Gee, Toto...

We're having a fun mini-vacation this weekend.  Today we had a fun, fun day at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan! I highly recommend it as a family vacation! The exciting part of the day was when we were watching the old-fashioned baseball game

and we started hearing sirens (for weather alerts). A few minutes passed and it was announced that we needed to quickly move INTO THE BASEMENTS of the closeby 100+ year old homes!!!!!!  Employees began unlocking the cellars and such and suggested we go inside.

NO ELECTRICITY AND/OR PLUMBING.

Dark and dingy... ummmm.... NO THANK YOU!!!!!
It was a Tornado Warning and storms were due to hit the park in 10 minutes. Craig and I opted to take our chance and bolt for the entrance to the park. It took us almost the full 10 minutes to get there and it did start raining on our way.

Then while we were seeking shelter at the gift shop, employees and security were directing all of us to go the basement of the old schoolhouse in the village. Again... NO WAY were we going to be locked up in some old decrepit building! It was a bit scary. We chose to hustle through the rain to the Ford Museum next door where we hung out in a hallway with a couple dozen people for about 30 minutes until the "warning" was lifted.

At that point, it was a light drizzle- so we headed back to the village. We hopped right on the train and rode in a Model T car and enjoyed another hour of sight seeing until the park closed. 

Isn't that crazy?! I talked to an employee and she said she's worked there for YEARS and claims nothing has ever happened like that before. WOW AND... funny enough- there was never really any threatening weather that came through the area. It missed the park completely! ha ha

Update

I've been busy preparing and teaching during a camp at our church.  My class is called, "PERCUSSION FUN!"  I didn't name it, but I was super thrilled to fit into the role!  It's high energy and really fun!  Not to mention very NOISY!

I can tell you 2 funny stories:

#1 On day one, I demonstrated and led an excessive amount of slapping my legs to lead my groups of 3rd and 4th graders.  I modeled rhythms to 5 classes during a 3 hour span.  When I got home Monday evening, I saw that I had hit my legs SO MUCH and SO HARD that I had hand-sized speckly bruises on the tops of my legs!  ACK!!! They were actually really sore and the bruises were really ugly.  It was funny though.

#2 Story number two is about an anonymous boy from camp.  He's probably 9 or 10 years old.  He was telling us a story about how he played in the woods with some friends and he gave one of them, "the lost in the woods treatment."   ha ha  It may be one of those had to be there moments, but it was super funny at the time!

Luke's finished his t-ball season.  Craig, not realizing last night was his final game jokingly (sort of) suggested we go ahead and tell Luke the season was over even if it wasn't.  Happily though, it's over... just in time for the dreadful heat to be in full swing.  Speaking of swing... Luke's team progressed to eliminating the tee all together and having a coach pitch.  Proudly, he was able to hit a pitch during all three innings.  YAY!

Lydia is pooping and peeing on the potty.  I don't know how she'll feel about me sharing this with you when she's older, but for now- it's a huge celebration in her life.  We dance around and chant at each little piddle or plop! WOO HOO!

Fun at the Ferry

I love my Aunt Mary.

For my kids- their Great Aunt Mary.

Knowing that, you can imagine how it accidentally slipped out from Luke a few years ago... her way cooler name...
a title that has proudly stuck.

Let me introduce to you...

AUNT MARY

THE

GREAT!

After visiting Aunt Mary the Great at her home on the west side of Cincinnati, I drove the kids to experience the Anderson Ferry.  I've never been myself either.  SO... we waited for a few minutes and then some nice fishermen told us it wasn't running that day.  BOO HOO!!! I proceeded to drive closer to the water though, threatening that I might just go ahead and attempt to make it across the river in our car.  Close enough to concern my children.  They worried their mother had lost her ever-lovin' mind!   I promise you it wasn't actually dangerously close.  Just nearby enough to have a little fun!

Now Featuring...

Luke's been having some fun lately, learning some new "moves".

Lydia's been having fun lately, learning some new "tunes".

Say WHAT?!

During dinner-

Luke: "Mom, how old are you?"

Me: "How old do you think I am?"

Luke: short pause... "Seventy?"

Craig: loud laughter (TOO LOUD) followed by
"blog THAT!"

Never a dull moment.

THANK YOU

Okay, if you didn't already know... or maybe you don't care (I take no offense to this, by the way!) I quit my other blog.  With no sadness, either.  I gave the challenge a good "go", but it's WAY harder than I thought it would be.  I almost made it a half of a year.  Phew!

On another topic, if you've completed my blog survey, I thank you!!!!!  It's interesting to read answers (all anonymously).  You can imagine my mind BUZZED as I tried to determine who may have written each comment, but I can sincerely say- I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!  I've had many many many people do it, so THANK YOU.  If you haven't and you WANT to...  click this link

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHR2MDhxaTdlUjV4bUF4THJ3XzhzYlE6MQ

Here's a story...

Lately, my asthma is giving me fits in the evening/nighttime.  It has led me to wander down to our couch to allow Craig to catch his beauty sleep in silence.  My nights end up restful, and it's not until MORNING when I've regretted my decision to relocate.

It's the way I've been AWAKEN!!!!!

You probably know Lydia is a teeny little thing.  I have joked that even though she's small, she behaves like a normal toddler might, and her actions and size seem out of proportion at times.  It makes me think of some crazy horror movie where a doll might come alive and go on some insane tirade!

Anyway... it undoubtedly adds to the creepiness as in the early morning hours, I've felt a strange presence and as I allow my eyes to crack slightly open- I FREAK OUT because right in front of my face, INCHES away is her scary... umm.... I mean SWEET little face staring right at me!

My heart races indeed!

A Little Late

Okay, so I'm several days behind in posting these photos.  They're from a parade on Memorial Day.

They're BOTH smiling AND

they're BOTH looking at the camera!

WOO HOO!