We all do our best... right??!!

So, it's been a while! Hope you guys will still check my blog once in a while, even if I don't :-) Life has been full of adventure, and because of it, we don't seem to get much down time. But some good things about this lifestyle... A. we all have less time to get into trouble.... B. it makes us appreciate the down time we do take.... and C. we hope the adventures will remain intact on these little kidlings, and at least remember the fun times we have had together as a family.

So, the first picture is of a BEAUTIFUL theater up in Salem where James and I went to go see "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere". It was very well done, and James loved it... the little historian he is. It was also a great time, just the two of us, hanging out together. And thankfully Glenn and Alex had a great time with Joleane while we were gone too! Such a beautiful theater, though. I'd never heard of it before, but has a beautiful medieval castle-like foyer, and beautiful carved artwork inside the theater... I need to look up so more information on the theater itself. But it was a treat to attend!


The following week, the older boys and I headed to the coast to sleep with the sharks. WOW! A fabulous experience. It was well worth the money we paid! There were 27 of us, and we had the run of the entire aquarium, and had 2 personal tour guides to ask to our hearts content. James, of course, didn't waste a moment, and was the first one to raise his hand to ask how sharks sleep. Many of them sleep on the bottom of the tanks, or else they just hover in one spot and just keep their gills moving to keep the oxygen coming. But to my complete surprise, Glenn raised his hand to ask a question. Glenn was behind me, so I couldn't see him raise his hand. And I was looking at the woman with a bewildered look, wondering why she was looking at me like I had raised my hand. Then I heard Glenn's little voice chime up his question... how do sharks swim so fast with their tails. Then the lady went into the muscle movement of the fishes tails. But I was so shocked... my little Glenn who used to be so shy, really has come out of his shell. It seemed to have started while we were back in MN last summer... and he has just flourished since then... gaining such self-confidence.


We started the sleepover at 6PM, and they had us up till 11PM, and little Glenn still didn't crash till 11:30. We were having SO much fun just staring up at the sharks, and all the other fish swimming around. There was a large school of fish that kept swimming all around, and at different times it looked like they were making S's and O's. So, Glenn finally asked, "Mama, do those fish know their alphabet?" It was quite cute. After a wonderful nights sleep... I mean how could you not enjoy waking up even in the middle of the night to the sight of such amazing fish... even being pregnant on the floor... I could have cared less... they then woke us up at 7AM for breakfast, and to watch morning feedings, talk more about care of animals, and one last look at the aquarium. James woke up, asking me why they had just woken him up... he just fell asleep! And Glenn, was wide awake, ready for the day.


We walked around all the different buildings, and they had a scavenger hunt set up for the kids, which was great, because it really make them stop to read the signs, and not just run through the rooms, look at the animals, and run to the next. We really learned quite a bit. We had pizza for dinner, and cereal for breakfast... not the most nutritious for us people with gestational diabetics, but the kids LOVED it! And around 10 after 9, they sent us on our way... back home. That night we had our huge RS dinner, so the rest of the day was insane getting ready for that. I don't think I sat down the entire day... the good news... boy did I sleep great that night! We couldn't have had this amazing experience without Todd's help! Alex would NOT have done well on that schedule! So, he offered to stay home with Alex. And we sure did miss them... especially since there was another little boy about Glenn's age whose name was Alex, and he was such a cutie! My boys just latched onto him.

Well, if any of you ever get a chance to go to the aquarium for a sleepover, I would highly recommend it! I'm sure our fabulous tour guides made the evening as well. It really would have been lame if we got stuck with lame people. But they were fabulous, and make our evening wonderful. The last picture is of James and Glenn making Plankton out of whatever material they could fine. James chose silly puddy and toothpicks... you can see his floating in the middle of the water... right where it's supposed to be.

Well, that's all for tonight. We had a fantastic book club discussing Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. But I am bushed... so off to bed I go.