Home Depot Kids' Workshop!

The first Saturday of every month Home Depot hosts kids workshops. During the workshops, the kids get aprons to keep, pins related to the project, and the project kit- with directions for the parents! In April, the kids' kits were Easter baskets. Evan and Jaden enjoyed making the project and wanted to 'do it theirselves'! 

 Halfway through Evan realized he had a pocket in his apron for the nails. 

 Time to decorate with stickers and paint.....red and orange of course!

 

 The finished Easter baskets. Good work boys! 

Arrows in the Dells!

At the start of the boys' spring break, we ventured to the Wisconsin Dells and met up with my friends Heather and Alyssa- we have been friends since before kindergarten! This was the first time all of our families joined us for a weekend getaway, and of course the kids loved playing with each other!

 We stayed at Great Wolf Lodge where there are things to do for kids of all ages.  

 The big boys raced on their magic carpets.....and Ethan took Gold!

 Story time with Dan!

 Kylie found some new friends to look up to! 

Thanks Lilly and Taylor for playing big sisters to Kylie. 

 Game night!

Who had a blast at Great Wolf Lodge?!! 

 If you're in the Dells, you have to stop at Mouse Jaw for some delicious pizza! 
Such a fun weekend! Now, where are we going next year friends?!

Spring break in SD: Part 2

Although the farm is always a highlight of our trips to South Dakota, there really is more to do there! When we travel to SD, typically our first stop is Aunt Laurie's house......could be because it's closest, but we also really love Auntie....and the snacks she buys for us!

 As we continue North on I29, we reach Brookings! We often stop at SDSU and get the full tour of the administration building with Grandma Linda. Luckily this time, I only had one 2-year-old. When the boys were 2, one of them ventured off by himself into the President's office, ran in, and sat on his lap! Five-year olds on the otherhand can be easily bribed with ice cream to behave themselves!

 The SDSU women's basketball team played an NIT game at home, so Evan and I were fortunate to score tickets with Grandma Linda! Go JACKS!

 After traveling even further north on I29, we reach Watertown! Grandma Pam has several activities planned including painting food items to see how the paint spreads- so fun. 

And this rabbit....it just appears. Kids love it!

 Kylie doesn't need planned activities. She finds Grandpa's hats and thinks it necessary for him to wear.....them all....at once!

 St. Patty's Day!! Best spectators ever for the 5K run!

 A highlight of our trip was the burning of a family farm home in Webster. These three structures were burned- the house, outhouse (burning in the middle of this picture), and the garage. The house was 101 years old! It was built in 1916 by Evan, Jaden and Kylie's Great-Great-Grandpa Edward Raeder. He was the owner and carpenter of this house. I remember when growing up my Uncle Carl lived in this house. Every time we visited he would give us a pack of Juicy Fruit gum. It hasn't been lived in for decades. Kyle and Rachel recently enjoyed going through the house and gathering any note-worthy items. 

 For those worried about the kids, we made the day of it and ensured they were far away from the house. The kids had sled rides with the four-wheeler, but most enjoyed playing in the wooded area. They climbed and built forts. 

 This is the After picture of the one above. I am sure my dad and Aunt Bondell rekindled many memories as they watched the house burn. 

 As with any trip, the time comes for the long drive home. I did this trip by myself with 3 little ones. They were truly great in the car (Thank you DVDs and snacks!) This picture was of our last stop by the Quad Cities. I highly recommend the first rest stop on the IL side as they have a new playground and an excellent view of the river! Thanks family for a fun spring break!

Spring Break Fun to Celebrate National Ag Day!

Since National Agriculture Day was this week, I thought I'd post our farming pictures from last week while we were in South Dakota for spring break. It is 'calving season' for my dad. What this means is he is watching the cows 24/7. He quickly brings newborn calves into the barn once they are born or helps new moms by pulling their calf. One morning last week, I will admit, I slept-in until 8:30am....he had already put in half a days work! In between all of that last week, he played with Evan, Jaden and Kylie. THANK YOU, Dad, for all of your hard work. 

Evan's cow had a calf the morning we arrived. Evan was so excited! 

He named her Evan the Girl and even got to make an ear tag for the calf #134. 

Jaden's calf was a few days older, so we couldn't get quite as close. Jaden Edward Schumacher The Calf has the recessive genotype so he is red and sure stands out with the other Angus calves.

Once the calves are a day or two old, they are moved to another barn to make room for the new(er) ones. Here Evan and Jaden are helping block the driveway while Evan's cow and calf walk/prance/is carried to the other barn. Some calves are more cooperative than others in actual forward movement. (Don't worry, the boys were mostly hidden from the mom and were safe--they just liked to act out the role from afar!)

If you remember from the summer pictures, Jaden especially cannot get enough of the water hose at the farm. Here it is winter/spring and that's still a highlight. 

 It can't be all work and no play! Just the first day or two there was still plenty of snow to go sledding. Grandpa even made a mountain of snow that the boys could have played in for hours. Each boy easily went through two pairs of boots every day. 

The last day we were there a cow delivered twin calves!! 

The 5-year-old boys were sure excited to see these 5-hour-old baby calves! 

THANK YOU to all farmers who literally help feed the world!

Aunt Laurie is in Charge!

We convinced Aunt Laurie to brave the elements (those elements being lack of sleep, racing to get three kids ready in the mornings, and dirty dishes times three). She agreed to come play with the kiddos while I was out of town for work. (I won't comment if any dishes actually got done:) )

The boys made a bucket list of all the things they wanted to do with Auntie. 

They got right to work!

Kiwi Crate: Pinball machine!   They attended a workshop at The Home Depot. 

 They made rain gauges. 

 Dr. Seuss' birthday was celebrated at the Bloomington Library with puppet story time and crafts. 

 As if chasing three kids wasn't enough, we did get some miles in on the trail before I left. 

 Auntie even ventured to the zoo! 

Toddler Time at gymnastics! (Making sure they slept well at night!)

 The boys had a special treat when Auntie helped with lunchtime at their school......she may have snuck-in some Ranch dressing for Jaden! 

 Training Kylie for Black Friday. 

 THANK YOU Aunt Laurie for your time creating all these fun memories!!

Please don't tell my kids Chuck-E-Cheese is actually open when Auntie is not in town!