Easter Fun

Easter was awhile ago, I know, but I didn't think you would want to miss out and some fun pics and some Gordon Easter happenings, so I will give you the Easter update.
Here is the cute clan on Easter morning. Most people take pictures of their kids all decked out in their Easter finery, but not us, I guess. Here they are au naturale...

It did not take Carter long to figure out what is cool about Easter, what with those cool eggs that open and reveal treasure within. He was also much obliged to his siblings, who kept leaving their Easter baskets within reach where he could steal their candy (over and over again).

We did do some Easter egg coloring too, though not completely traditional, as you will see...

Our Easter eggs were monster themed. I am not quite sure what monsters have to do with Easter, no matter how I spin it, I can't quite make a connection...

It did inspire a lot of creativity however...

Even Steve joined in on the fun...

Sydney decided to sample an Easter egg, and it has since become a favorite snack...
Sydney and Tyler worked on this egg together...
And here is the finished gang of monsters...

Okay, so here is the complete gang of monsters...

Baby for Rent

In need of a little excitement? Life feeling a little slow, dull or boring? We have the perfect solution for you! Rent a Carter!
Need an afternoon with a little more pizazz? A day with a little more to do? This is the answer for you!
Carter's skills are endless, just a few of which include:

• Alarm Clock (times vary from 5:30 to 8:00, and no, you don't get to choose which)
• Free "Get Out of Any Church Meeting" pass. He uses several different tactics such as: noise, throwing things, or diving head first over the pew.
• Says lots of cute things, like, "Uh oh" after he throws all of his food on the floor. Which leads us to...
• Great at starting food fights.
• Need a cupboard cleaned out? He's the guy for you!
  
• General helpfulness for all those projects you have...
  

• Great at helping out with any computer needs, or anything up on a table for that matter...

• Great at a game of ball (ANY kind of ball)...

• Helpful at cleaning up dinner...

• Provides and produces lots of these...

Snippets

Just a few funny things that I wanted to record and not forget....

The Coach
I strapped Carter and Sydney into the jogging stroller this morning and decided to go for a run. I haven't actually used it to go running for a long time, but I didn't get out before Steve left so I thought we would give it a try again. The kids were very excited to go for a ride. About halfway through (as I began huffing and puffing more) I heard Sydney's little voice from the front (probably concerned about the huffing and puffing), "How ya doin' back there?"

Conversation heard over the dinner table
Names changed to protect the innocent...
Child 1 to child 2: Don't use your dirty fork to dish up your salad, that's gross!!!
Child 2: I licked it first so it would be clean!

Late Night Jedi
A couple of nights ago (actually I should say mornings, as it was 2:30 a.m.) I was awakened from my deep slumber to see Spencer standing by our bedside trying to wake Steve up. "Dad... Dad... DAD!"
"Hmmm..."
"Dad, I heard noises."
It was at this point that I noticed that all the hall lights were shining into our room and in Spencer's hands was his light saber, all extended and ready for action. It's good to know that our boys are always prepared in case of spooks (or Storm Troopers) in the night!

Just a Note

Sorry about the "Official Invitation" email to our blog. We got some strange and disturbing comments on our last post and have decided to be a bit exclusive for the time being. Hopefully, you are able to get on and view the blog without any problems (obviously if you are reading this you did okay). Thanks!

The Magic Attic

We have an attic above our garage where we store, like everyone else, the stuff we don't need to get to very often. A few years ago we included in that assortment of stuff some boxes of toys: things the boys no longer played with and Sydney was too young for, and some toys that I had "back when I was a girl". It was nice to scale down a little.
Last year Sydney somehow learned that there was a wooden train set in the attic and she would ask her Daddy every night if he would go up in the attic and find the trains. After a week or so of this, after the kids were in bed, Steve was able to pull out the ladder and go up to find the trains. In the morning Sydney came downstairs to find a little round train track all set up for her to play with. She was overjoyed! It was like Christmas morning!
Next down from the attic came a few little stuffed animals the kids had been missing. And then Sydney started talking about her Barbie doll in the attic. It was true that I had a box of my old Barbies sitting up in the attic, but how she knew this I am not quite sure.
If you read our previous post you will see that Sydney and I made a trip to the American Girl Store, where Sydney (of course) fell in love with the dolls and the clothes and, while never asking for one straight out, commented a few times, "Oh, I wish I could have a doll like this." To which I remarked, "You know Sydney, I used to have a doll that looked this this. Her name is Kimberly and I think she is in a box up in the attic."
Well, needless to say, down came the box of dolls from the attic! The Barbies, the Kimberly doll and all the old clothes I used to play with. Sydney and I spent an afternoon having a little "Doll Spa" of our own where the dolls received deep conditioning treatments on their hair and facials (these facials consisted of Soft Scrub and a little elbow grease).
The story of the Attic doesn't end there. It has now become a magical place where dreams come true! Last weekend I came home from running a few errands to find Steve ready to ascend the ladder up into the attic. "Sydney says she wants her pink bike with stripes down from the attic, does Sydney have a bike like that?" Well, not that I have ever seen, but, you never know...

I am lucky! Back in second grade I met a cute little redhead girl who has been one of my best friends ever since, her name is Marla. Marla loaded up her van with her husband and her four kids and drove all the way from Utah (two long days down I-80) to come and visit me (and Chicago ;)).
One of the Clisbee's destinations in Chicago was the Oh-So-Anticipated American Girl Doll store. This is a little girl's dream. Beautiful dolls with hundreds of clothing options, including a shoe store (with tiny shoeboxes), a dolly hair salon (where Emily had her cute doll coiffed), a doll hospital (for those dolls who become victim to older brothers... ahem, ahem) and a restaurant.

It was to this fine eating establishment that Marla, Emily, Megan, Sydney and I went to enjoy a lovely luncheon. Can it get any girlier? Even the waiters wore pink!
The waiters took us to our table where they seated not only the big people, but also the dolls, notice how they have their own special seats...

Here we are, from left to right: Marla, Emily, Amber, Sydney, GooGoo Baby, Me, Megan and Megan's guest (I foget her name).
Choosing from the menu...

GooGoo Baby (this is really what Sydney calls her) enjoying some lovely lemonaid from her little dolly dishes...
I can't say enough about how fun this was! The waiter was awesome, he paid just as much (or more) attention to the girls as he did the Mom's. What a fun afternoon out for the girls!

While we were in Chicago we ventured up to the top of the Hancock Tower, here is Sydney enjoying her tour with David Schwimmer...

Ever posing...
And washing a few windows...
It was such a blast to have the Clisbee's here! Who's next?