Wouldn't you look great in . . .

This


Or this


A friend of mine is in fashion design and has made some incredible stuff. The prices are reasonable and he will make it custom for YOU. Check him out at Embrusa.com.

Our Fury Family Members

I get A LOT of questions about the gerbils.
So here is a little update on the gerbils, aka Guinea and Snowball.

Q. Are they fun?
A. Yea, they are. We like to put them in the ball (one at a time) and let them run through our legs. The last one to get touched by the ball wins. Also, it's really just fun to watch them, they're pretty cute.

Q. Are they a nuisance?
A. Not really. Their wheel made noise for a while until I put some lubricant on it (lanolin, or you could use Vaseline) and sometimes they chew kind of loud, but it doesn't seem to bother the kids when they're sleeping.

Q. Are the kids gentle with them?
A. Surprisingly Yes. They are really gentle with them. we told them in the beginning that you have to pick up a gerbil by the base of the tail or the scruff of the neck so only mommy's and daddy's can do it. Since then it has never been an issue. They always ask before petting them and when we take the lid off and the kids put their hands in the cage the gerbils always come straight up to them and hold their hands. They are very friendly and NEVER bite or scratch.

And now for the question asked most often . . .

Q. DO THEY STINK?
A. NO! Do you stink? Probably only if you don't bathe right?
If you keep their cage clean the gerbils don't smell AT ALL!
In fact the bedding we currently have in their cage is lavender scented (note the purple) and it makes the girls room smell great.
We clean their cage every 10 days or so and all that entails is dumping the old bedding and using a wipe to wipe out the cage. Then we put in new bedding and a couple of empty food boxes e.g. cereal, cracker, mac n' cheese, etc. and we're done. It takes about five minutes.
We get all our supplies from Target including little yogurt treats (they love the pink ones).

It's been a lot of fun and the whole family is really enjoying it. I figure we have to ease in slowly to the pet thing. This was maybe in about ten years I'll actually be ready for a dog.
Probably not.

A Touching Letter

Magic in Columbus

Over the weekend we drove to Columbus and took the kids to the Palace Theater to see
Magic Tree House The Musical.
Actually I took Charlee to COSI, the science center, while Travis took Molly and Dillon to the musical. I was sad to miss it, but happy to see them have such a good time.

The musical is based on a series of children's chapter books; "Magic Tree House". Jack and Annie, the main characters of the books, take different adventures in each book through the magic of a tree house. We started reading these books together a few months ago and the kids both really enjoy them.

Dillon got the soundtrack to the musical in his stocking on Christmas. They LOVE the music and became fascinated with the story of the musical through the music. The story is all about a quest to save Camelot.

When we found out that the show was coming to Columbus and we were able to get tickets the children were ecstatic.

Apparently Dillon was a little on edge during a few of the parts and Molly said it got a little intense, but I think knowing the music so well made it really easy for them to follow and anticipate what would happen next.

I'm not sure when it will be back, but I look forward to seeing it myself and the kids look forward to seeing it again. It was totally worth the five hour drive.

Sledding at Coventry Elementary. Good Times.

A Few Fun Things

The Children Museum of Cleveland has their sand construction room up right now. Charlee likes to dig, Molly likes to build, and Dillon likes to install the plumbing. They could do this for hours. It's a great way to get out of the cold and kill some time.






There is a traveling exhibit at the Great Lakes Science Center right now called Robots. Another good way to spend a cold afternoon.

You can build and decorate your own robot and, for a small fee, you can even take it home.




For the kids winter parties at school we brought in a scarf craft for the kids. The girls have been having a great time with the leftover scarfs. Anyone in need of a homemade scarf?



Go down to Playhouse Square and catch a production of
The Runaway Bunny and Goodnight Moon, part of the Discovery Theater Series for Families. I went with Molly's class today on a field trip and we both loved it. The show was great and the price is right.




So stay busy and try to enjoy these COLD COLD days.

Christmas to New Years

Merry Christmas


Christmas Eve . . .

Cookies rolled, cut, baked, decorated,


and set out for Santa.


The children unwrapped their Christmas pj's and Grandma and Papa, visiting from WA, read the bedtime stories. Molly, being the oldest, couldn't wait to get to bed for fear Santa would pass us by.

At last, Christmas morning arrives and as the little ones walk down the steps they think they can still hear the faint sound of the sleigh bells. They soon realize the sound is none other than the spinning of a gerbil wheel. The gerbils, now better known as Snowball and Guinea, have stole the show.



Although there were many other smiles to be seen . . .



We were certainly smiling. Grandma and Papa stayed with the kids while Travis and I had an overnight date in Columbus. It's always nice to get away.


Another Christmas miracle, it actually got warm enough later in the week to play at the park.



And Happy New Years

Homemade egg rolls, thanks to Lori, and fried rice for dinner. Way too much of the chocolate fountain for dessert.
I got a feeling this year is gonna be a great one.