Sledding

This morning we took the kids sledding at a nearby school with a pretty decent hill. It was a beautiful morning to go. The snow was fresh from the day before and the sun was shining. Derek has taken the kids a couple of times this winter while I've been working on the weekends. But this was the first time I'd been in probably 20 years. I was a mess. I wore 4 layers (the kids only had on two) and I was sweating right away. Derek now thinks I must've been a "terrible kid" because I could not figure out how to steer. No matter what, I'd either veer to one side or end up going down backwards.

Punky was a pro at sledding and could've taught me a thing or two! She had so much fun going down on her tummy, sitting up, using different sleds, "racing" us, and going down the hill with Daddy.



Buddy went down the hill a few times and had a lot of fun too, but he was more interested in playing in the snow. He brought his "scooper" and had fun shoveling the snow. We helped him make a 2 foot tall snowman. And then he wanted to build a sand castle. Not a snow castle (or snow fort) but a SAND castle. It took us a good 10 minutes to convince him that there was no sand. Crazy boy. Then he somehow thought up that he would "build Cabela's" in the snow. He is obsessed.with.animals. So silly!







Derek and I decided that we couldn't not post these silly photos from this morning. As we were getting ready to leave the house this morning, Buddy was playing "quietly" in the bedroom and got into Punky's makeup kit. Here is what Daddy found...

He has such a devilish look in his eyes!

Love

favorite books

It's still winter here.  It's cold outside and we haven't been doing much.  So, I thought I'd take a few minutes to jot down some of Punky and Buddy's favorite books right now.  I did this about 6 months ago for both Punky and Buddy and enjoy looking back at those posts.  So, this is more for me and the future Punky and Buddy than any readers (whoever you may be). 



Usborne Book of Fairy Tales- I hosted an Usborne Book party this fall and this was one of the many books I got for free. We finally gave it to Punky for her birthday and it hasn't found it's spot in the bookshelf yet. There are 5 or 6 stories in the book, classics like Cinderella and Goldilocks. There is also a little yellow duck hiding on each page that she likes to find!

Charlie and Lola- We don't have any Charlie and Lola books at home, but Punky always asks for a Charlie and Lola book when we are at the library. Lola is a silly little girl and is always saying silly things, kind of like our Punky. It is a British series, so that is kind of fun too!

Bark, George- This has got to be Punky's favorite book lately. George's mother takes George to the vet because George can not bark. He keeps saying "moo" or "meow" or "quack". The vet reaches deep inside George's throat and pulls out a cow, a cat, and a duck, etc. At the end of the book, George tries to bark and says "Hello". Punky laughs so hard every time and shouts "He ate the veterinarian!!!"

Giraffes Can't Dance- This book is definitely one of Buddy's favorites. We've checked it out from the library about 10 times, it's time for us to get our own copy. I really don't think the story is what makes Buddy loves this book. It does have a good cadence to it, but most of all Buddy likes to point out all the jungle animals. Of course!

1 Hunter- This is a simple book that Buddy found by himself at the library. It is a counting book about a hunter going on safari. The hunter passes all the hiding animals (2 elephants, 3 giraffes, 4 ostriches, etc). This book has giraffes AND crocodiles in it, so it is a hit with Buddy!

How Zebras Got Their Stripes- This is another book that I got for cheap when I hosted an Usborne Book party. It is an African folk tale. In the story, the baboon will not share the water at the pond with the other animals. The baboon builds a fire in order to scare away the other animals. The zebra thinks that the baboon needs to share and charges at the baboon. The sooty sticks from the fire fly into the air, land on the zebra and create his stripes. The baboon lands in the fire and this explains why baboons have red bottoms (which of course Punky and Buddy think is hilarious!). This book has a good lesson about sharing, humor and animals. Perfect!

Blue Hat, Green Hat- This is one of those board books that we've had since Punky was a baby. Our copy is pretty beat up, but Buddy still loves reading it. It is a simple book that even Buddy can "read". The book follows a bunch of animals as they get for the day. The silly turkey can never seem to get it right (socks on his hands, pants on his head). Both Punky and Buddy think this book is hilarious and I love hearing them roar with laughter!

go gophers

Today we took Punky and Buddy to their first Gopher sporting event. We are always looking for fun things to do, especially in the winter.  But, to be honest, one of the main reasons we went was because Punky got a Gopher cheerleader outfit for Christmas this year and I wanted her to wear it to a sporting event.  It was also a perfect excuse to visit campus and go out to eat at our favorite college restaurant, Big 10. Yum!

We chose to take the kids to a wrestling match this year. Daddy was a wrestler in high school, and we always joke that Buddy will be a professional wrestler when he grows up. I'd been to a few games matches before too and I knew that they were (a) not too crowded, (b) not too long, and (c) not too expensive.  We definitely weren't going to spend a bunch of money on a ticket to a football or hockey game and have two antsy kids to deal with.  (In the two hours at the stadium, we went to the concession stand twice and the bathroom three times.)

I don't know why they aren't smiling, they really did have fun!

Overall, the kids had a fun time! We were able to sit in a lower corner of the stadium where we had three or four empty rows in front of us. Punky and Buddy went up and down the stairs, climbed on the benches and in general did not watch the wrestlers. About twenty minutes after arriving, Buddy looked up at the wrestling mat and exclaimed, "Look at those guys!". That was about the only time they acknowledged the wrestling- oh well, maybe next time!



Of course, the most exciting part of any Gopher event is watching Goldy. Punky and Buddy had a lot of fun watching Goldy's every move. They were very patient, but always asking when he would come over by us. We kept holding them off, thinking that it was such a small venue that he was sure to come around again soon. At the intermission, Derek decided that we would get up and find him in the stands the next time we saw Goldy. Sadly, Goldy never came back. There was a basketball game starting next door, so we suspected that Goldy left to go cheer for that game. Punky was pretty bummed out, and so was I. I was really hoping to snap a super cute photo of them with Goldy.

*Insert super cute photo of Punky and Buddy in their Gopher gear giving Goldy a big hug here.*

On our last trip to the bathroom, we spotted Goldy (wearing basketball gear now) walking down the hall. Punky waved to him and Goldy blew her a quick kiss before sneaking into a locked door. She was pretty happy to get a closer peak at him, but still was hoping for that hug and high-five. We will know next time to stalk him right away!