Bugs

For Christmas, Marley got a couple of "bugs" in her stocking. She brought the smaller one over on Christmas Day and Paul was really taken with this bug. The cats liked it too. Over the next week he bought several of them. People at work had him buying them. It was unbelievable! All they are is a little battery with a bug body over it. The vibration of the battery makes it move.

Today Paul put two of them on the floor and I decided to try to take a picture of the cats with them. I think they are a little afraid of them. Here are some pictures.







One of the bugs went under the dry sink.



This is Paul and the cats trying to see the bug.



Paul eventually "helped" the bug get out with a yardstick, and this is how it came out, still running - Ha Ha!!



At first, Mason was afraid of the bugs. He would have nothing to do with them. Now he likes to look at them but he still won't touch him.

We were babysitting for him for a couple of hours today. Mason got a new Lego table recently (that Marks says is now their coffee table - LOL!) It has a square in the middle that comes off with a net underneath to hold Legos.





Mason and I played with the bugs on the table. We started off with just one bug on an empty table,



but eventually we had both bugs and roadblocks all around the table to keep the bugs from getting off. Those sneaky little bugs kept going right through the roadblocks. Mason just squealed with delight when then fell off! Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the roadblocks.





I just love this age. He is so much fun!

American Girl look alikes

Marley got a matching American Girl outfit for her and her American Girl doll for Christmas. She wore it to church today (her doll wore hers and came to church too). I think they are just so cute!



P.S. This American Girl doll is Mia, the American Girl Doll of the year 2008 (or Helen as Marley re-named her) given to her by Grandma Barb Christmas 2008.

332/365 - "New" toys for Mason

Today, after Thanksgiving leftovers at my house, we all went to Kristen and Toby's to work.

Marley has been wanting us to clean out her playroom which never got unpacked from when they moved in. The plan, after the move, had been to move all the boxes up into the attic (luckily the stairs to the attic were in the playroom) and totally clean out the room. Then, later, after the room was ready with shelves and bookcases, they could bring down a box at a time, go through it and organize the room.

Well, at first after they moved in there was too much else to do. Then it was too hot, and so on and so on.

In the meantime, poor Marley has been waiting. We decided that today was the day. We actually got all the boxes and assorted "stuff" up into the attic and the room was totally cleared out.

We brought down a couple of boxes of Marley's old "Little People" toys. Mason was a little overwhelmed at first but had a great time playing with all the "new" toys (Marley had at least as much fun as he did).

311/365 - Sunday afternoon

This summer there were two little riding toys that I kept outside for Mason. Even though he was really too young to ride them he loved pushing them. I brought one of them in a month ago or so but the other one stayed outside. Today, Mark brought this one in too. He loves it; he calls it his car. He pushed that thing around the house all day. This is a picture of him giving his froggy a ride. My scrapbooking friend Janice gave this toy to me (her grandchildren had outgrown it) when Marley was about Mason's age.

We had a nice Sunday afternoon today. Janelle's dad and her sister came for dinner along with the rest of the gang. Even though sometimes it's hectic, one of my greatest pleasures is to see my family having a good time together. There were some years when my kids were young when I seriously wondered whether that would ever happen; I wondered whether they would ever enjoy being together. I'm glad I lived long enough to see it - LOL!

On another note, Marley had a two hour practice this afternoon for the Christmas musical at church. She wanted to try out for the opening narrator's part. She had the whole thing memorized perfectly. She was so excited when she came home to tell us that she got the part - way to go Marley! I know she is going to do a great job.

285/365 - Car

Mason calls everything with wheels a car. Every time he comes over, as we are going into the house he says car and points to this little bike that is by the back door. Tonight I decided to bring it inside for the winter. He played with it almost all night saying to me and Paul "car." He says it with an elongated r, like carrrrrr. He learned how to get on and off it by himself tonight (or at least this was the first time I had seen him do it). He is just so cute and has the cutest little personality.