Big boy!

About a week ago I took Shane to get his haircut.  I gave up on cutting it myself...
He looks so much older!

New Family

Kaylin was not happy to be picked up from school today.  So when I put her into the bike she was tired and crabby and decided to take her frustration out on Shane.  (Who was crying when he woke up because he was ready to pick up "my tayin".  Bet he regretted it at this point.) She sat across from Shane, not next to him because on Tuesday she complained the whole way back because his arm was touching her.  So as soon as we started going she begins to kick his leg which obviously makes him upset.  I end up pulling over and trying to talk to her because she is crying that she doesn't want him in the bike.  She goes on to say she is staying in the bike until she can go back to school and she wants Shane to walk home.  I told her he is too little to walk home and he would get lost.  I said what would we do with out our Shanester. We sure would miss him wouldn't we?  She says that he can go to another family with a big sister.  LOL!! 
Nothing I said was helping the matter so I started biking again and she continues to kick him and take his mittens off which sends him into a tissy.  People all over the city could probably hear them crying!  I park the bike, unbuckle them and get Shane out and then Kaylin.   She immediately grabs his hat and runs away from him!  He was so upset!  I think it is pretty funny now, but not so much then!
Her mood has since improved and they are both sitting at their table coloring and making cakes for our birthdays.

Carnival

This past Sunday our family along with Jim, Megan and Jack took the train to Den Bosch for the Carnival celebrations.  I have never been to Mardi Gras, but I am guessing it is similar. We stuck out like sore thumbs though because we didn't dress up at all.  I didn't realize that everyone would be decked out. Most of the southern cities in the Netherlands are predominantly Catholic so that is where we needed to go to find the parties.  We arrived and Kaylin immediately wanted to be carried.  She was so uncertain and wanted NO part in ANYTHING!  I think if we would have dressed up too she wouldn't have been so scared.  I put her in the carrier and she fell asleep.  Actually, by the time the parade started all three kids were sleeping.  The parade was quite disorganized, but no one seemed to care at all.   For example, in parades that we are used to the bands are all separated for obvious reasons.  Not so here...they were were ever they decided to be.  At one point a band came down a side road and just walked right into the parade route!  It was very amusing. 

Each city has their own set of colors and Den Bosch's colors are red and yellow.  It also seems that every year there is a new patch for the festival that everyone sews onto their carnival jacket.  Good times!

We didn't take too many pictures because it was snowing and we didn't want the camera to get wet.

You can see the jacket with all of the patches.

Fun

Normally I am not okay with bikes on the couch, but on this day I let them do it because 1. they were not fighting and 2. they were laughing SO hard.  I just couldn't stop them! They pushed the bikes onto the couch and then pushed them off.

Salt and shells

This kept Kaylin busy for a VERY long time! 

A few pictures from my parents visit

After over a month of being absent from the blog, I am back and ready to post again! :) My mom did such an awesome job updating her blog from their visit here...really it was practically down to the minute. I am just going to add a few from when we stayed at the castle. The castle was an awesome place to stay and I highly recommend it.

We had such a great time with them and were so sad to see them leave. 

Future...

...hoarder?

The tent is sideways because, "that's just the way I set it up." She also has "everything I need."