Grandma Julie."  Isaac then started to weep a bit because he wanted to meet her.  So we talked about heaven and how she's waiting there to meet him.  And that we get to have Grandma Pat with us instead.

Flurry survived and even came out a few times.

It was time to get a picture of the kids.  They were good sports.  Even if it was too sunny and Isaac is going to choke Joshua.

Another try.

Sparklers!

Isaac's favorite thing of the week was the rockets that spun around really fast, making a loud noise, and then shot up into the air.

Most people went to watch the fireworks.  Joshua and I stayed home; he needed to sleep and doesn't love loud things.  He might be old enough next year.

The fireworks took a while to start, and in the mean time Ben took this picture of Isaac.  When they looked at it Ben thought it looked like Isaac ate something sour, which tickled his funny bone for the next five minutes.

Tuesday: one of those posts

The day started by going to the new(ish) playground where Aunt CC works.  She was able to come say hi and the kids loved it.  Joshua was almost too small for it, but I told Isaac that if he (Isaac) wanted to stay around longer he'd have to help Joshua a bit.  Joshua usually follows Isaac around and Isaac is fine with it, so I think this wasn't too hard of a request.  I finished a bunch of grading!

Isaac is working on a magic box.  There are no instructions, but it has constistently needed a box, a nail, and a pretzel.  I was hoping he'd forget about it, but it came out again today.  After getting it to fit, he decided it needed to be painted.

I gave Joshua a box to paint too.

I used the left over paint.

And then we received terrible news.

Monday: Lowes, don't smile

After a surprise stop at Zeeland Bakery (we were unexpectedly in the area, so why not stop?), we went to Lowe's to get a new faucet sprayer.  The boys saw the cart as we walked in, so we climbed in.  They had a blast.  They were such crazy drivers, swerving all over the place.  (The cart in the background was also pretty crazy and was getting the same thing we were getting!)

Ben has been playing the "whatever you do, don't smile" game with the boys lately if they're bored or cranky.  Joshua started doing it to Ben tonight.

We also went to see a magician at the library.  Isaac has been loving magic lately, and the library magic shows are usually quite good.  This one did not disappoint.  There was maybe a bit more, "Reading is good for you" and "Libraries are great places" than I would have preferred, but the slight of hand was still amazing.

Sunday: cleaning time

...or is it?

Vacation Day 3: critter barn, girls' afternoon, beach

Over this vacation Flurry spent a lot of time in our bedroom.  I had moved her food and water there, so she only had to go out to go to the bathroom.  She also found a vacation spot on Joshua's sleeping bag and could be found there most of the time.  Unfortuantly, Joshua didn't want Flurry to sleep with him. :(

Getting ready for going to the Critter Barn.

We ended up all going our own ways at the Critter Barn...even Ben and I split up.  It was a little sad, but at the same time made things a lot easier to go to the pace of just one child instead of a large group.

Isaac sat in the bunny pen very patiently.  Then he moved over to pet the bunny.

The kids went in the outside area of the cat room.  I think Isaac was on a mission to give all the cats one brush of the brush.

I know, it's a terrible picture of Isaac.  But a nice one of me.

Joshua latched onto Ben and pretty much didn't let go the whole time.  Near the end we tried getting him to move to me so that he wasn't hanging on Ben so much.  He refused to take my hand and about ten seconds later would be back to Ben.

Lunch!  It's nice that the kids could more or less eat by themselves.

The ladies went to Craig's Cruisers for our time away.  Here we are about to get on the bumper boats and the others were saying that they didn't want to get squirted.

About two seconds into the boats though Katy started squirting.  We did avoid Laura though, who was quite sure she didn't want to get wet.

We played some mini-golf.  We also did Go-Karts (twice).  I won, somehow.  I don't feel like I'm really that good at mini-golf, but it was working.

Heather and I also did the jumping thing.  It was fun to jump but rather uncomfortable.

And then we had dessert.

We came back and found all the kids alive!  (There was some doubt as it was mentioned that there might be a fight club...and after what Isaac and Marshall had been doing, it wouldn't have been that out of character.)

We hit the beach that evening.

Ben showed Isaac how to make a good sand castle.

We had put our towels about half way down the beach.  Somehow the kids didn't get the memo that they should play in the sand by the water, and so half of the time was just going to fetch water.  No one complained and it burned energy, so we just kept going.

Ben played Frisbee for a few minutes.

Joshua watched.

Then Joshua and a friend played.  They did a great job...one would throw the Frisbee and the other would go get it, no matter where it landed.

I really like this one.  It looks as though she thinks she made a bad throw but Joshua is running to get it anyway.

Saturday: breakfast

It was quite a breakfast this morning.

It started by Isaac announcing that he couldn't eat our house because [the house] was made of feathers with tasty water.

Joshua then got mad because he had to use a fuzzy wipe to clean up.  I know he doesn't like the fuzzy ones and had given him a non-fuzzy one.  But Joshua had completely pushed that one in his yogurt container and so it was messy.

And then Isaac went crazy.  I had him do it again for the video, but I think the first time was better.  Or maybe just more out-of-the-blue.