Sam is a total shoe boy (he takes after his mom).  He has to cuddle his shoes to sleep every night and in the morning, he has to put them on even before he changes out of his pajamas.  He also loves wearing my, Nate’s, and Magei’s shoes.  This particular pair of high heels was a hit.  They are Mary Jane mules so he could actually walk around in them without them falling off.

Sam had to take a turn in time-out today.  Magei had just finished her time-out and Sam didn’t think it was fair that she got one and he didn’t.  So he proceeded to put himself in time-out.

Sam and Magei seriously thought they were a comedy act today.  They insisted on wearing these matching towels on their heads while playing in Magei’s room.

It was Magei-Mom day today. Magei and I decided last night that we should drop Sam off at school this morning and then spend the entire day together having fun. We decided to go to the zoo first and do all the things that we don’t get to when I’m alone with both kids. Here we are beginning our day.

We spent most of our day in a new part of the zoo that was just added this year. It is called Jumping Jack’s Landing and it is a little amusement park. I’ve got a pretty weak stomach, so I went with her on the ones that she wasn’t tall enough for, but the others she went at alone. We had tons of fun!

We next decided to enjoy the ambiance of old downtown Dublin, so we went to The Dublin Village Tavern to have lunch outside on their paver-patio.

As is tradition for Magei-Mom dates, we went shopping for a new pair of earrings each to end our day. Thanks for the fun day, Mags…can’t wait for the next one!

Magei and I just finished “The Malted Falcon” by Bruce Hale. There are quite a few books in the Chet Gecko series. Chet Gecko is a private detective in the fourth grade and charges a quarter per case. He’s full of wise cracks and one-liners, and Hale has had fun creating his characters. Aside from Chet, here are the characters from The Malted Falcon:

• Mr. Ratnose
• Bitty Chu
• Paige Turner
• Natalie Attired
• Dot Maytricks
• Bert Umber
• Freddie Nostrils
• Amanda Reckonwith
• Al LeGator
• Doughnut Head
• Sal Monela

The malted falcon is a winning ticket for the best dessert imaginable. It is stolen from its owner, and Chet is hired to figure out who stole it and get it back. There are a few little twists and turns, and overall it is a fun little read for a younger audience…and since it is only just over 100 pages, it goes pretty quick.

Last Sunday I happened to find the worst oatmeal cookie recipe ever. It came from a ward cookbook that Nate and I got for our wedding. I’m usually pretty trusting of recipes that come out of this cookbook. However, this recipe was so terrible that Nate actually made notes in the book (lest we forget) to warn us next time we go searching for a cookie recipe. We were making cookies for the Ronald McDonald House and I have a ton of oatmeal in food storage, so I thought it was a great idea. Let’s just say that Ronald McDonald did not get any cookies that day. One the bright side, the kids had fun tasting the dough.

I’m not sure why Magei looks so hippie chic in this picture. I think it’s the tie-dye/headband combo she rockin’. (As a side note, what is with this darn pink headband? Why are my kids so obsessed with it? You’ll notice it in the last several posts.) She was very proud of this shirt. She made it at school last week…although according to her, the blue is too dark.

I also couldn’t resist dressing the kids in coordinating outfits for church on Sunday. Does anyone else do that? I’m sure one day Sam is going to look back and be totally embarrassed by the things I make him do/wear, but what are mothers for, right!?

Especially when it’s 90 degrees out. The Beazers came over for lunch on Saturday and while the boys stayed inside with the comfy AC and played wii, the girls went outside to brave the heat with the kids.

Last Friday the kids and I spent part of the day at the zoo and then went and had some pool fun in the backyard.  Sam loved this little armadillo that greeted us just inside the zoo entrance.

Magei was really into the sculptures during the visit.  I think we got a pictures with almost every one.

It’s just not a visit to the zoo unless we check out the flamingo exhibit.

Magei is trying to peek over the (transparent) glass to get a better look at the penguins.

Am I seriously the meanest mom ever!?  I never let Sam out of the stroller at the zoo.  I always just make him peek through the slats in the fence.

We drug the bathtub toys and the kitchen cups outside and the kids had a great time dumping water on each others’ heads.

…At least most of the time.  There are certain things that come with having an older sister that are just unavoidable.

So although the fly swatter he’s playing with is technically gender neutral, it does belong to Magei.  As does the unicorn and pink with hearts headband that he insisted on wearing for the better part of the day.

We love Christmas around here, and to keep the spirit alive all year long, we have a tradition of doing a little Christmas in July each year. This year the CAPA summer movie series featured The Muppet Christmas Carol as part of their lineup. We took Magei and her friend downtown to the Ohio Theater for the event.

What a fun afternoon! The theater was built before “talkies” so it has this amazing organ that was used to soundtrack shows. We were entertained before the movie and during intermission by a fantastic organist who played fun songs like Mickey Mouse Club March, Feed the Birds, It’s a Small World, and lots of other throw-back Disney songs. The kids were literally dancing in the isles!

When we arrived at the theater we were greeted by workers in Santa hats and wishes for a Merry Christmas. It was a great little get-away, and after it was over we made our way back to the car in the 90 degree heat.

If you live in the Columbus area you should think about going to a CAPA movie next summer. It is a fun way to see some classic movies. And isn’t the Ohio Theater awesome?! (You can see the organ on stage in the picture below.)

If you are an OSU student, you can pick up tickets for free at the college (while supplies last). Once again, thanks to the Beazers for switching us little L for Sam!

Sam chose this book from the library last week and both my kids are loving it.  Magei’s about got it memorized and even though it is a little longer than what Sam will normally sit through, he brings it to me several times a day.  There are a few books in the Kipper series by Mick Inkpen.  This one is called Kipper’s A to Z: an Alphabet Adventure.  The pictures are adorable and the story is very cute!

We finally bought a little pool for the kids last night. They played in it all evening while it sat in the living room and all afternoon today once we got it outside.