We rang in the new year at the Shaffers in Grand Rapids. Everybody had such a good time, kids and grown-ups alike!
Claire and Mia were just priceless together on this visit. These two are clearly good friends in the making. Claire kept saying, "Mia, Mia, Mia" over and over, all weekend. Every time she woke up in the morning or after a nap, the first thing she said to me was "Mia, Mia, Mia."
And Claire must have said hi to Mia no less than 300 times over the course of the weekend. It was always, "Hi, Mia," in a very laid-back, sing-songy kind of way. Sometimes Mia would casually wave in response. They were so cute.
And of course, Elsa had a great time with Carter too. Each morning, those two woke up and got right to playing. Elsa didn't even bother calling to us or coming to look for us in the guest room, her and Carter were far too busy with the game of the moment.
They played "store" (one of Elsa's favorites at the moment), played with Elsa's Tag reader and her camera, and they especially liked playing the Wii (here they are playing Mario Kart).
On Friday, Grandpa and Grandma J. were nice enough to babysit all four kids while Ellen, Dave, Bob and I went to East Lansing to see Michigan State play Minnesota in basketball.
It was a great game, MSU got a big win, and we had amazing seats four rows behind the basket, thanks to Ellen and Dave's awesome connections. : ) I have NEVER seen an MSU basketball game at home, and it's a whole different experience than being one of the only Spartan fans in Madison, so I really enjoyed it! We went out to dinner afterward, then came back to Ellen and Dave's to watch the ball drop and play Apples to Apples (which is surprisingly fun, by the way). This was also the first time we've ever had a babysitter on New Year's Eve, so that was really nice as well.
The next day was Christmas and New Year's all in one, since that was our Christmas celebration with the Shaffers and Grandpa and Grandma J.
The kids got so many nice presents. Grandpa and Grandma J. gave Claire this "parade-ready" drum and other musical instruments, as well as the bear backpack she's wearing (Mia got a cow). Elsa got a veterinarian play set (complete with a scrubs top), a baby animals calendar, and the very same hopscotch mat that we bought for Karina!
From the Shaffers, Elsa got a Little Mermaid Tag book and an art case that included a table-top easel, markers and colored-pencils. Claire got her own play laptop and a doggy named Violet who says her name and sings about applesauce. Jackpot!
The rest of the time, we just hung out, ate, mediated sharing disputes, and watched Elmo videos.
Everybody had a great time, we loved hanging out with you guys! Claire was still occasionally saying, "Mia, Mia, Mia," as she wandered around the house today, as though she thought Mia would just pop out of a closet or something. She sure does miss her cousins!
We rang in the new year at the Shaffers in Grand Rapids. Everybody had such a good time, kids and grown-ups alike!
Claire and Mia were just priceless together on this visit. These two are clearly good friends in the making. Claire kept saying, "Mia, Mia, Mia" over and over, all weekend. Every time she woke up in the morning or after a nap, the first thing she said to me was "Mia, Mia, Mia."
And Claire must have said hi to Mia no less than 300 times over the course of the weekend. It was always, "Hi, Mia," in a very laid-back, sing-songy kind of way. Sometimes Mia would casually wave in response. They were so cute.
And of course, Elsa had a great time with Carter too. Each morning, those two woke up and got right to playing. Elsa didn't even bother calling to us or coming to look for us in the guest room, her and Carter were far too busy with the game of the moment.
They played "store" (one of Elsa's favorites at the moment), played with Elsa's Tag reader and her camera, and they especially liked playing the Wii (here they are playing Mario Kart).
On Friday, Grandpa and Grandma J. were nice enough to babysit all four kids while Ellen, Dave, Bob and I went to East Lansing to see Michigan State play Minnesota in basketball.
It was a great game, MSU got a big win, and we had amazing seats four rows behind the basket, thanks to Ellen and Dave's awesome connections. : ) I have NEVER seen an MSU basketball game at home, and it's a whole different experience than being one of the only Spartan fans in Madison, so I really enjoyed it! We went out to dinner afterward, then came back to Ellen and Dave's to watch the ball drop and play Apples to Apples (which is surprisingly fun, by the way). This was also the first time we've ever had a babysitter on New Year's Eve, so that was really nice as well.
The next day was Christmas and New Year's all in one, since that was our Christmas celebration with the Shaffers and Grandpa and Grandma J.
The kids got so many nice presents. Grandpa and Grandma J. gave Claire this "parade-ready" drum and other musical instruments, as well as the bear backpack she's wearing (Mia got a cow). Elsa got a veterinarian play set (complete with a scrubs top), a baby animals calendar, and the very same hopscotch mat that we bought for Karina!
From the Shaffers, Elsa got a Little Mermaid Tag book and an art case that included a table-top easel, markers and colored-pencils. Claire got her own play laptop and a doggy named Violet who says her name and sings about applesauce. Jackpot!
The rest of the time, we just hung out, ate, mediated sharing disputes, and watched Elmo videos.
Everybody had a great time, we loved hanging out with you guys! Claire was still occasionally saying, "Mia, Mia, Mia," as she wandered around the house today, as though she thought Mia would just pop out of a closet or something. She sure does miss her cousins!
2 comments:
We loved having you guys stay at our house, we definitely miss you! Mia was talking about Claire yesterday too, I know she misses you guys. And Carter kept asking when the next time will be when we see Elsa.
Ellen
Loved the pictures and the stories about the visit to Grand Rapids. It looks like the kids had so much fun. We miss you all. Happy New Year.
Love, Grandma B.
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