These are a few of my favorite things....

I simply love the point in our bedtime routine where , teeth are brushed , books are read and Mackenzie says " Let's just talk for a while". One of two things happens then a) she asks me a question that has been plaguing her little almost three year old mind like " Why do I poop?" followed by an explanation of her digestive system OR b) she starts a sentence that goes something like this: " Because I don't like it when I hear that siren. Because it's loud. Because someone needs help. Because daddy's at work. Because he isn't here. Because...." Then I love kissing her little squeaky clean cheeks and feeling her arms wrapping around my neck for a big hug and hearing her say " I love you, mommy. For ever and ever. and EVER!"

Ludington

Since we were in the traveling mood ( and the weather was being cooperative), we decided to pay G.G. a visit! We got a late start but arrived just in time for dinner at a local restaurant. When we got home, I challenged G.G. to a game of Rummy to which she agreed and then promptly beat both Mike and me at nearly every hand.
Eventually Gramma offered a show of mercy, suggesting a game of domino's instead.While we readily agreed, our luck was only slightly better. We did realize that we both really like playing domino's!
Mack quickly remembered how to use the candy dispenser that my Grandpa made. I found her helping herself to a few M&M's:

The time to go home always comes too soon! I am always inspired when I spend time with my Grandma. I hope this spring/summer brings lots more visits and that many more memories.

Zhender's Splash Park

After three weeks of 80+ hour work weeks, I decided to surprise Mike (and Mack) with a trip to Zhender's Indoor Splash Park in Frankemuth. We all needed a chance of scenery and, with Mike having 6 days off in a row, this was just the time and place for it!

We stopped for a bite to eat before hitting the hotel. Mack was so excited about the water park, she could hardly stop bouncing! Here we are finally heading out the door:

I was itching to try out some action shots on my camera but opted to get in the water instead. We swam for 2.5 hours before we were all ready to cuddle up in jammies. After a quick rinse in the tub, Mack had the right idea:
And you can bet we were up bright and early the next day:
We wandered around down town for a few hours before the pool opened again. Just after lunch, Mike and Mack got ready for the pool and jumped in. The park was so bright and big, it was easy to float away the day on the lazy river. :

Mack tried everything ( aside from one of the bigger slides). Her favorite was the kids slide which sent her sliding into about 2 ft of water. She didn't even reach the bottom of the slide before she shouted " AGAIN!". The second day, Mike and Mack decided to try taking their tube down the largest of the slides. They climbed what seemed like a hundred flights of stairs before they finally reached to top. In Mike's words, the slide was " fast and dark".
So fast that Mike lost his glasses upon entry to the water:
A very nice life guard helped him scour the bottom of the pool to find them. There was lots of father daughter bonding time . Here are two of my favorite snaps:

That " DUH!" moment

Mike, who was in a particularly affectionate mood, was cuddling with Mackenzie on the bed when this conversation took place:

Mike: I just love you so much. I wish I could keep you this size for ever.
Mackenzie, focused on the TV show she was watching, says nothing.
Mike: But if I kept you little, I never get to see what you grow up to be.
Mackenzie, still unaffected by the conversation,remains silent.
Mike persists: What do you think you'll grow up to be?
Mackenzie ( finally looking at Mike): Tall.

Beautiful Ballerina

My little ballerina has very interesting fashion sense

And she's quite creative

She can wear a pair of heels with the best of 'em

Gooey, glue-y hearts

We are tired of snow man art projects around here and , since Valentines day is less than a month away, we have moved on to hearts! Here we are making gooey, gluey hearts:

1/4 c corn starch
1/2 cup water
Mix together and heat until nice and "gooey"
8-12 inch pieces of yarn
Food coloring ( optional. We used "red" since we were using boring white yarn)

You know it's really messy when even Mack wants to wash her hands!
Wipe any "extra" goo off of the gluey yarn and put it into the cookie cutters:
They needed a day to dry:
And here they are :

"I just can do it!"

Anyone who has spent any time around Mackenzie during the last few weeks has likely heard her say " I just can do it!" What can she do, you wonder? ANYTHING! At least that's what her nearly three mentality tells her. She wants to ( and can do) most anything that she's seen me do once or twice. Here are a few pics of her favorite " can do" things:

We searched for new tooth paste that dispensed a pre-metered dose so she could squirt just the right amount:
Picking out her own outfit and dressing herself is a must. Sometimes it gets a little tricky:
Cheering when the goal is accomplished is a must:
She doesn't do that fancy stuff yet, but she can get most of the tangles out:
Peeling her own orange:
It's a lot of fun to watch her gain independence. Every day she learns something new and I couldn't be more proud of her!