Zoo Trip, May 2011

So I've got lots of blogging to catch up on, but I've got to start somewhere.  I'm going to start in the present and work backwards until our fans know all the fun stuff we've been up to for the last few months!

Last week, Patrick's pre-school class went to the zoo.  Patrick and I rode the bus over to the zoo with his classmates and teachers.  This brought back lots of "fond" memories for me, but Patrick seemed to enjoy the novelty of it. 

He and I had a few hours there on our own checking out the bears, zebras, lions, tigers, and the American Wild Ass.  I made the mistake of giving Patrick the correct name of this animal...I just couldn't leave it at donkey.  He spent the rest of the day interjecting "ass" into the conversation.  :)

Anyway, my mom and dad brought Eva over and we had a picnic lunch together.  Then we saw the monkeys, gorillas, chimps, rode the carousel and the train, visited with the penguins and puffins, and spent some time looking at the flamingos, ducks, geese, etc.  We had lots of fun.  The weather and the company were great!

See photos of our day here.

Long Time, No Blog...

Ok, so I've been a very bad doggy and haven't kept up on the blogging.  Lots of goings on in the Hooligan Household.  Most significantly, I made the decision to leave real estate.  I won't use this fun space to bore you all with the details.  It was the right decision for our family right now.  Anyway, so for the time being, my days are filled with all the things I was doing before, just not quite the break neck speed.  We made it through the seemingly unending winter and are looking forward to being out of the house this spring. 
As you'll see in the photos, we had fun sledding with our neighbors/friends up the street Nick and Emma (and their moms).  The kids also made snow cones with Sam made from sleet from the back deck at our house.  The kids were made with V-8 fruit juice and Sam's was made with Tarantula tequila.  There are several miscellaneous photos: fun day at MawMaw's, Story time with Nana, Libby sleeping with Patrick, and so on.

Patrick is finishing his last weeks of preschool.  I cannot believe he is growing up so fast.  I can still remember Sam and I trying to decide if we were ready to have a baby...seems like maybe 6 months ago.  Patrick is doing well in school and we are so proud of the awesome little boy he is becoming (and he's so handsome too). 

Eva is getting sassier by the day and is already riding a bicycle (with training wheels).  She is wearing big girl underwear part of the time now...we're still working on the potty training.  She got a big girl bed a few months ago and is doing very well with it.  She is 2 and a half already.

Hooligans Turn Texan

A few weeks ago, all four of us went to Dallas to visit with Sam's friend Shawn, and his family (wife Sherry and 3 year old daughter Kiera).  We had lots of fun!  We spent a few days at Great Wolf Lodge (a kid-centric resort with an indoor water park and other fun kid stuff).  The kids also got to ride the pony at Shawn and Sherry's house. 
Eva and Patrick were great on both flights.  Patrick called the runway the "run road."  They each had their own suitcase to carry on.  Eva was so cute walking through the airport with the suitcase following behind in one had and the other hand on her hip.
Below is a link with LOTS of photos of our trip.

Click Here for photos of our trip!

Happy Valentine's Day

More Winter Fun 2011

Since Christmas, we've been having LOTS of fun.  I thought I'd catch all the Hooligans' fans up on our recent adventures.

We had a snow day last week.  The kids maxed out our house in regards to where and how they played.  Every room, every toy, every game.  They wanted to play in their playroom in the basement that Sam and I created this past summer.  However, it is VERY cold downstairs.  We put a big space heater to help, but I bundled up the kids as best I could to keep them warm.  Here are some pics of their "creative dressing."

Last Sunday, the kids got dressed up and we went to visit Gigi (Sam's Grandma) and take her out to lunch with Nana (Sam's mom), Emily and Steve.  Fun day, cute pics.

We took the kids for their first ice skating experience this past Friday.  It started out a little rocky, but by the end, Patrick had improved significantly and left wanting more.  Eva was very brave and enjoyed the experience.  She's still a little bit small, but we'll keep her going so she stays comfortable with the idea until she's big and strong enough to start skating.  For Patrick, the key seemed to be to make sure he knew it was ok to fall.  He was so tense in the beginning, so after a while, I gave him  a push to skate toward Steve, full well knowing he would probably fall.  After the first couple of falls, he was less afraid and that seemed to be the tipping point.  From there, he was flying all over the ice.  Now if only I could take my own advice.  I'm a decent skater, but have never learned to stop on the ice. 

This past Monday was Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday.  On that morning, I explained to Patrick who this man was and what he did for our country, as I knew they would be discussing it at pre-school that day.  He seemed to absorb some of it.  Later that night, at dinner, Patrick announced to the table that "today is King Arthur's Birthday."  It took us a few seconds to figure out what he meant.  Hilarious!  We got him all straightend out.

Finally, there are photos of us making brownies.  The kids got aprons for Christmas and this was their maiden voyage.  As you can see, Patrick and Eva had lots of fun. 

Sam and I are having fun watching these two little turkeys grow up.  While we may seem or sound exhausted and or exasperated sometimes, we wouldn't have it any other way.  These are the two coolest people we know.  They play well together (most of the time) and are little sponges absorbing the world.

Link to Photos of Winter Fun

Valentines Day 2011

Love Is Sweet Valentine's Day Card

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Christmas/Winter 2010

This year, Christmas was busy, but really great, as usual.  You'll see lots of great photos at the link below.  Amy brought over supplies for decorating gingerbread houses.  LOTS of fun for Patrick and Eva, and pretty theraputic for me.  Amy showed me how to chill out and let the kids make a big fat mess and eat lots of icing and candy.  As you'll see in the photos, both kids made beautiful gingerbread houses and were very proud.  As you'll see in the photos, Amy had a good time too!  Thanks Amy!

A week before Christmas, we made a trip to Columbia, MO to celebrate Christmas with the Hatfield side of Sam's family.  Papa Bob and some of his kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids were there.  The house was chock full of babies and little kids.  Three babies and four little kids to be exact.  Well, and then all of us adult sized kids.  The kids were great and we had a good time seeing everyone and meeting the new additions to the family. 

Christmas Eve was at Grandma and Grandpa Green's house.  It pretty much the only time of year that the ENTIRE Green family gets together anymore, so it's always a special night.  It's definitely evolved since I was a kid, but G & G never disappoint.  When we got home, we set out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.  Also, and most importantly, we put the Santa Key on the front door.  This was a new addition in our ritual this year.  Thanks to Diane Murbarger (Katie's mom) for helping us out with that.  This key was  a big hit for my son who wasn't satisfied with my explanations at just how Santa Claus gained access to Patrick's house.

 

Christmas morning at our house was great.  Patrick got the much anticipated Buzz Lightyear from Santa and Eva got an adorable neon, multi-color tutu.  Patrick was very specific with Santa about exactly which Buzz Lightyear he wanted, and Santa did not disappoint.  Eva's tutu represents her personality perfectly, girly, but with an attitude.  Our parents, and then extended family, came over to see what Santa brought and to share in the traditional Christmas breakfast casserole, made by my mom.  Gwen brought monkey bread this year...yummmm. 

 

Later in the evening on Christmas, we celebrated at Tom and Gwen's with another very tasty meal and exchanging gifts with Sam's extended family.  Even the doggies, while none were actually present, got in on the gift exchanging action on this night.  After gifts were opened, the Patrick and Eva played Zingo (little kid Bingo) with Aunt Emily, Uncle Steve and Sam.

On Sunday, the 26th, we had a lazy morning at home with the kids and some of their new toys.  After naptime, we went up to mom and dad's to finally have Christmas with them.  My brother Andrew and Grandma Huber were there too.  We couldn't wait any longer, so we opened gifts first and then had a great meal.  Mom got lots of new cookware to continue supplying her family with really awesome dishes.  :)  The kids played some more Zingo and Patrick taught Grandma Huber how to play his new video game (LeapFrog Explorer). 

(yes, that's a pouch of organic peanut butter she's so excited about!)

There are a TON of photos, but for you grandmother of the Hooligans, and maybe aunties, uncles and close friends, you'll enjoy them.  We had a full schedule again this year, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I am eternally grateful to have so much family with which to spend the holidays.  I love them so much.  If you're one of them, thanks for making this Christmas so wonderful for Patrick and Eva.  They are two very lucky little turkeys!

Hooligan Christmas and Winter Fun