Ah, finally...

We are LOVING this warm weather. It was almost 80 today. Unfortunately, it is going to get cool again. But- until then, we are going to bask in the sun. Thomas has been anxiously awaiting the day when he could play in the sprinkler again. Today was the day. He is big enough (and strong enough) to turn the water on and change out the different spray nozzles. Needless to say, he's been in heaven filling buckets, watering the grass, and spraying himself.

Chicago!!

We finally made good on our promise to Thomas. We took the train to Chicago yesterday. We had planned on going for his birthday, but decided not to when he had a broken leg. The weather was junky and cold, but we still had a great time. We started the day at Shedd aquariam. Thomas wasn't really into it. We've been twice and both times he was ready to go right after we got there.

Thomas really liked this submarine at Shedd. It's the only thing he wanted to do while we were there. Alan and I get into Shedd for free because we are teachers. Thank goodness. We would have been really disappointed if we had paid $90 to watch Thomas play in this submarine.

Daddy cajoled Thomas into looking at a few fish.

This picture sums up the day in Chicago. Rainy and COLD. Alan lent Thomas his hooded sweatshirt to keep him extra warm. It was just the right size to cover him up like a sleeping bag. We walked everywhere - in the rain. My husband does not believe in taking a taxi. Good thing we don't live in a big city.

After a warm up and lunch, we made the trek out to Navy Pier to go to the Chicago Children's Museum. It was AWESOME! Again, Alan and I got free admission and Thomas was only $10. He could have spent the whole day here. Everything was interactive and hands-on. His kind of place.

Thomas and Alan building a sailboat.

Catching some fish.

We rode the train to Chicago with Randy and Leah. Alan and Randy teach together. They went to the Museum of Science and Industry. We met up for dinner and then hopped back on the train to head home.

A day filled with fun totally pooped Thomas out. He slept the whole way home on the train.

Happy Easter

After a really early egg hunt and sunrise church service, we headed to Dimondale to join the rest of the Asiala clan. Thomas had fun on another egg hunt, played with his cousins, and practiced his tee ball skills. Total, Thomas participated in 6 egg hunts this year. Thank God all those eggs weren't filled with candy.

The clan, left to right: Roger, Chris, Mike, Andrae, Jason, Mona, Josh, Laura, Thomas and myself.

Tee ball is one of T's favorite outdoor activities right now. He insisted that we take his bat, ball, and tee along to Easter dinner. It came in handy and helped to burn off all that extra sugar he had been consuming. I LOVE this picture that Alan took. My little man in action.

Eggstravaganza

Thomas colored eggs this morning. In true Thomas fashion, he did it all by himself. If it weren't for all the laundry and cooking I do, I would swear he could just move out on his own ;)

He successfully managed to color his fingers as well as the eggs.

The casualties. All but 3 of the eggs got cracked or smashed during the coloring process. I guess that is what happens when a 3 year old decides to do it all by himself.

Fun with Friends

We had the opportunity to get together with friends yesterday. Rachel invited us over for some good old fashioned outdoor play. The kids played bubbles, tee ball, in the sand box, had snacks, and were surprised with an egg hunt. This makes Thomas's third egg hunt of the season. Hope he isn't over it tomorrow morning. The kids had a great time and got totally worn out (and dirty, too). It was great to spend some time with my mom friends as well. I don't get to see them as much as I would like during the school year. I'm looking forward to summer vacation when Thomas and I can attend more outings with them. Thanks for the great memories, Rachel!

Thomas and Sasha take a little time out to enjoy their popsicles.

I always look forward to spring break. It is a nice break in the chaos of springtime in the schools to reconnect and spend time with my guys. The weather has been the icing on the cake this year. It has been in the 80s the last 2 days. Seems like we skipped spring and went straight into summer. Oh well.

Practice Hunt :)

We arrived home this afternoon to a surprise from Kathy. She decorated a tree and hid eggs all over our yard. Thomas had a great time. He kept running around saying, "what the heck happened to our yard!"

I know, I know, I know....Thomas will eventually balk at wearing these silly ears. But, until then...

Thomas is really excited about Alan's new boat. He went with Uncle Mike and Daddy to Bass Pro Shops yesterday to buy it. Some quality man time. He was sitting in the new boat with the basket of eggs pretending to be fishing. The eggs were bait, of course.

Firehouse Fun!

Thomas and I spent some time with my brother Mike this week at the Fenton City Fire Department. Mike is part of the crew there now. He is really excited about it and is about to embark on more training. Thomas was surprisingly very hesitant at the fire department. He warmed up a bit when Mike took him by the hand and showed him around.

I loved this really long rack of very organized gear.

Thomas wearing Mikes helmet. Again, he was hesitant. He talked about taking Mike's helmet home the whole way to the station and then didn't even want to put it on. Go figure.

Thomas really liked this brush truck. Probably because it was not as intimidating as the other trucks. It is just a regular size truck fitted with all the necessary fire equipment.

Trucks, trucks, trucks.

Wearing his badge.