Zoo Day

On May 10th, the kids had the day off from school.  My friend, Amber, and I decided to take our kids to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium for the day.

The day didn't look too promising.  Early that morning, we almost canceled due to the weather forecast, but we decided to go anyway.  By 8 AM, as I was loading my kids and my great-niece, Aubrey, into the car, the rain was pouring down.  It was still raining as we picked up Amber, Audrey, and Jack, and it rained the entire way into Pittsburgh. 

It turned out to be a GREAT day to visit the zoo.  When we first got there, it was raining, but nobody else was there!



The rain quickly slowed to a drizzle, and the animals were all very active. 



The baby sea lion was the hit of the day.  It was literally playing with the kids.  It would swim  in front of them, stop, and touch its nose to theirs.  When we walked away, it curled up into a ball and stared longingly at us, so of course we returned!  The kids were mesmerized.  Especially Lily!!!





We decided to go inside the reptile house for a bit to see if the rain would stop.  The kids ran through the bat cave, checked out the reptiles and animals, and went down the indoor treehouse slide a few times.





By the time we walked outside, the rain had stopped and the sun was peeking out behind the clouds.  We decided it was the perfect time for a snack break, followed by a bit of time on both playgrounds. 





After the kids had finished playing, we moved on.  By that point, it was sunny and warm, and we started to run into crowds of people.  There was still plenty to see, though, including the aquarium and primate house!

 











The kids ended up having a great time!





I'm so glad we decided to ignore the weather, and go to the zoo that day.  We had so much fun together!

From (No) Hair To There

When Lexie was born, I was overjoyed that I had a little girl! 

She entered the world with a head full of golden fuzz...which quickly fell out!  It took forever for that hair to grow back in.  In fact, on her first birthday, I had to duct tape a bow to the wisps of hair on top of her head.  But...she was the most beautiful "bald" baby!



By the time she was 2, she had enough hair for 2 little pigtails.  And after that?  Her hair grew and grew and grew.  It grew so quickly that she needed a haircut every few months.



I adored her long, wavy hair.  At the beginning of this school year, she begged for a short cut.  I promised her that if she still wanted short hair at the end of the school year, she could get it cut.  Sure enough, she reminded me of that promise last Wednesday.

So, I fulfilled my promise to her.  I loaded the girls into the car, and drove Lexie to the salon. She was so excited, but I admit, I let out an audible gasp as the hair stylist pulled her hair into a ponytail and snipped the entire thing off!

The result was shocking, because it was so different, but she sure looked cute!  Lexie absolutely loved it!

I loved that long hair so much, probably because I waited so long for her to grow some hair!  But she is rocking her new short 'do!

Trendy Tot Tuesday

I am linking up with Megan, Kelly, and Lindsay for Trendy Tot Tuesday!


{Liliana & Alexandria}

I found the cutest tutu outfits for the girls at one of my favorite places to shop...Costco!  Seriously.  They have the best prices for brand name pajamas and clothing, and they always have the cutest stuff!  Oh...and you may notice Lexie's new short hairstyle!!!





Shirt and Tutu:  Jona Michelle
Shoes:  Bare Hugs
Headband and Flower Clip:  Girls Crochet Headbands




Shirt and Tutue:  Jona Michelle
Flip-Flops:  Bare Hugs



{Dylan}


Dylan prefers to wear sporty clothing most of the time now.  When he doesn't, he opts for a preppy style in a polo and shorts. 





Shirt:  The Children's Place
Shorts:  Carter's

{Baby #4}


I've been thinking about coming home from the hospital outfits for our baby.  Since we don't find out the gender, I do buy a girl outfit and a boy outfit.


My girls wear dresses a lot, so it's fitting that if I have another girl she will come home in a dress, too!


 
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If Lily had been a boy, I had a really cute romper as the going home outfit.  I like these ones:


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I'm going to be buying two special outfits in the next few months!  I haven't decided on them yet, but those are just a few that I like!

The Happenings of Week Nineteen

May 7th

After picking Lexie up from school, we met Jocie and her boys at the library for a playdate.  The kids played for a while and picked out some books, then we headed over to the neighboring park.  Tyler ended up coming home to play with us a bit longer while Jocie went grocery shopping.  After he got picked up, I stocked up my new SUV with all our stuff.  Have I mentioned that I absolutely love that car?!?  I got Aubrey off the bus, got Dylan off the bus, then began our busy after school/homework/dinner routine.  My dad picked up D and Lexie to take them somewhere just as Grant got home.  Grant and I ate dinner, then put Lily to bed early.  It was so nice getting everything done and being able to relax before the kids came home!  They went to bed right away, and Grant and I managed to watch a bit of TV before I fell asleep on the couch.  I am so tired these days!
 




May 8th

It was a typical Spring Wednesday for us.  Lexie had gymnastics after school, I got Aubrey and Dylan off their buses, we rushed to get homework and dinner done, and Dylan had a baseball game.  









May 9th
 
I picked Jack and Lexie up from school, and we met our friends at Burger King for a playdate.  On the way home, the girls and I stopped at TJ Maxx.  We got Aubrey and Dylan off their buses, had dinner, then we all went to Dylan's baseball game.  Aubrey joined us this time, so Lexie was really excited.  That evening, Aubrey spent the night, because she was going to come to the zoo with us the next morning.




May 10th

The kids had the day off school. I woke them up early to go to the zoo.  It was raining, but we decided to brave it anyway.  We picked up Amber, Audrey, and Jack, and headed to the zoo.  Nobody was there when we arrived, and it only rained for the first 15 minutes!  It turned out to be a beautiful morning, and the kids had a great time at the zoo! When we dropped Amber and the kids off, D decided to stay with them.  The girls and I went to my parent's house for a visit.  That evening, my mom and I went shopping and got stuck in a huge storm.  By the time the car was loaded, we were soaked! We had dinner with my parents, I dropped Aubrey off at home, and the girls and I returned home.  They went to bed, and I did laundry and housework until 1 AM!




May 11th

Dylan was supposed to have a baseball game, but it was canceled due to rain.  We ended up having a lazy day at home, then going to a friend's house for dinner and the Pens game.





May 12th

Happy Mother's Day!  I had a wonderful day, and Grant and the kids spoiled me!  We stopped by to visit my mom (and most of my sisters!) that afternoon, then stopped to visit Grant's mom and Nannie.  We came home, Grant cooked dinner and cleaned up, and we put the kids to bed.


 

May 13th

It was a typical Monday.  We didn't do much during the day, but that evening, Dylan had a baseball game, so it was our normal evening rush.