Adventures with Hammy (Second Episode)

Dear Hammy,
We had such fun together Hammy!  Thank you for playing with me while mommy was cleaning your cage.  It was so funny to see you run around on your wheel- you are SUPER fast!!!  I am sorry I took you out of your cage without asking (again).  I am sorry I dropped you on the floor when you bit me.  I am super sorry Tank had you in his mouth when you died of a heart attack.  I will miss you pal!   On a brighter note, I had a really good time going shopping for another hamster with mom and Annabelle.  He looks just like you Hammy!  He is gray, but he is super tiny because he's a "dwarf hamster".  We named him H2, like Hammy the second...  Plus mommy thought it was funny since you are so small and named after a big vehicle.  We wanted to name him Hercules, but mommy thought that would be a little hard for the kids to say.  So we went with H2.  We also got H2 a really cool cage.  Mommy says it's Andrew proof, whatever that means.  Well, so long Hammy you were a great friend.
Love,
Andrew

PS- Here is a pic of H2 in his new home!

Our Visit to the Pumpkin Patch- A Photo Montage

Okay, before you think I have started to take myself too seriously, I want you to know the only reason I a putting the pics here is because the whole story is better as a narrative with pictures!

Here we are on the hay ride at the pumpkin patch

Um...  Nice scenery I guess?!

Seriously...  This is our scenery on the hay ride, yes that is a "Sierra Waste" receptacle

We were guessing this was the "spooky" part of the hayride, if there was spooky music and some people dressed in spooky costumes and it was dark.  But it is really just rotting pumpkins.

"And for the end of our tour an abandoned warehouse"

This is one of the only pics of Andrew smiling the WHOLE day!!!  

Erin going for a ride on a rusty Schwinn

Ah, the reason we came to this ghetto pumpkin patch in the first place...

Seriously mom, get out of my face with the camera!!

Annabelle was the first one out of the "hay maze"- I know I was amazed too!

Andrew got fed up with the hay maze, climbed on top of the bails and walked out.  What a problem solver!!!

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 This was "Take 200" of me trying to get a pic with my kids-at least we are all smiling right?

"Movin on Up"

So we have had so much lazy fun over October break...  LAZY being the important word in that sentence! We have stayed in our jammies several days until it was time to take a bath and put on new jammies!!!  LOVE IT!!!  But we did make short order of one job- reorganizing the playroom.  When I say "reorganizing" I mean "cleaning out and donating/throwing out everything they don't play with".  When we were done, there wasn't much left.  Now before you start feeling sad about my kids not having anything to play with (Mimi), remember this is a whole separate room for toys, besides what is in their bedrooms!!!  So, we consolidated and put the kitchen in Annabelle's room, the tool bench and book case in Andrew's room and left the playroom empty.  Except for a rocker...  MAKE WAY FOR BABY!!!  Here are a few pics of the final product!

Andrew's room with the "Handy Manny Tool Bench", and notice the book shelf in the closet with bins for cars, legos, Toy Story stuff and puzzles

Annabelle's room with the play kitchen- when Santa (Mimi) bought this, she knew it would someday be relocated to Annabelle's room which is why it matches

Annabelle's closet where we "re purposed" a doll house as a shoe rack

And finally the empty playroom  nursery!

Ok...  Not totally empty!  I hope Baby #3 doesn't have a lot of clothes...

The 1st Adventure of Hammy the Hamster

Dear Hammy-
I just want to start by saying I'm sorry.  Our other class pet, Sunshine, loved to be held and played with.  He loved to run around our house and get "chewed on" by our dog.  Now that I think of it, that may be why Sunshine went to hamster heaven.  Anyway, my mom says I need to apologize for taking you out of your cage at 2:00 in the morning while everyone else was sleeping.  She says you didn't like being chased around the house by our enormous 100 pound lab.  She also says it might make you nervous when I put you in my bed or keep you in my pocket.  So I am sorry.  Are you sure you didn't like it?  Mom seems pretty sure, but I thought it was SUPER funny!  Well, I am so glad mom agreed Annabelle and I could take you home over October break.  We are going to have such fun!!!
Love,
Andrew