oooh! nuh! nuh!

i wish you could hear it... and i didn't take a video.  :(

the blog title was my transcription of jason getting SUPER EXCITED about all the trains at the botanic gardens.  and its really just the cutest thing.

my little man is obsessed.  OBSESSED.  every time we drive and see a railroad crossing, he gets excited.  

we have to read his train book at least 19 times a day.

we've watched mickey mouse clubhouse:  choo choo express so many times that i know each and every word to the hotdog song and have decided that having a toodles makes life easier and i want one.

anyway, friday night we went to the botanic garden and it was empty.  it was a beautiful evening, so we thought that it seemed like a good night to try the trains.  how fun!

 she's getting so big!

 look!  it's old faithful!

Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream? 

Everybody comes here; this is Hollywood, land of dreams. 

Some dreams come true, some don't; but keep on dreamin' - this is Hollywood. 

Always time to dream, so keep on dreamin'. 

(name the movie)

hello thomas!

afterwards, we headed to our favorite quick little restaurant, woodfire, and enjoyed a meal of gyros and ice cream.  i'm pretty sure jason enjoyed it most of all...

Last weekend? We were badgers.

Every year, Peter gets a free night stay at a Marriott hotel because of his credit card / Abbott.  We toyed around with the idea of going someplace just us, but I was convinced that this should be a family trip. 

I suggested going to Milwaukee, but Peter came up with the idea of heading to Madison, Wisconsin. 

He won.  :)

We started with breakfast at Lake Geneva, and headed up to the Farmer's Market around the state capitol building.  While there, we picked up spicy cheese bread, cheese curds, and summer sausage sticks.  Delicious!

After a drive around town so the little ones could nap, and headed to the Madison Children's Museum.  Not too much for the little ones to do, but it still was fun. 

 chickens?!  i love chickens!  are they extra crispy or original recipe?

Time to eat!  We headed to The Great Dane pub for dinner (where J and I split a bacon mac and cheese pizza), and ended up at Ella's Deli for dessert and a carousel ride.  (Ella's would be the first thing on my list if we went back there... too much fun!  Kitschy, Jewish, ice cream.)

 look who's sitting in a high chair for the first time!!

Hotel time!  The hotel ran out of cribs, so...  plan B.  Jason slept in the pack and play we brought, and Kayla slept on the pull out couch mattress which we placed on the floor.  After a giggle attack by both kids that could be heard down the hall, they both blissfully slept through the night.

 showing off his stinky feet...

 giggles.  someone has a case of the giggles.

helping out daddy

Off to the Henry Vilas Zoo... Jason adored seeing all the animals!  Kayla got to ride on her first carousel!  We wore both the kids out... and stopped in Whitewater to a custard place that Peter used to go to as a boy as the kids napped.  Ha!  They missed really good custard.

I'm so happy we were able to get away... and it reconfirmed our choice to not spend major money on vacation (aka Disney) until they're old enough to really appreciate it. 

at the garden...

Anyone else need a dose of sunshine?

 Last Saturday, we made our semi-weekly trip to the Botanic Garden.

I'm in love.  I can enjoy the flowers and not have to think about watering or weeding.

Jason loves to run around.

Kayla?  She's just thrilled.  :)

This week, we had a surprise visit from Bubbe and Grandpa when we were there.

After a quick meal on the go, we were off to Gramma and Grampa's for Easter...  but that's the next post.

We're hoping that the weather will clear up this weekend so we can go...

I'm hoping the rain has encouraged the tulips :)

auntie invasion!

There was no school on Friday.  Most kids thought it was for Earth Day.  Technically, it was for Good Friday.  But for us?  It was...

AUNTIE INVASION!!!

(that's the best pink i can do, staci :) )

Friday was a cold, drizzly day... and therefore it was perfect to bum around the mall and go out for pizza!  Jason was able to show off his mad running skills, play at the Disney store, and lunch with his aunties, Gramma, and Grandma D.  Kayla was simply a sweetheart, smiling and laughing, and falling asleep after a bottle watching Bulls highlights.  She also got a fabulous hat.

Highlights form the mall include Aunt Dani getting IN the ice cream truck, 

going up and down the elevator,

and getting cuddles :)

Then, it was time for family dinner to celebrate the end of the tax season.

Dad needed it.  And TOTALLY deserved it!

(and he had a coupon he's been trying to use for at least 9 months)

in additon to fabulous pizza at gino's east... we played with laptops,

inconspicuously threw poop away

wore tutu's...

fell sound asleep after a dinner of squash, applesauce and rice,

and vandalized.

the girls are in all week... so, so excited to play!