More Zoo pics

When I did the zoo post originally, the computer was being weird and wouldn't upload the pictures. So here are some more pictures of the Cape May Zoo.

The ferry

After we went to the Cape May Zoo we took the Cap May Lewes Ferry across the Deleware Bay. We got to drive our van right onto the Ferry. (Yes, I do understand that that is the definition of a Ferry, I just wanted to tell the whole story.) It was an 80 minute ride. It was very fun! I get a little motion sick, and it wasn't great, but it wasn't too bad either. The view was pretty. They had seats in varios different places that we could sit in and relax. There was a little shop and an indoor bar and an outdoor bar. We will do it again someday.

Cape May Zoo

The weekend before school started we decided to take a overnight trip. Some friends had recently taken a little trip so we decided to copy them. We left home on Friday morning and drove 2.5 hours to Cape May New Jersey. While there we went to a zoo.

It was a pretty little zoo, it took us two hours to see everything in it, but that was just perfect for our family. We got to see lots of fun animals. The zoo is in a forest, so there was shade everywhere. And, the best part, it was free! There was also a large playground near by that we will plan to go to next time.

A Day of Firsts

Today is the first day of school. This is Austin walking outside to catch the bus. We waited for 37mins. One of the other mom's volunteered to drive to school.

And ofcourse, the bus finally showed up.

I decided to go jogging. I had loaned my double jogger to a friend. I drove to her house, got the stroller from her back yard. Moved all the seats around in my van. Squeezed the stroller in the back. Got home. Put both kids in the stoller.

I pumped up all the tires. But wait, one won't hold air. It is flat, even after I pumped it up three times.

So anyway, I walked on the treadmill this morning in the hallway upstairs. Not the same, but still better than no exercising! And Jason said that he will fix the tire so that I can try again tomorrow.

Hopefully Austin will have a better first day of school than I had first day of exercise!

New Hair

For those of you who haven't seen me, this is my new hair. I can't get the old hair pic off my camera, so you will just have to trust me.

This is one of two ways that I do it. This is the flip out way, I usually curl it under. I like it.

Not too much going on here

Ok.
So my computer is still not going on line.

So I am still stuck using the laptop.

So I cannot download my pics.

So I cannot blog.

Yes, rationally I know that this is not true, but I also know that posts are more fun when there is something to look at. That way you are also distracted from my bad grammer and boring life!

Let's see. Last week we went to Dutch Wonderland with The Lee's. It was tons of fun. The weather was perfect. We got there when it opened and left when it closed. Cost just a little bit more than two trips to the movies and was WAY more fun. I would recommend it to anyone with little kids. It took just over an hour to get there from our house. We will definately be going there next summer if anyone is interested.

I have been working. I am doing more day shifts because it is so much easier on my body. But that means I am away from home more. But it also means that I am nicer when I am home.

Jason turned 31 last week. He got Guitar Hero, which he has been playing non-stop since then. As soon as I can find USB cord for camera I will post those pictures!

That is about it. Nothing too exciting in our neck of the woods.

Wii!

We finally got a Wii. We wanted to get one for Christmas, then when we couldn't find one we decided that we would find one for Austin's birthday in April. We still couldn't find one.



One day during our family reunion Jason and dad went to buy a PS3 for Dad. I told Jason that he should look for the Wii and if he found one he should buy it. Well, he found one!! We love it. The kids really like playing, and Jason and I enjoy it too.



I need to take some pictures of us playing it. The pictures with this post of the ones at my mom's house while my family was in town.



We know why they call it a Wii!!!

Journey to the Movie Theater

Something inspired me this week to take my kids to the movies. Maybe inspired is the wrong word...maybe posessed is more appropriate.

Anyway, the plan originally was to go to a matinee on Thursday afternoon. Then Jason made plans, so we decided to go Thursday evening.

This is how it went...

6:05 Daddy gets home, everyone is already sitting at the table inhaling dinner.

6:20 Everyone running around looking for shoes. Mom yelling. Dad yelling.

6:30 Everyone in car, buckled and ready to go.

6:40 Movie starts

6:50 We get to movie theater
Did you know that 3D movies are more expensive to get into? Fortunately we only have to buy four tickets, so it ONLY costs us $43. Thank goodness we are too late to buy snacks!

6:51 Perfect timing we missed all the previews. We are just in time to rip the plastic off our attractive 3D glasses and put them on to watch the show.

6:55 Ryan is crying and saying he wants to go home. Doesn't want to watch the movie. Doesn't like the glasses doesn't like the dark.

7:00 Layla needs to go potty. Ryan needs to go potty. Mom takes both kids to potty. Only Layla can go.

7:15 Austin needs to go potty. Dad takes Austin potty.

7:20 Mom bribes Ryan with gum to sit quietly and stop whining and saying he needs to go potty.

7:30 Layla needs to go potty. Dad takes her.

7:45 Austin needs to go potty. Dad takes him.

7:55 Scarey part of movie, mom screams, Austin throws 3d glasses two rows in front of us. Fortunately we have a few extra pairs because neither Ryan nor Layla are wearing theirs.

8:10 Austin has to go potty. This time we just make him go by himself.

8:12 Mom starts to get very nervous because she sent her 6 year old to the bathroom by himself and he is not back yet.

8:12 30secs Austin is back, phew!

8:30 Movie ends. We all survived. No one was murdered by an angry stressed out mom. We made it. And it was a pretty good movie.

Moral of the story: Don't take your kids to the movies until they can go to the potty by themselves without you worrying that some creepy stranger is going to steal them. Or maybe just always go on your own with your spouse so you can eat junk food for the same amount as it would have cost to bring the kids!

Swimming

These are just such fun pictures of Austin and Mikayla, my niece, jumping off the wall at Grandma's house and into the pool!

End of the Drought

The first picture is of my entire Richards' family. My parents have five kids, and 14 1/2 grand children.


Next picture is of mom and dad and us kids making funny faces.

Maybe some of you have noticed that there has been a drought on the Crowl Family blog...maybe some of you haven't. Well, it is finally over. My family was in town for three weeks so I spent every spare second there playing with them. Then I had to work a ton last week to make up for not working while they were all in town. Then this weekend my computer stopped working. We finally figured out that I can use the laptop....DUH!!

New checks

We moved into this house in January of 2004. SO we have been here for four and a half years. I finally decided that it is time to get new checks. I found this cool website that lets you make checks out of your personal photos. These are two of my new check pictures. I think it is so cool!

Who are you?

Which Disney Princess Are You?

You Are Snow White!

Pure and trusting. You are a gentle soul who can get along with just about anyone. Everyone you meet instantly falls in love with you. How can they resist? You have a pure, lovable nature that's irresistable. Just don't trust everyone who comes across your path.

I just took a quiz that tells you which Disney Princess you are. It is interesting. Take the quiz and then let me know who you are!! I think I put a link on the top line of this post.

Great Grandma and Grandpa

Jason's grandparents live about five miles from us, if that. I am really bad at judging distances. We don't see them as often as we would like, but the other day we did go over to visit with them. Grandpa has four donkeys that the kids just love. They played with them and even got to take a ride.

Bath from day's of yore

A few weeks ago Jason had the upstairs pipes disconnected so we couldn't use the upstairs bathrooms at all. The kids were playing outside and were filthy. I filled up a giant pan and carried it downstairs and dumped it into the bath tub in the basement. The kids thought it was the coolest things ever.

Austin's Birthday Party

For Austin's birthday party we had an arts and craft party. The kids made t-shirts using contact paper. It was pretty neat. I just printed pictures off the internet. Then the kids traced the pictures onto the contact paper and cut it out. Then we stuck the contact paper to the shirts and painted away. The kids could be as messy as they wanted and the shirts were still super cute.

Then they made foam visors.

It was a really fun party.

Free presents

I just found my camera that has been missing for a while. It has Austin's b-day pics on it.

This is the coolest birthday present that he got. Grandma and Grandpa Richards found some old binoculars in their junk and were going to get rid of them. I recommended that they give them to Austin for his birthday. He was so excited!

He spent lots of time looking outside at the trees.

"Are you trying to tell us something?"

So today for Father's Day we went to mom and dad's for dinner. Dad came home while we were standing in the kitchen getting dinner ready. He came over patted my tummy and said, "Are you trying to tell us something?"

Um, NO!!!!!

SO, this is what I was wearing...

Does it make me look fat

Does it make me look pregnant?

And who asks that?!?!

And on a good note, my mom threw a fit and yelled at him and told him that he doesn't ask those kinds of questions!

Cool Layla

These are Layla's cool new shades. I found them at Gabriel Brothers. The best part is that the checker could not get them to ring up, so she gave them to us for free!

Layla's Birthday

Today was Layla's fourth birthday. She had fun with her friends having a princess/unicorn party. Her friends came over and then decorated party bags. Then I was going to show them our treasure, but it was missing. Whomever took it left some clues to help us find it. We played name that tune with the Disney Princess Album. We made ribbon wands. We played pin the horn on the unicorn. We had a dress up shoe relay race (they weren't really good at that, I guess four year olds just don't get it!). Then we danced and played with our wands. When we got back upstairs we found the treasure which included some jewels and some crowns. (note the beautifully decorated crowns in the pictures above.) All in all it was a pretty fun day.