Jozie in the Dinosphere...The look of awe. There were actually fossils there, not just casts.
Checkin' out things underground to see what the dino's feet look like and the other little things on the ground.
(This one is actually at Conner Prairie) Luke showing is true colors!
Bob wanted me to blog this...he needed a bit of help to get out of there. :)
This was on the underside of the Fireworks of Glass. Very cool and just beautiful. The colors were amazing!
Luke grinding corn.
Jozie and Red the cow.
Jozie's horse ride.
Luke the "Sheep Whisperer"!
I think this one speaks for itself...Here is a contest you can enter to win something! Check it out quick because it ends at mid-night tonight!
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We ended up spending our Anniversary weekend (6 years) with our kids and Kristin in Indianapolis. We had a great time and went to the countries largest Children's Museum and Conner Prairie - a living history museum.
It was the Country Fair at Conner Prairie so we got to see all kids of cool things. There was a bearded lady, the Tattooed lady, the worlds old Lady, a mermaid - all of those different sorts of things that would be seen in the "Tent of Wonders". We visited the Temperance Tent and took an oath to never let alcohol pass our lips and got to wear ribbons to show our support of the Temperance Movement. There is a town that is set in 1836, and there is a sign that says, "You are now entering the year 1836".
Luke's favorite part was the tractors and the hay ride. We got in line for the hay ride, which took you around the tractor demonstration area and took what seemed to be about 15 minutes - but when it got to be our turn we ended up in the tractor parade! We would have liked to SEE the tractor parade but not be IN the tractor parade! It took almost an hour - or so it seemed - to go the route that they were taking before. We were going so slow that the tractor in front of us was doing donuts!
Jozie got to ride on a great big black horse named Gypsy - that was by far her favorite part! We thought for sure she was going to fall off though! She had on a scort that had little shorts under it - I guess they call them a scooter - but she was bigger than some of the other kids and the guy had a harder time getting her up there so she kind of got up there funny - half on - and the horse started moving! I almost freaked out because I thought for sure she was going to fall off but she grabbed hold of the handles and pulled herself up on it like she was belly surfing on the thing and grinned all the way around! :) She had a great time but I almost fainted!
The Children's Museum was HUGE! There was a ton to see and do. It had this cool clock in the lobby that was all glass tubes and beakers filled with blue liquid. It kept time by pumping the liquid through the tubes into chambers for the hour and minutes. It was pretty interesting.
I think Luke had a hard time deciding which part was his favorite - the Dinosphere or the Science and Technology area where there were 2 huge water areas. He threw a fit right there in front of everyone when we said it was time to leave...leave it to Luke!
Jozie liked the Fireworks of Glass and the water areas too. She also liked the " Mysteries in History" area where you got to explore early pioneers cabins, kitchens, and an Indian tepee. We got to see a play in the Cabin about the Underground Railroad and Levi Coffin. She liked that too. We decided we are going to try and make a trip to Levi Coffin's House here in Indiana sometime soon before we move.
I would have to say that I liked Conner Prairie better than the Children's Museum. I love seeing those historical places - it makes me long for a simpler life. I know I could have easily lived in that time period and enjoyed life so much more. I love hard work and making things on my own and doing all those things that a woman did for her family back in those days. I wouldn't even miss my computer or TV! Sometimes I think I was born during the wrong decade! :) Someone blessed us 2 free tickets while we were standing in line so we only had to pay for the kids to get in. It was only $14 but if we would have had to pay for Bob and I it would have been close to $40! I was trying to figure out how I was going to ask Bob if we could become members because for only $60 we could have gotten in free for a year and it would have made us have to come again to make it pay for itself. It would have been worth it to me but I couldn't argue that $14 was a lot cheaper than $60. I'm sure we will go back again, it's just a matter of when and with whom.
PS I tried to upload some pictures but it was taking way too long. We got a new pic. card for a camera this week - a 1G one - and we can take over 500 pictures on the highest setting. So these new pictures are pretty big. Anyway, I don't have the patience for it tonight and will try again tomorrow so the pictures are still to come...
Well, I started my new job yesterday and quit today. It wasn't a bad place to work but there were a few things that they should have made me aware of BEFORE I stared working. I went for orientation yesterday and found out that I have to pay for my own TB Test, a drug test, a physical from a dr, and my own CPR training and any continuing education classes I take - we are required 12 hours a year. They will pay for half of the drug test but if you quit within 6 months than anything that they pay for comes out of your final check. And that is only the beginning of it. The lady told me during my interview that she could get me $7 an hour - which isn't much but it's more than I make watering the mums - and when she called to offer me the job she said that she could only get me $6.75. I didn't say anything at the time but didn't think much of it either. When they hired me they said I would be working m-f 1:45 to 6:00 but when I went in there to work yesterday they said that they wouldn't be needing me until 3. So I also had my hours cut within my first few minutes of working. I wasn't happy. I decided to stay since I was already there but quickly found myself ALONE in a classroom full of 4 and 5 years olds, none of which I knew their names, and just having woke up from their naps, were having "free time". The girl that I was supposed to be working with kept leaving the room to check on her daughter who had just started there that morning and wasn't doing so well with the transition. I understand, I would have had just as hard a time had it been my child, but the least the could have done was send me someone to show me what I was supposed to be doing. It was all I could do to keep the peace! They also told me that they pretty much didn't want me to bring my kids with me. One of the big reasons that I took the job was because they seemed excited for me to be bringing them when I interviewed but then told me yesterday that they didn't really have a place to "put" them. Well, Bob will be gone by 3:00 EVERY day, if not early most days so I planned on bringing them with me most days. So, I just called and told them that I didn't think it was going to work out. They didn't seem to care why, didn't give me a chance for an explanation, just said, "thanks for calling, good buy" and hung up the phone. I guess if that's the way they are going to be than I really don't want to work for a company like that.
So, I'm back to watering the mums....at least Larry seemed happy to keep me there...now, if I can just get him to give me another raise...Ha! That'll be the day!!!
On Saturday we did end up at the Popcorn Festival. It was pretty interesting - about as many outdoor vendors as you could find in one place outside of a flea market - but there wasn't much there that was about popcorn. I thought it would have a bit of history, something about how it was grown and made, etc. but it was only a theme for the parade and a couple of the booths. We did successfully spend a lot of money on food and we got to spend the day shoulder to shoulder with thousands of strangers with not much breathing room. The parade was ok, it was just a small town parade and they didn't even throw candy, they handed it to the kids, those who even had candy. I got a cute anclet, some nice smelling oil, and some Watkins cough syrup like I used to take when I was a kid. Jozie ACTUALLY LIKES IT! And it really works. It just so happens that she has had a little cough for the last week or so and it's helped a lot. So I guess there was a point to going and she is feeling better.
Oh, and there was 2 very tasteless groups in the parade that I wasn't thrilled with. One was just plain weird that I didn't understand at all, they said something like "Even the Aliens live in Valpo" or something like that with these star trek type of characters dancing around. Strange. The other one I "Booed". I was disgusted they were even there and almost covered my kids eyes. They carried signs that said "Out of Iraq" and sported rainbows and peace symbols while waving the peace sign at the crowd. I couldn't believe - and on the verge of 9/11 - these people would even show up. To show their unappereciation for the people and families that have given so much for us to still be free. I was utterly disgusted. Bob and I weren't the only ones, there were plenty of other boos in the crowd. I understand there is "freedom of speech" but if it wasn't for those people that they were disrespecting, they probably wouldn't have that freedom.
Luke @ the NIPSCO booth, our local gas/electrical company booth.
Jozie and Me at the Popcorn Festival! Jozie didn't want her picture taken...
A popcorn float at the popcorn parade.I got Luke some Dairy Free ice cream today that is actually very yummy! It has a very smooth texture, almost like custard. He loved it and was SO excited to have ice cream - it's been a couple of years! He had Tofutie ice cream bars this summer at Uncle Levis and ate almost the whole box in 2 days but this stuff is WAY better! Its called So Delicious Soy Ice Cream. I got him the Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor. It's kind of a tree hugger company, which makes me sorta not want to support them but when you have to be Dairy Free for allergy reasons, sometimes you have to make exceptions.
Now, if we could only figure out how to make good creamy mashed potatoes dairy free...
Welp, I had a job interview on Tues. at a daycare and I got the job. I am pretty excited about starting something new but I can say that I will miss working for Larry - a little. Especially come this spring when it's time to plant and see all of the new little flowers grow. I did, and still do, feel a little guilty about leaving him. I really do enjoy working at the greenhouse but the season has almost completely ended and after I am done watering the mums there isn't going to be much for me to do. At my new job I will be working in the afternoons so that will leave my mornings free for school, something that we had a hard time with last spring when I was working so many hours. And I will be working Monday through Friday and no weekends. Which is nice too. I will just have to see about getting off a little earlier on Wednesday so we can get to AWANA on time.
Which brings me to my next point...AWANA started again this week. The kids were so excited to see their friends again and Luke has been reading the verses in his AWANA book from last year the last couple of days. He is so excited to get his new one he keeps wanting to work in his old one - and he did the review in it so he's already gone through it twice! What a boy. Jozie is still kinda stuck on the 23rd Psalm. I think that's kinda my fault because I always forget to study for it until the day before. I think we are going to use AWANA for our Bible class this year and work a little on memorizing and reading in it everyday. That way we will accomplish 2 things at once.
We HAVEN'T started school yet...it's really rather frustrating. I have all of Lukes Paces but still need Jozie. My dad has been paying for the kids books but he has been laid off since July and just got his first job in months this week so he hasn't had the money to get Jozies for us. At least Luke didn't quite finish first grade last year so we still have a little to work with for him but I really don't want to start with him and not her. So we are still waiting. Hopefully in the next week or so we can get them ordered. If not I'm not sure what I am going to do!
Tomorrow we are going to go to the Popcorn Festival. Did you know that Orville Redenbacher was from Valparaso, Indiana? So every year they have a festival to celebrate popcorn. They say it's the nations only parade for popcorn...the kids are excited and looking forward to a good time so naturally we are too. Unfortunately Bob has to work (what's new?) so I will be taking the kids with Kristin and John and Sami. Hopefully we can get along for the afternoon! That might take some doing though...
This morning we went to the European Market in Chesterton where the kids discovered marshmallow shooters...They were an immediate hit with them. They had a ball shooting eachother there until they ran out of marshmallows! So on our way home, Mom made a stop at the grocery store and got a big bag of them - you know, the cheap store brand ones that don't taste very good but they worked really good as Ammo! We went to the park and used almost the whole bag there, the raccoons will have a feast there tonight! I should have gotten like 3 bags. I would highly recommend them to anybody with kids, they are easy to use and don't hurt - unless they are used for hitting, of course! And they are fun for adults too!
I also got some huge green - 3 of them, red, yellow, and orange peppers and a gigantic sweet onion - all for $3.75 Cheap! - so we will add chicken and have some really yummy fajitas tomorrow for dinner. It's been awhile since we had those. There was all kinds of fruit and veggies for great prices, I wish I would have brought more money! I would have stocked up! :)
At the European Market
Jozie with her Marshmallow shooter - scratching her leg...
Flowers at the European Market
Luke in action with his Marshmallow Shooter
