Beating January

Can I tell you a secret that I discovered?  January is my least favorite month.  My apologies to all of those with January birthdays - I'm sure you feel different.  I don't know what it is about January.  Maybe the post holiday slump?  Maybe the fact that it is cold and cloudy and completely unbroken by any holidays (ones that you decorate for, at least)?  I'm not sure, but I have discovered that it is the month that I am the least motivated (to do anything).  Knowing this ahead of time, I made sure to schedule some really fun things for the Moms' Group I coordinate.  I needed something to provide some fun and energy to an otherwise dreary month.

One of our special trips was to the Children's Museum!

This is the same place we had the twins birthday party last year.  They have free days about once a month, so I coordinated a group to go on one of those days.  It felt almost too good to be true.  We signed in at the front desk, and I kept expecting them to ask us to pay.  But they didn't!  The museum had some new things since our last visit and the twin had a blast!  We are definitely going to have to make free day a regular trip.

Their grocery store is AMAZING.  It is as fully stocked as many small grocery stores I've seen, it has a working scanner and cash register, and it is next door to the "bank" in case you need some money (play money, but it looks very realistic)!  I didn't think I would get our kids to leave.

The airplane.  Allie couldn't wait to fly "Siddeley."

 Ryan was so excited about this exercise bike.  He asked us if we would get one for home.  He would probably use it...

They have a giant Operation game.  Allie loved it.

  I was trying to get a picture of them holding the heart from the game - for Valentine's.  Instead, I got pictures of them looking funny at the hearts...

Some of their favorite things were larger versions on things we have at home, like the water table (not pictured), the train table, 

and the light table.

They have a whole farm corner now.  The twins loved "driving" the combine.

Their grain elevator (with giant, foam kernels of corn and soybean) was a huge hit.  Although it would get stuck, so they needed Daddy's help.

Another hit was this tube wall.  You placed a ball (or yarn pom-pom) into one of the doorways and it sucked through the tubes.

 And after watching it go through the maze of tubes it pops out the top (see Allie's ball?  Hint: look for the arrow).

Another trip was to a bounce castle place that opened up not too long ago near us.  I had heard great things, but thought it might be a little expensive.  With the Moms' Group we had enough kids to get the group discount - almost half price!  I didn't get many pictures (because I was catching up with a friend from college who joined us for the day), but I did get a picture of their favorite thing.  A GIANT bouncy slide.  Easily 2 stories tall.

Allie.  No matter how many times I told her no, she was determined to go down head first.

 Ryan - liking the idea of sliding on his tummy, but not quite as adventurous as his sister.

 Ryan's curls were out of control adorable that day.  I had to get a picture!

And that is how we beat the January slump (for 2 days, at least).

Happy February!