Highlights of this Past Week

This past week has been a very busy and exciting one for our family.  

Yeah, that's why I haven't been blogging much this last week.  It's not because we have done NOTHING worth recording.  No, it couldn't be that.  We are having a very eventful summer full of fun, educational, Bible-themed activities that my children will have happy memories of for years to come.  We are not simply filling the dreadfully hot days with indoor activities such as trips to the movies, playing with Legos, and playing Wii.  

Some highlights of this past very eventful fun week:

--We have seen 3 movies at the theater in the last 8 days.  One was free, and the other two were dollar tickets.  Aidan has eaten his weight in Mike & Ike's since last Tuesday.

--Dane was heating up a little cup of pizza sauce this afternoon, and when he took it out of the microwave, he dropped the cup on the floor of the kitchen.  Sauce splattered all over the floor, cabinets, shirtless Dane, and all over his khaki shorts.  I grabbed the box of baby wipes and handed him a couple to wipe himself down before he moved and sauced the rest of the kitchen, and told him to take his shorts off.  The following conversation ensued:

M:  Dane, take your shorts off, they have sauce all over them.  I need to put them in the washing machine.

D:  But Mom, I don't have any underwear on.  I just forgot to put them on this morning.

M:  So you haven't had underwear on the whole day?  What about when we went to Walgreens and the movies and the grocery store?  You didn't have underwear on then?!?

D:  I just forgot to put them on.  But if I take my shorts off, I will be naked.  Have you ever seen me naked, Mom?

Um, yes, my child.  Every day for the last 5 and a half years.  You're not what we'd call "modest".  You are, however, learning the art of multitasking when it comes to your tenders.  Not only can you pee and play Leapster at the same time, you are also very skilled at eating dinner while inspecting the equipment.    And watching TV, and playing outside, and swimming while checking on the boys.

--I realized this past week that Dane starts kindergarten next month.  Yes, next month.  I also realized that the whole "starting school" thing will really put a kink into our freedom to take impromptu family vacations.  You know, cause we do that all the time.  So we're going to go somewhere for a couple of days in August before school starts up, we just haven't quite decided where.  

I have heard lots of wonderful things about Great Wolf Lodge, but I just can't bring myself to spend $349 +tax for one night.  I'm sure we would have a great time in their very cool looking indoor water park, but $400 bucks?  You have got to be kidding me.  My kids would be just as happy to stay in a cheap hotel somewhere with a pool.  We stayed in a hotel for a week during the time our house was being repaired from the hurricane damage, and Dane has been asking when we are going back.  We're considering going to Glen Rose for a day or so.  Does anyone have any other good (cheap) ideas for little kids?  We considered Schlitterbahn, but I don't think it'll work so well with a 4 month old baby in tow.  

--Thanks for all of the book suggestions.  I have currently forgone all of them in favor of Freakonomics.  Interesting, so far, yet not so intriguing that I am losing precious sleep staying up to read it.  So it's just the right amount of interesting.

--Brandon and I are going with another couple from our church to New York City for a few days in September.  And I am VERY EXCITED.  One of my favorite parts of a trip like this is the planning.  We are going to see West Side Story and Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway while we are there, and also take time to go to Statue of Liberty.  And of course, shopping for knock-offs in Chinatown.  I would love to hear from any of you who have been to NYC.   Any "can't miss" things that we should do while we are there?  Any good (not too expensive) restaurants?  I mean, I know there's a lot of good restaurants, but any specifically that you would recommend?

This week promises to be a bit more exciting than last week.  The boys will spend a couple of days this weekend at Cousin Camp with Joel, and we (and by "we", I mean not me, because I have to work this weekend) will attempt cousin pictures with all 4 kids at a studio.  Should be interesting!

I hope your week is full of excitement and children with all of their appropriate undergarments.