Injurys, Nature, St. Nicks, and Birthdays...what a post!

We have a new injury in our house. John lost a fight with his bed frame last night. He was being sent to his room for time out (what a shock) and in his thrashing and fit throwing busted his head against his bed frame. It never did bleed, but was dented in when it first happened. Scary looking. He is fine though. He only cried for a minute, and his injury did get him out of serving his time out. Poor baby. His face is going to be a mess by the time he's 7.

Last week I took the kids to a nature center nearby. I had never been there before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was very kid oriented. There was an indoor tree house, tons of stuffed animals (real ones, not toys), fish, turtles, and a huge viewing area with tons of birds. The kids loved it. After we left we drove through another nature reserve that is known for having tons of deer, elk, and bison you can see from your car. Unfortunately we only saw one deer. At least he was very near the car so even the girls could see him.

We also recently went to a St. Nick's party at my Aunt's house. She sets up a bunch of games and activities for all the kids and they have such a great time. There is also a lot of food and good company for the adults. John and the girls came home with bags full of candy and prizes.

Rebecca showing Natalie what settings will maximize her workout
John getting his prize from the duck game

This year John was big enough to help with decorating the Christmas tree. He was very excited about having his own ornaments to put up. He wanted to know where every ornament came from, and it was fun for me to reminisce over each ornament we have been given over the years. Thank you to my mom for putting the year on every ornament we received as kids. I am definitely continuing that with my own kids. So, our tree is decorated, with a surplus of ornaments about 2 feet off the ground. We have had a few break (from the girls) but nothing that can't be fixed.

Today John had his first birthday party with friends. We had it at the train store he loves so much. When everyone arrived they did a pinata. The kids loved it, and most of them were completely surprised when candy started to rain down on them. I think they just thought it was fun to beat the thing with a bat. Then after cake and juice everyone headed over the train room to play with the huge train table. He even got to put his handprint on the wall of the store. Most of the parents stayed, so it was a nice chance for Mike and I to get to know a lot of the parents of John's preschool friends.