Time For The Fair

We went to the Michigan State Fair yesterday. It has been six years since we have been to a state fair so this was a big deal for us. We used to go every year but, unfortunately, the Michigan State Fair has been shut down the last several years due to budget concerns. This year it was able to open again and we had to go. We had a lot of fun and we can't wait for the next one.

 There were plenty of animals

 Just kidding!

We watched the Shriners Circus

 It was actually under the big top.

We ate yummy fair food

And waited for rides.

Some of us didn't mind the wait

 as much as others

 There were some much needed breaks along the way

And a few sibling arguments

until they figured out Dad had the camera

Mostly though, there were lots and lots of smiles!



Girls Sleepover

Last night/this morning was the Mpact girls sleepover at our church.  Being a teacher I was asked to help out with it.  Hannah also went to it as it was for K-6th grades.  We showed up at 6:45 last night and we didn't stop until about 2:00 am this morning.  Then I was up again at 6:30 to help get breakfast ready and the room cleaned up.  Hannah got to "sleep in" until 8:00.  While it was a lot of fun, it was also a long night. 
The theme was Hawaiian Beach Day so the girls got to do lots of crafts and games related to that.

There was flip flop decorating which just happened to be my station

followed by Mani-Pedi's

Frisbee Golf since you can't really play golf at the beach.

The girls were a little confused about how to play the game.

And lots of games with the parachute - always a favorite

They also got to decorate a frame with paint and seashells

Build sandcastles out of cups

This was Hannah's teams sandcastle.  They won the competition for best sandcastle

Then there were pictures with a Hawaiian background

Dinner consisted of hot dogs and chips. Not really a beachy dinner but it was easy

And the most anticipated event of the night.  A trip to the boys bathroom. 

Finally it was time to settle in with popcorn and ice cream to watch a movie. There were more games and crafts such as jewelry making, a limbo competition, book readings, and beach volleyball but being busy with the craft table I didn't always get a chance to snap a picture.

Meanwhile, at home, Robbie spent a quiet evening with the girls and dogs.  He missed all the fun but for some reason he didn't mind.

The city that never sleeps

While we were back in Connecticut for Thanksgiving we decided to take the kids into New York City.  It seems like every time we go there we have something new to see.  Thanks to me, our sightseeing trip started with us getting lost.  So, while not on our scheduled stops, we saw Chinatown, Little Italy, and the Bronx.  Last time we went I got us lost in Harlem.  At least this time it wasn't as bad. 

Luckily, the kids didn't seem to care too much about our detour.

 We also got to see the Statue of Liberty from a new angle.

Once we got back to Manhattan we started our day.

 First, Rob verified that we were in N.Y. City

 Then he checked to make sure that we were in Times Square

 Then came the gratuitous happy kids picture

 And more pictures of Times Square

Next stop - Toys r Us

 Two thumbs up

 Can you see what Cerah wanted?

 Maybe the dinosaur was mad because his nose itched

 Lunchtime!

 I can't believe it.  My name, in lights

 Anthony wants a guitar for X-mas.  So we told him to pick one

The Empire State Building

 Grand Central Station

 Rockefeller Center

 The Chrysler Building

 Large snowflake hanging from the street light

 St. Patrick's Cathedral.  What I wouldn't have given to go in there.

 Statue of man on horse near Central Park.

 Man with horse in Central Park

 Very crowded 5th Avenue

After looking at the architecture we moved on to the Central Park Zoo

See, here we are at the zoo

 We saw seals

 Polar Bears

 Deer

 Tropical Birds

and Monkeys

 Sorry, Monkeys...

On to my favorite place

The main branch of the New York Public Library

 I love the carvings at this library

Look, real old fashioned phones inside the library.  How cool is that!

 Marble walls and floors

Fresco paintings on the ceilings

and some weirdo on the steps outside

Finally, it was time to go to Build a Bear - the whole reason the girls wanted to go.

Hannah waiting for her bear to get sewn up

 Cerah and Morgan waiting for their dino's to get stuffed

 Here they are with their new babies.

Then it was back to the car park.  I love how creatively they came up with more room for cars

 And back on the road, heading home.