Musical Instrument Museum

When we were in Phoenix, we had a great time at the Musical Instrument Museum.  We all had headphones and we walked around the museum to see instruments from all over the world while we watched videos and listened to the instruments being played.  The boys liked wearing the headphones and hearing so many different kinds of music.  But, by far the best part of the museum was the "hands on" room where you could play all sorts of instruments from all over the world.  We could have stayed in that room for the whole day!  We will definitely be going back!

Visiting Grammy and Yaya

We had a great trip to Arizona to visit Grammy and Yaya in April.  It was a big trip to fly 4.5 hours, then adjust to the 3-hour time change.  But, it was completely worth it!

The boys had a great time exploring Grammy and Yaya's house, and they especially liked playing at the little desk/office that Grammy had set up in their living room. Grammy had set it up with Noah in mind, but Isaac had just as much fun playing there (when Noah wasn't around or didn't notice).  They also had fun playing outside with all the little rocks that are used for landscaping in Arizona, and spending the afternoon playing at the community pool.  Here's some picture of our fun trip.

Happy Birthday Noah!

Happy Birthday Noah!

We had a great day of celebration! Noah woke up extra early to open up his presents and eat blueberry waffles. His presents were a big hit - a kid's atlas, wooden USA puzzle, butterfly garden, lego kit, and big-boy bike. He had lots of time to try out his bike before we headed to The Children's Schoolhouse for their Mother's Day morning. Noah got a kick out of having Isaac and me at his school. We celebrated this evening with blueberry birthday cake - just what Noah has been asking for!

Here's some more pictures of Noah's big day.

We love you, Noah!

Pre-Birthday Surprise

We took Noah on a surprise adventure to Mattie's Diner for dinner tonight. He likes to pretend he runs a restaurant sometimes, like when he helps make sandwiches in the pretend restaurant "Pickles," or when he and Isaac run the play-doh restaurant "Spaghetti and Pancakes." Noah pretends to cook in the kitchen on some days, but other days he takes orders and runs the cash register. So, we thought he would get a kick out of eating at an old-fashioned diner where he can see his food cooked right in front of him.


Oh, and eat fried pickes for the first time.

Isaac loved the diner stools that spun around. After he ate dinner, he stood and spun a stool around and around. He could see himself in the shiny side of the seat, and he tried to kiss his reflection as it spun around as he giggled with happiness.

Noah loved the whole experience.

Origami

Noah has discovered Origami, except he calls it Origa-MAY because he says then it reminds him of his birthday month.  He can do some basic folds by himself, and he likes to see the finished designs.  The first day, we made boxes together and Noah would quickly unfold each box just as I had finished the steps for folding it.  He really didn't want to keep them folded at all, it was just fun for him to do the process.  The second time we did origami, he did keep the animals (we made birds and dog faces) folded, then he taped them up in his office and created a pretend toy store where kids could come and buy the animals.

Swiffering

I think it might be time to buy a second Swiffer.  Both boys always want to help, and it's so hard to take turns.  With both boys so eager to help, there's a chance our floors might actually be clean once in a while!

Kitchen Helpers

The boys' current favorite dinner is potstickers and spring rolls.  They go crazy for them!  It's such a simple meal to make (just open the packages from Costco and cook), so it's a great meal for the boys to help with.  First, they count the potstickers as they put them in the pan.  Noah then helps to measure the rice and water for the rice cooker.

Then they count the spring rolls as they go on the tray.

Viola!  Easy dinner and everyone is happy!