President's Day Weekend

We needed a little get-a-way, so we went and spent a night just over the river in Collinsville, IL.

We started with breakfast at McDonald's. Then we went to the Children's Museum in Edwardsville, IL. It is in an old schoolhouse that was built in 1809! Here is everyone busy at the grocery store!

Sydney had fun dressing up in lots of fancy clothes. Then we all had fun looking at ourselves and each other in the curvy mirrors.

Kathryn was excited to say, "Fireman in the hoooouuuuussseee!" It was random and funny.

Then we visited Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. We toured the visitors center and Mike and the big girls climbed Monks Mound.

Then we went and ate at Lotawata Creek Grill. We arrived at 3:45 pm and there was a 60 minute wait! We waited the hour and really enjoyed our meal. As we were waiting the wait-time grew to 2 hours!

We had fun spending the night in a hotel, swimming in the pool (twice!), and eating the complimentary breakfast.

We also visited the St. Louis Arch. We watched the movie about Lewis and Clark, and we all rode up the tram to the top of the arch!

Valentine's Day!

We had a nice Valentine's Day, even thought Mike was in the Dominican Republic for work. Kathryn was sick, so she missed 2 days of school, and her Valentine's party! It was also "Dress for Respect" day, so I surprised Sydney with a new dress.

Here are the girls with their Valentine goodies. Sydney got a new dress-up gown and shoes, Kathryn got KidzBop 21, and Reagan got a small little bear.

For dinner we had heart shaped pizza, sparkling apple cider, and chocolate dipped strawberries. The girls dipped them and ate them right away before the chocolate hardened. They prefer it that way!

These were the Valentine's that they handed out to their classmates. We cut slits above and below their hand and inserted a DumDum sucker.

I'm 33!

I had a good birthday this year! Some of my friends surprised me with sweet treats and cute decorations.

Mike took me to the Boathouse in Forest Park for dinner on my birthday. They do a seasonal shrimp boil on Thursday nights that I've always wanted to go to. We had a nice dinner, went shopping for a new stroller (aren't we romantic?), and got Orange Leaf on the way home.

I also went to eat at Texas Roadhouse with some of my girlfriends on the following night. My friend Natalie B. provided me with all my sparkle to wear. I asked her if she was celebrating me, or trying to embarass me! She said, "A little of both!"