i almost forgot to post zoo pictures!!!

The Pittsburgh Zoo

ROCKS MY SOCKS OFF!!

I love this place. I might even love it more than the kids do!

We asked the grandparents for a membership to the zoos as the kids birthday present! What a great present this is already turning out to be and I know we will continue to use it. One of the best parts is yet to come in the blog...i will explain later. :D

When you get to the zoo, after coming in the gates, you have to ride the loooong escalator! even zach got scared at the top! Josh, on the other hand, loves it!Ellie trying to be a flamingo!

My monkey man!
looking at the crocs!
Josh trying to be a flamingo!
ok, so this is one of the best things about the zoo membership!

it's called the zoo key. the ordinary man has to pay for the zoo key.

members however, get theirs for free!

at each animal habitat there is a green box to insert the "key"

if you put it star side up, a childs song about the animal plays and ellie breaks out in her groove!!

if you put it in square side up, the famous pittsburgh adult teaches you about the animal in a fun way!! looking for the key box was a great way to keep him interested, invested and kept him going!! So much fun!!

watching the elephants!
then moving on to the zebras!

this is just a precious picture...and so is the next one!!

i don't know who was more excited about the elephants...

but i can't wait to go back!!!

the boyz playing "tag, you're it!" while holding their pants up!
before going into the aquarium, this fish "tank" was outside.

josh actually leaned in and kissed one of the HUGE fish!!

matthews first trip to the zoo!

just inside the aqurium...josh being goofy!

the penguins were the best part of the day!

they played the whole time!!

in the fish tank!

"now mommy, this is where the big white bears are and

that is where we are going next." (he was totally right by the way!)

that is a scuba diver in the fish tank!

they were cleaning the glass and also the plants!

it was weird seeing them in there!!

so, we leave the aquarium and head to the polar bears.

there was a zoo keeper there and josh wanted to know when they were getting into the water. she told us that they are land animals and therefore, only in the water about 10% of the day. I was so sad (i really wanted to see them in the water and i was sad for josh!)!

then, we went around the corner to the next viewing window...and they had dove in!!!!!

you can see the bear to the left of josh's head in this pic, then it swam right past josh!!

so we ran down to the tunnel!

this is the polar bears swimming above us!

I could have spent the whole day in there!!!

i didn't even ask her to do this,

she just loves zach that much!!

where are the sea lions??

the sticker on the glass asks you not to throw pennies. it was weird.

ok, so this is the playground. and the reason i dressed the kids in orange.

it's easier to see them in a crowd! ellie stuck to the stairs, josh loved the slide!

he touched the deer this time!!!

(when he went with grandpa,

he didn't want to touch it. only ellie did!)

josh touching the kangaroo too!!!

and ellie BEING a kangaroo!!

boing boing!!

remember these from gym class??!!

ellie actually figured out how to use it!

the sea lion viewing tank

Happy 4th of July!!

we were at grandma and grandpas for the weekend!!!

swinging before the bon fire

counting the fish on the pool

"mom, I am trying to tell you that i want my coat!!"

more pool time at grandmas!

counting the fish again...

and can i just say, this water was FREEZING COLD!!

matt didn't really enjoy the water

"oh, What a weekend!!"

Martin weekend

chasing the icecream truck

So I NEED to post the awesome pictures from this weekend

when both my aunts (dad's sisters) and all their kids were in town...

~

but first,

tonight we were enjoying the great friday night outside

when off in the distance, what do we hear?

is that the icecream truck? and, we haven't encountered the icecream man yet this summer!

however, for those of you who don't know, we live on a "no outlet" road.

great for bike riding! bad for the icecream man.

he doesn't want to turn around, so he just doesn't travel it.

therefore, bad for my kids.

so, adam decides to put the kids in the van and drive up the street to get icecream.

keys? check.

wallet? check.

mom? she's nursing and can't go (bummer)

camera? mom is the one obsessed with that...left at home. (double bummer)

buckles them in and he's off.

~

the drive begins.

they search on the surrounding streets. no luck.

they try on the other side of town where there is more streets and houses. no luck.

there is one other neighborhood in zelienople (the town we live in)

and the other neighborhood happens to be near the actual icecream store.

on the way there, they actually pass the truck going the other direction, back into cranberry.

adam thinks "there is one more neighborhood on the way out of town, that must be where he is going!" they follow him through town, up the hill, and turn left...

but the truck does not turn left into the neighborhood!!

he is going toward cranberry!!

There is not another neighborhood until cranberry, at least 7 miles!!

the whole time, josh is cheering dad on from the back seat!

"turn this way dad! speed up dad! there he goes dad! faster faster!!"

15 miles of gas: $8.00

3 icecream treats from the icecream man: $4.00

1 messy girl with icecream all over her: a bath

having the best dad in the whole world

who chases the icecream truck because you live on a "no outlet" street: PRICELESS

Sorry the video is on its side...i'm borrowing mom's camera

and i didn't know that's how it worked.

but it is still TOTALLY worth the post!!

Matthews first trip to Edinboro!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

--kisses--

--present time--
(notice josh's homemade wrapping paper)

i LOVE these toes!!

wheee!

What?

into the archives

so, i thought since i was without camera right now,

i would go into the archives and pull out some pictures

that didn't make the cut.

Then, i realized that we never posted pictures of the big 4 year old!!!

enjoy!

ben and ellie...too sweet

it was so great that the handran clan got to visit for the day!

it was great to celebrate not only josh, but their good news...

noel and joy are expecting a baby girl in September!

so, we were comparing bellies.

(for those of you who have never known someone who was pregnant,

you don't go back to normal right away...unless you are wonder woman!)

CONGRATS GUYS!!

that is icecream...that is why they are so excited!!

its a great idea that i read in a magazine...

put scoops of icecream in cupcake liners

so serving it isn't so hard at the party.

the big baseball cake that josh wanted!

there was a game the day of his party...

so the boyz went to watch while matthew and i hung at home with the grandmas

no pictures to post

So I haven't posted in a while. No pictures to post. : (
Both the cameras in my house have failed on me. bummer! i did borrow moms. the batteries died.
i know that each consecutive child has less and less pictures of themselves and have a moment of trama when that special grade school teacher assigns the photo project of your family!!
Poor Matt. hang in there buddy...i'm getting one soon for my birthday!

but the big news of the day: Matt pooped!!

(for those of you who have breast feed your babies, you are rejoicing with pure joy with me as you read this, knowing what the last week has entailed as my poor, constipated Matt has struggled to get it out while those around him have been tourchered by his bad gas!

for the rest of you, you just think i am a pathetic, sheltered mom of three who is afraid to go out into the world for other excitement therefore, making poop the highlight of my day...by the way, the four of us conqured the grocery store yesterday, not without looks from others, but we did it!)

two weeks (this past) tuesday

Look at those lips!!

What cute toes!!

Nana and the boyz