Museums and Zoos...

Charlie loves seeing the butterflies at the Science Center...

William loves to be rolled up like a burrito, and Charlie joined in on the fun!  It should be a calm night for a change!

Our local zoo has a great kids area where the kids get to match the food to the correct animal.  So fun! 

Will feeds a very hungry turtle...

Charlie and Will were put to work at the History Museum.  Pulling a plow was much harder than it looked!

And keeping the plowshare straight wasn't easy either...

My small boy working in a munitions plant...

The history museum had all kinds of fun exhibits, including this plane!

Will's swim lessons ended in January.  We decided to take a break this round, it's just too cold to take him out wet every week! 

Another Butterfly moment...

We puppy sat Onyx again after Christmas, Will wanted to sleep in the crate with him! 

Charlie was kinder and just wanted to visit...

Christmas 2014...

These pictures are in no particular order...

Charlie was a present pro by this year!

Uncle Ryan and Auntie Cari had wrapped Will's Skylanders in a Fruit Cocktail box and he didn't realize that it was really something else, and seemed content with a box of fruit!  

Once he opened the box he was THRILLED! 

William is a huge Geronimo Stilton fan so he was so excited to get the stuffed animal! 

Charlie got the Train Table he had been asking for for the last 6 months!

Stocking time!  Toothbrushes for all! 

Jelly Beans!

Santa brought William Benny's Spaceship from the Lego Movie...Life was good!

The boys worked hard on the gingerbread houses this year.  More candy made it on to the houses than ever before...

We also made Rice Krispy Treat Snowmen!

My favorite part of Christmas...Singing the closing song at Church by Candlelight.

Julie knitted me these super warm double layer mittens!  I love them! 

Molly got her "I'm Fixin To" mug!

The Stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Two Crazy Kids!

Benny's Spaceship- Complete! 

Christmas was great this year.  I was struggling a little bit emotionally, but the kids are a great distraction, and a wonderful reminder of how great it is to have these two crazy kids, and how lucky I am.  The kids had so many presents and though each year I swear to buy less, they still ended up with a TON!  Molly and Richard got here a week earlier this time so it was nice to have a chance to do some of the fun pre- Christmas stuff with them.  We made gingerbread houses, went to see Christmas lights, went to the zoo, the Science Museum, and the Minnesota History Museum.

Christmas Tree 2014

The boys were ready to go!

As Daddy cuts the tree down the boys prepare for the annual "Let the Tree Fall on the Kids" moment!

Timber!

Thankfully Charlie was on hand to save Brother...

The tree farm has free pony rides...

Both boys loved it! 

A Visit with Father Christmas or Get This Man Away From Me!

William has the routine down pat.  Look at camera and smile...

Tell Santa what you want...

Laugh at Santa's joke to insure Christmas present...

Charlie was very excited, until we got there...

He was smiling, not crying, but wouldn't even look at the guy!

The closer Santa got, the further away Charlie leaned!  Poor guy!  We'll try again next year!