A visit to Grandma & Grandmpa's

We returned today from a week in South Carolina visiting Grandma and Grandpa. It was great. How wonderful to have some extra help with the kids! Both Kiefer and Saskia enjoyed spending time with Grandma & Grandpa. Grandma had a basket full of books, activity books, stickers and crayons for Kiefer. She also cooked lots of delicious food that everyone… including Saskia… enjoyed.  Grandpa showed us how to play Wii, which was so much fun. Kiefer is a great Wii bowler and an even greater Wii boxer. Grandpa also took Kiefer out for a ride on his John Deere lawnmower (though Kiefer called it a tractor).

Kiefer’s favorite day was the day we went to the Children’s Museum. Greenville has an amazing Children’s Museum. There was an awesome two-floor climbing structure that Kiefer spent a lot of time on! There were race cars, a construction area, a farm, a grocery store and a water area. One of the funniest things that happened while we were there was in the huge “stomach.” We walked into the stomach that had diagrams of how food is digested. There was a slide to get out and I told Kiefer to slide down the slide. When he went to get on the slide, there was a big farting sound… it was a very life-like digestive system! Kiefer was so scared and ran out of the stomach. Later in the day, he laughed about it, but at the time, he was pretty scared and wouldn’t go back in.

Saskia even got to explore at the museum. There were some great mirrors set up that she could climb around. They also had a baby water table, she could sit in. After the museum, we went to Krispy Kreme for some donuts. Kiefer was in heaven. He and Saskia stood in the window where they were making them and distracted everyone with their cuteness! Kiefer got a little Krispy Kreme hat and wore it on the ride home (but he fell asleep).

The weather was fantastic while we were there. Apparently, it was the warmest it had been in months. It reached the low 70s each day and we enjoyed it very much. We spent a good amount of time outside on the deck or walking. The sun felt great. Kiefer was so confused. He asked Grandma & Grandpa why there was no snow on the ground. He wanted to go outside as soon as he woke up. In the afternoon when he would take his shirt off and only be in his shorts. Saskia spent some time in the exersaucer under the shade of the umbrella.

We also went to the Greenville Zoo. Just next to the zoo is an amazing park and Kiefer was quite content to stay there. We eventually coaxed him to the zoo and he enjoyed seeing the elephants, monkeys (including a baby monkey), lions, giraffes, and alligators.

Roel and I went out to dinner one evening while Grandma & Grandpa took care of Kiefer and Saskia. It was so nice to have some time out together, which we almost never get to do! When we came home, the kids had been bathed and fed and were ready for bed. Saskia was teething so she was a little unhappy and saying, “Mama! Mama! Mama!”

It was a wonderful week. We were so happy to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa and I know they were happy to see us, but I think they were a little tired by the end of the week... they're not used life with a toddler and baby.

Saskia has changed so much in just a couple of weeks. In early February, she got her two bottom teeth and shortly before we left for SC, she started crawling on her hands and knees. For weeks, she had been “commando” crawling and launching herself forward. She also moved beyond pureed babyfood. She feeds herself now. We just give her little pieces of vegetable, fruit and meat. She LOVES chicken and green beans the best and has even had had ham, grapes, cheese, and yogurt. She looks so cute gumming her food. And we love it because we don't have to puree baby food or feed her.

Kieferisms:


"I have a really powerful butt!" - Kiefer after he farted. How lovely. - December 28, 2010

Kiefer's play cell phone rings. "Hello? No. It's snowing outside. Why did you call me again? Bye." He hangs up and sighs with exasperation, "Mama. You talk to them. I've had it." - January 21, 2011

Kiefer during the car ride home: "I think we should keep Saskia. And when she grows up we should call her Peggy." - January 26, 2011

I asked Kiefer to stop running around and terrorizing the cat. He said, "I'm not terrorizing, I'm running with style." - February 4, 2011