Mid-Winter Break

Last week the kids had a mid-winter break from school. On the first day we visited our friends the Hart's who live 45 minutes away. We went to a fun tractor museum with them and Nathan was in heaven. The girls, however, got bored quickly and just kept asking when we would leave. Seems like that is the case for almost every activity, with some kids enjoying it and others begging to leave. Here Nathan is on a kid-sized John Deere tractor. I think he is looking at the entrance to see if he can make a getaway attempt on the tractor.

Super excited Nathan and very cute Melissa posing with vintage tractor signs. Trying out a big old tractor outside the museum. The steering column is just long enough...

On another day we went to lunch at the Rain Forest Cafe at Southcenter mall. I had been wanting to try this resturaunt ever since a friend told me about it several years ago. Unfortunately, the food wasn't that good and our kids don't like waiting for their food. Luckily we did have some coupons. Eating out with a family of seven can get expensive real quick, so we don't do it often. I think we will have to stick to fast food resturaunts for the time being. Currently, we are big fans of the Dominoes 5.99 large pizzas. Nathan was quite frightened by the mechanical gorilla-robot that kept pounding its chest (it did look kind of Plant-of-the-Apes freekish) so Scott had to hold him (Nathan) the whole time. Of course, once we returned home Nathan kept pounding his chest like the gorilla.
Holly and Emily enjoyed looking at the fish tank behind them though. I think all kids automatically look for 'Nemo' whenever they are near a fish tank.

I took all five kids with me to Fred Meyer and all the girls decided that they each wanted a mini pillow pet. Feeling bad that our break consisted of a tractor musuem they didn't like and not so good food at a resturaunt, I paid for the pillow pets. They were thrilled. Nathan was happy to get a big rig pez machine (see yellow truck in front of him).

The big girls did make good use of the break to clean their rooms. Here is Holly posing in her clean room with the bed made.

And Emily. I'm glad that they can clean their own rooms.

Today I am thankful that

*It is sunny and snowy outside. Silly that we are having a snow day though with only 1 inch of snow, but more will fall this afternoon.

*Holly can make lunch for everybody.

*Emily and her friend keep us entertained by singing their talent show song for us.