Valentines and Abbi's Birthday

• Wednesday:: The Day before Valentines the kids and I went to a playgroup Valentine Party. The night before we had made boxes to put our valentines in, the girls did an awesome job! The played pass the heart, kind of like hot potato but with a heart pillow. Everyone had a chance to win, though Kacen's patience was truly tested when he was second to last getting a treat.There were valentines for everyone and Alona had made a personalized valentine for each of the twenty children. Pink rice krispie treats and Capri sun' sto drink and another game where they had to swat the heart with the correct color that was mentioned. Which is a good game for most of those children considering the age range. Kacen had fun with the balloons catching one proved to be the hardest part for Kacen, all of the other kids were bigger. But once he got there he enjoyed kicking them.We also received Grandma's box of Valentines goodies this day!

• Thursday:: I had volunteered to watch a ladies kids on Valentines since Paul would be working. It ended up being real fun. The kids played great together. The oldest girl was the cashier and the girls had fun being the customers. Abbi liked having a little girl around that she could mentor and hug and show her what to do. Kacen also liked having someone younger around that was still kind of his size. They both sat on the little bikes that we have, he was in front and tried to pull her a long, she wasn't having that. I had made cupcakes, they told ME when They were ready to decorate them and they really had fun putting tone of conversation hearts on, flowers, sprinkles,etc. and then we went and made sun flowers out of paper plates, paper and sunflower seeds.

• Friday:: We celebrated Abbi's birthday on Friday, Paul was home this day and we wouldn't have been able to see him at all on Sunday had we been home. We went to Kangaroo Zoo and jumped around, it was really fun. Kacen even found one that he wasn't too scared to go on. Abbi was real scared at first too, she would not go on her own at first and then Paul took her on the biggest slide, her face just lit up with excitement and she was enthralled with it all after that. She had to do them all "again, again!" and had mom and dad go with her a few times. Alona really enjoyed herself too! We went down slides together! We came home and had dinner with Grandma, Papa and Brandon and opened presents and had cake! Our first Ariel cake, it was a real cute one. Abbi got three dollars from uncle Brandon with a cute card that she can color. And a laptop and disney princess pop up toy container. And Mom and Dad(Paul and I) got her a chest full of dress up clothes, princess and others!

• Saturday:: We made an early trip to Pocatello (Alona was the only child who stayed awake the whole three hour trip) and Uncle Chris made us pancakes, we visited with the cows and the puppy dog, Rex! And he took us to the dollar theaters where we watched Alvin and the Chipmunks. Kacen was able to stay with Aunt Susan (whom Abbi fondly called Grandma while we were there) while we went and the Girls and I had fun! Uncle Chris got them a kids pack of candy, drinks and popcorn! We then ate lunch at Tastee Treet my uncles Restaurant in Pocatello! and then we went to the local pet store where they have a MONKEY! and many other animals that are unusual huge Tortoises and other such things!

• Sunday:: We went to church with them at 9 a.m. The girls tried out primary but were frightened with not knowing anyone. So Mom and all three children went to Nursery and then the last 15 minutes the girls ventured in to Senior Primary's sharing time, because they weren't scared any more. We had an amazing lunch that my uncle had spent days making and they had bought Abbi a birthday cake. My uncle had also made an extra casserole dish to bring home to Paul for dinner. Every time that we go up there he makes this casserole or navajo tacos for Paul and since Paul didn't go this time, he sent it home for him. His navajo tacos are awesome too! We were able to visit with my brothers turtles before heading back in to Utah. I showed Alona the sign at the Utah-Idaho border and she got hysterical, "But I wanted to go to Grandma's house!" Don't ask me, I do not understand how coming in to Utah means that we had passed Grandma's house, but it was calmly explained that we had a ways to go until we got there! We had dinner with Grandma Price and she had a nice scrumptuous cake as well with Dora figures. Aunt Crystal brought her some Dora figurines and a green shirt and peanut M&m's as well. We came home to a clean house. Paul did a great job!
  

• Monday:: TOday! We went before noon to Kiddie Kandids and with her birthday monies she got a whole new outfit from The Children's Place. New shoes, pants, socks, shirt, and barrettes, so pretty. ANd then we went across the way and had her pictures taken and got the free 8 x 10 that they give children for their birthdays, Cute, Cute! We came home had lunch and naps and dinner and then went and played at Chuck E. Cheese! They sent us a coupon for twenty tokens for Abbi's birthday. The kids had a lot of fun there. They enjoy the slide which costs no tokens! And then they had fun riding things and played basketball with mom! Alona kept asking for "money" and went off to find things to put her tokens in herself, and Abbi watched listened and followed her sisters example while going with either Mom or Alona to play. And Kacen well he wandered where he pleased, with Mom on his heels, that boy disappears in the blink of an eye! He goes to explore!