Visit to great Grandpop

Right after Christmas Aaron and I headed out to Wisconsin with grandpa and Mr Verne. Mr Verne visited his sister and we kept going to Whitewater. We had a great visit with great grandpop. Hopefully we didn't work him too hard. Aaron sweet talked all the ladies in the home. As you can see from the picture they were bringing him stuffed animals pictures and he was flirting away. We also got to go see Grandma Lorna each evening. Great Grandpa made the traditional sauerkraut and hot dogs (sausage) for the new year. We also celebrated his and Dad's birthday with a slightly delayed dinner out.

Here is Aaron with great grandpa.

A good visit. Thanks for letting us bring craziness to your house great grandpa.

Andrew's Birthday

Andrew's Birthday falls two days after Christmas so it makes it hard to make it seperate but we are working hard at making that happen. So on the 27th we packed Mom and Dad's mini van and headed to Pittsburgh. Yes this sounds strange but there only so many indoor things to do and I am not ready to do the Chuck E Cheese thing yet. Anyway we picked up Miss Grace and her great nephew and began an adventure.
We went to the children's museum in Pittsburgh. It was amazing and the boys had fun however two days after Christmas it was crazy busy. Note Perry does not like crowds. Boys were not phased - if I was a home schooler or lived close this could be addictive.

This is a two story climbing area. They came back to this over and over again. Reminded me of a hamester cage.

Aaron and Bradley trying out the bubbles as the lights changed colors.

Perry helping Andrew make a parachute for the air vortex they had. The parachute went up and out of the tunnel and fluttered down.

The boys building. This room also had car racing, ball rolling thing and its own parachute and retrival system. Overall the boys had a great day. There was rooms with slides and gravity lessons. A place where the boys could dance and see their moves. Just so much fun. They all napped on the way home if that gives you an ideas of how hard they played. The day ended with Andrew's cake - he requested a pink cake so it was strawberry and some pink icing and cars of course. Happy 6th birthday my son.

Christmas

A Graffius family tradition is sandtarts. So Aaron and Andrew are helping to continue the tradition. The cookies were not perfection but they were made with love. We began festivities on Christmas Eve with a Christmas Eve Service followed by stocking opening at the grandparents. Christmas morning the boys opened one present and we headed off to church for a very nice service. It included music and instruments and the retelling of the Christmas story. Then it was off to lunch at Papa and Nana's. Aunt Cindi was not able to join us but she was there in spirit with her Christmas dishes and table clothe.

The boys enjoyed serious Uncle Gabe time.

So the Christmas present opening began in earnest after lunch.

The boys had a great Christmas and a couple days later we ended our celebration with a visit to Papa and Nana's to play chicken tracts. It had been delayed due to my cold.

Andrew's First School Program

Well in early December Andrew had his first school program. The kindergarten and preschool only had one song but they were enthusiastic. The pictures aren't great but you get the idea. The elementary did a short play and the high school did singing and readings and a signing song.

I got the music and Andrew did this song at church for Christmas. A very nice job and a proud mama.