Easter Morning

Since we were visiting GiGi and Pop-Pop for Easter this year, we brought the kids Easter baskets with us. The kids put out their empty baskets for the Bunny to fill.  When we tucked them into bed last night, we asked "Do you think the Eastwe Bunny will find us here?" Gillian immediately responded "Yes! Hims will find us!" John was a little unsure "I don't think so." 

John woke up first this morning, and we had to wake up Gillian. The two of them searched everywhere for their baskets. Finally John spotted them in the great room. He said "I told you he would come!" Gilly said "He found us!" I didn't get any pictures of the kid's baskets or them finding the baskets. They were super excited to get jump ropes, bubbles, bouncy balls, chocolate bunnies, Legos, a necklace, princesses and super heroes. 

After opening baskets, we all went out to get breakfast. After breakfast, we returned back to GiGi and Pop-Pop's house. Daddy saw that the Easter Bunny left some eggs around the house. The kids figured out that the Bunny left green and blue eggs for John and pink and purple eggs for Gillian. The kids were awesome this year. They really worked as a team. We heard a lot of "John, over there!" Gilly, I see a pink one!" 

We went inside to see what was inside the eggs. John was super excited to find a quarter in one egg. "I'm rich!" he said. In a big egg, he found gold coins. I said "Look John, you got Gold Doubloons!" This made him very excited. He said "Yes! Gold Doubloons! Hey, are these chocolate?" 

I asked the kids "What was your favorite part of today?" John said "Finding all the eggs." Gillian said "The candy." As always Daddy and I enjoyed spending time with our kids and Daddy's family too. 

Happy Easter!

St. Nick

I picked Gillian up from school today.  She was playing babies with Nicholas and Clarissa.  When she saw me she jumped up and hugged me.  Then she said "I got candy!"  She was so excited!  I asked her why, and she said "Nicholas came.  And him left us candy.  We put out our shoes (and she picked up her foot to show me her shoe) and him come."  Then Clarissa came over and said "I got candy too!" And Nicholas also said "I got candy too!"  I asked them, "Did St. Nick come during nap time?"  They were all trying to talk at once, but Clarissa won and said "We put out our shoes and ba-bam! We got candy!"  Then little Nicholas said "And I heard footsteps on the ceiling!"  They all nodded in agreement.  I love all their imaginations. 

Candy

We have quite a bit of candy in our house from Halloween.  Every night after dinner, the kids raid the candy bucket.  They are each allowed one big candy bar or two small pieces of candy.  Tonight, the kids each picked two small bags of plain M&Ms.  John ate all of his M&Ms but Gillian took her time.  We were still waiting for her to finish when it was time for the kids to take a bath.  John said "Gill hurry up and eat your L-a-Lems!"  Like usual, I made him say it like ten more times.  He doesn't have much patience for me anymore.  And he asked "Well, what are they call?"  Before I could answer, Gillian said "Nem-Nems!"  I taught him how to properly pronounce M&Ms, after I got a video of them saying it incorrectly.

Halloween 2013

Halloween was a little different for the kids this year. 

Gillian was able to wear her Minnie Mouse costume to school on Halloween.  TLC normally has a parade in the morning and then Gillian's class had a party in the afternoon.  She had a huge bag of treats when I picked her up from school.

John, on the other hand, wasn't allowed to wear his Ninja costume to school.  He had to bring it to school and then the kids all got dressed in their costumes before they had an indoor parade.  Luckily, John's costume wasn't hard to put on and he really didn't need a lot of assistance.  He told me that they also had a party with snacks and each of the kids in his class got to decorate a little pumpkin. 

We picked up the kids from school and headed to my mom's house for trick-or-treating.  We stopped for a quick picture in front of Grandma's house and then we were on our way.  Gillian stayed behind the boys at the first house.  Since Sandy ruined Halloween last year and the year before that she was too small to really understand anything, it was Gillian's first real year for trick-or-treating.  It didn't take her long before she was running ahead of the boys to get to the next house.  She was polite and always said "Thank you!"  We were about five houses from Grandma's when I realized that we should change her shoes.  She was wearing her little Minnie Mouse pumps and they were really slowing her down.  I finally got her to change into her sneakers, about two blocks later.  She is a very determined little lady. 

We got to one house and lady that answered the door offered candy to the adults.  We all politely said "No thank you."  John said "It's okay, they just take it from us when we get home."  Wow, thanks for giving away our secret!

At another house, Gillian met another Minnie Mouse.  I'm not sure which one was more excited, Gillian or the little girl.

At yet another house, John went to the door, rang the bell and said "Trick or Treat."  He was able to pick his candy and came running back to us.  Before that lady closed the door, John shouted to me "Mom!  I got the orange kind.  The ones you like!"   

We stopped at Olga's house (a long-time neighbor of my Mom & Dad).  She let us come inside and she had a big tray of candy.  We told the kids, "Just one piece."  Olga said "No, it's okay they can have a few because I think I am done for the night."  John probably took three or four pieces of candy.  Gillian, on the other hand, kept taking pieces of candy and putting them in her bag.  I was busy talking to Olga, when I looked back at the kids there was a big empty spot on the tray by Gillian.  She probably snagged ten pieces.  Sneaky little girl.

We got back to Grandma's house and had some yummy soup and brownies for dessert.  Overall a pretty awesome Halloween!