We miss our friends.
After a bad experience last week at the preschool that left me in tears, Sean went to the mailbox and brought in a big yellow envelope. I could not fathom what would be inside since the return address was a friend from the Buffalo Mothers Group. I opened up the envelope and it was just what I needed.
Some of the moms and kids got together and made "waves of hello" from Buffalo.
It made my night! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!!!
I have joined a Meetup Mothers Group here. Well, it is in Waterloo/Cedar Falls which is an hour away. Their calendar is pretty much empty and the few things that I have attended are things that I suggested but we have had fun with them. It is usually the same group of 3 or 4 moms and Braeden and the boys get along really well. One of the places we went recently was the Phelps Youth Pavilion. It is an extension of the Waterloo Center for the Arts. It is like Explore and More in East Aurora, NY but BETTER! A very hands on learning experience. We went on a Thursday when they have story time and craft.
I think Braeden's favorite thing that day was the cave exploration. He put on a vest equipped with a flashlight and headed (reluctantly) into the dark cave. The inside of the cave was covered with ancient cave paintings. The kids could take in a piece of chalk and make their own drawings on the cave walls. He just thought that was the greatest. 
We then headed over to another area where he could be an archaeologist. We dug in rubber tire shreds to find buried treasure. Here he found a gold plate. We went on to find other items like statues, masks and pottery.
They have an area designed as a farm. There was a tractor the kids could drive.
A barn that housed a milkable cow and a hay loft.
And a one room school house with desks and chalkboards.
There are different rooms that represent different parts of the world. Here, Braeden is in Ghana. We also visited places like Mexico, China and India.
There was an awesome stage where the kids could dress up and perform. It has a working curtain, lights and a sound effect machine. Miles really wanted to play dress up and Braeden played along.
Last week we met the moms for a playdate and picnic at the park. The equipment and the weather was awesome.
There are quite a few Amish communities around here. We have had Amish carts buzz by our house a time or two. It is neat to see them out on the road. I was filling up gas on the way home from the park and this Amish cart pulled into the gas station.
I am told that there are some roadside stands on Fridays that you can buy bread and fresh baked goods made by the Amish. You just have to beware of the Amish woman that buys the frozen dough at the grocery store, bakes it and sells it as "fresh Amish bread."
Other things....
Some things we have been working on are letters.
Here Braeden drew a picture of me and with a little prompting, he wrote Mom.
He made it a point to tell me that the circle was my belly. I bought Spanx on Saturday.
Fort
Marshmallow roasting and S'mores in the yard.
This wall in the kitchen was Home Depot Orange. When my mom was here she primed it and it sat white for the past two months.
I went out on a limb and chose purple and painted the rest of the kitchen the yellow/brown on the wall on the right. I hate it but I am not repainting it. I need some wall hangings and then I think I can live with it for a year.
In the middle of the mall is the largest indoor theme park in the U.S.
