Vegas, baby!!

A few months ago, at one of Casey's work meetings, there was a raffle for a free 5 day trip to Las Vegas, and guess who got to go?? Yup! We were so very excited and had been looking forward to this every day since. We were also SO excited to take our first trip without the kids. (Not that we don't love our beautiful children, but sometimes you just need a break, ya know?) We stayed at the Treasure Island. Neither Casey or I had ever been to Vegas, (although I've driven through it a million times) so everything was new to us. I was thrilled to not have to cook the whole week and eat out every meal. I love eating out!! And we ate some good food! I came back feeling very fat. Although, I don't think I've ever walked as much as we did each day. So much to do! So many people told us of things to see and do there, but even with 5 days, we still didn't have time for it all. I captured some pictures of the things we did get to do and see.

This is right outside our hotel in front of the Treasure Island pirate boat. Each night they had a show out here. I hear it used to be all pirates (which makes sense because it is a pirate boat, right?) but now it is just a bunch of half-naked girls running around trying to be funny. However, they drew quite a crowd. I can't imagine why..... There was a show put on by the Cirque du Soliel (I think I spelled that right) "Mystere" at our hotel that we went to see the first night. It was amazing! The dancers did every kind of acrobatic thing you could think of. Much of the show was high up in the air, where they flipped and jumped from person to person. It was unbelievable.Almost everyone we spoke to mentioned the "dancing water" show at the Bellagio, and let me say, it is so cool!! I loved watching it. It was even prettier at night. It's amazing how high they can get the water to shoot. It was higher than the Bellagio.

This is right outside the Luxor hotel (the one shaped like a pyramid). We saw a Criss Angel show here. Anyone who's ever seen him on TV knows he a pretty unbelieveable magician, so we were really looking forward to it. Unfortunately we did not know it wasn't a magic show. It was more a look into "his twisted mind" (that was literally the description of it). And let me say, he has a very "twisted" mind. I think there was a story line to it. I'm not sure what it was, though. I think only those high on drugs could follow it. It was very dark and pretty disturbing at some parts. I know I wasn't the only one who thought so. I looked around at all the people and everyone had a look on their face like "what the @#$% is this??" So that was a bummer...

At the MGM Grand, there is a lion exhibit. That was fun to see. I sent a picture of it on my phone to Caiden and now he thinks I've seen the REAL Lion King. Yes, I'm very cool. There is a tunnel where the top is glass and at one point both the male and female lion were sitting on the top. That was pretty fun to see. One of them was chewing on a bone and man, their teeth are HUGE!

This is at the top of the Stratosphere, which was also very fun. We weren't brave enough at the time to ride the rides on the top and now I totally regret it. (I don't think Casey does. Heights are not his friend.) But I want to go back someday and ride it. The tallest point of one of the rides puts you 1150 feet from the ground. FUN!...and maybe a little scary too. It was just as enjoyable to watch the people on the rides completely freak out.

This is a picture of me with one of the dancers from STOMP OUT LOUD, (another show we saw) at the Planet Hollywood. This was my favorite thing in Vegas by far! They were so fun and entertaining, and pretty funny too. There is no music at all in the show. They create their own music by banging around on all different kinds of objects (like garbage can lids and plastic bags and brooms) and dancing to it. It was so cool! I will never sweep my floors or take out the trash the same way again...

At the Mandalay Bay, there is an Aquarium and I touched the sting rays! Very slimy. This is one where I wished my kids had been with me. Caiden and Paige would have loved it.

And, of course, how can you go to Vegas without a little bit of gambling? Just a little. Our hotel gave us $20 to start out with and I must say it is very fun to gamble with someone else's money, rather than your own. But Casey got lucky right away and won about 80 bucks. I got a little here and there. We ended up walking away when we got down to 50 bucks. We were having so much fun and it was so easy to say, "Okay, just 5 more dollars, just 5 more." I definitely can see how people lose TONS of money when they go to Vegas. But not us! We came home $50 richer. Ha!Ha!Ha!

A Happy Thanksgiving...

We had a very happy Thanksgiving this year. We spent the holiday with Casey's family and dinner was DELICIOUS as it always is. It was fun to visit with Casey's grandparents who we haven't seen for a while. Before dinner, Papa Gubler had put together a Treasure Hunt for the kids. (Caiden had been looking forward to this for weeks!) He hid clues all over outside and Caiden and his cousin, Keenen, ran from place to place to get the next clue. Paige tried real hard to keep up. It was pretty cold outside (and since I HATE being cold, I only got a few pictures of them running around before I went running back inside).

The last clue led to a "treasure" buried under ground. The boys were supposed to do the digging but I think Papa ended up doing most of it.

And sure enough there was gold and silver coins deep in the earth. Well, ok, it was gold and silver chocolate money, but isn't that the best kind of money?

Not only did they score with some chocolate money, but a cool toy for each! A transformer (of course) for Caiden, and a Dora toy with a pony for Paige. All-in-all a very happy Thanksgiving indeed.

Pics of the week....

Caiden was playing with the laundry basket and hiding underneath it. Paige was getting mad because she wanted a turn, so she sat on it and trapped him under there. Cheese!!
Could they get any cuter?? Some days they love each other, some days they don't. Here is proof of one of the good days!

Caiden recruited a new ninja!!

Funny quirks...

Caiden and Paige are both in such funny phases right now and I don't want to forget some of the things they do, so I thought I'd write a little about each of their funny quirks....Here goes...

Caiden:

- Anyone who knows Caiden well, knows that 90% of the time he lives in Movie Land. (That is what Casey and I have nicknamed it. Whenever he says something that doesn't make sense, we just shrug and say "he must be in movie land again.")

- Everyday (and I mean EVERYDAY) when Caiden is playing (whether it's transformers or ninjas or spiderman or whatever) he literally takes on that character. If I ask him to do something he'll say "I'm not Caiden, I"m Optimus Prime" or "I'm Peter Parker" and for the rest of the day he wants to be called by that name. Then, I have to be someone else too. Often I will hear him calling "Donatello!! Donatello!!" and then I realize oh yeah, that's me today. Then, if that is not enough, he likes to be reassured that you haven't forgotten who you are. So he'll say "Mom, you're Donatello, right mom? Right mom? Right?! RIGHT?! And this goes on ALL DAY. It's exhausting at times, but I can't help but be amazed at his imagination. It is never ending!!

- Caiden is in preschool right now 3 days a week and he loves it! He loves to come home and show me what he has made and tell me everything that happened that day. I always know who the snack helper was and who the line leader was and so on. He even tells me who had to sit in the "quiet" chair that day. It is so funny. I love to see how much he is learning and growing. Just in these past few months he has learned to write really good. He can do his name really good now, and sometimes he trys to write my name or Paige's name too. It's pretty cute. And he LOVES to draw and color all the time too.

Paige:

- Paige has this HILARIOUS new dance move. I keep trying to capture it on video so I can play it for everyone and start a new trend! I call it the Gorilla Dance. She starts out by getting into a full squat and then she flings her arms side-to-side (as though they are not attached to her body) really fast. There have been a few times where I've been in my room and all of sudden Paige will run in, squat, fling her arms like crazy, and then run out. It is SO FUNNY! I die laughing!

- Most people that know Paige well, knows that she LOVES kitties. Quite often, she will act like she is one. Sometimes when I am working on the computer I will hear a squeaky "meow, meow, meow" only to find Paige behind me on all fours meowing. Caiden would agree that she is like a cat in that she scratches when she is angry (although, sometimes she scratches when she is happy too).

- Paige also has these Strawberry Shortcake sunglasses that are pink and the eyes are the shapes of big giant strawberries. She LOVES to wear them. The funny thing about them is that the lens have been popped out and who knows where they are. Paige doesn't care. She wears them all over the house. Sometimes she insists on taking them out in public, and I have to admit, sometimes it's easier to just let her wear them than fight her on it, even despite the odd stares I get from people.

Happy Birthday Caiden!!!

Caiden turns 5!!! Wow, he is getting so big! His birthday is on the 11th (Veteran's Day). He was so sad that he didn't get to go to preschool on his birthday. I told him someday he will be very thankful that he never has to go to school on his birthday! The weekend before we had a birthday party for him at the house and invited some of his close buddies....the Wiseman and Christensen boys, his friend Jackson, and cousin Keenen....

From left to right: Gage, Jared, Jackson, Ian, Caiden and Keenen....Why is Caiden in his Spiderman costume?? Not sure. He's been really into costumes lately (still fresh in his mind from Halloween, I guess) and it's become an almost daily thing that he decides to be somebody other than "Caiden" for the day....Don't get me started on his imagination....

Even Aunt Kimmy was there...Caiden was very excited to have her here!!

The main interests this year was Transformers and Ninja Turtles. His friends and family pulled through with some great gifts....

This is Caiden and his friends opening the gift from daddy....a giant Jeep Wrangler remote control car....

.....another transformer....

....and Ninja Turtle weapon....

Caiden is also a big fan of Kung Fu Panda....Not only does he have a backpack and lunchbox, but now he has a matching shirt! And yes, he wore it all the very next day to preschool...

....and the movie too, of course!....

....Then we had a Transformer pinata for everyone. All the boys had fun swinging at it and trying to break it open....although, the adults got a little stressed at the swinging bat and little kids nearly getting in the way...I guess I didn't quite think that through very well, but happy to report there were no injuries!....

Even the littlest kids got to swing at the pinata...Here is Case taking a hit...

.....and Paige too...(the bat is upside down Paige! Oh well!)....

....Ian takes a hit!....

....and Gage too....

Eventually it busts open and everyone makes a mad dash for the candy....We were just trying to get the bat out of the middle of it all....Not everyone understood to stop swinging when the candy fell out....

YUM!!

....Caiden with his Donatello Ninja Turtle weapon...

...and yes, he loved his presents so much that he even went to sleep wearing some of them!!

Happy Halloween!!

This is a picture of Caiden and his friend Ian at their Halloween party for preschool. Aren't they adorable?? (Caiden is the Ninja Turtle).
We had a great Halloween! The kids had a lot of fun. Caiden was a Ninja Turtle (Rafael, to be exact) and Paige was Elmo. I was a little worried because it had been raining all day, but we got lucky when it came time to go trick-or-treating. Caiden was so excited to go, and Paige (only 2) was not totally aware of what was in store. She was, however, aware of everyone talking about candy and that definitely had her attention. While they were putting their costumes on and getting ready to go, we had a few trick-or-treaters come to the door. When Paige saw that the candy in the bowl was for them, she was not happy! We finally got her ready and out the door, but she wasn't completely happy until we got some candy. Then we, LITERALLY, could not keep up with her. Casey and I have never seen her little legs move so fast!! She was walking faster than all of us. It was so hilarious!!

We would ask Paige if she wanted to ride in the wagon and she would say "No! Can't!" and then continue SPEED walking. That girl is definitely motivated by food and candy!

The first door we went to Paige just helped herself and grabbed what she wanted out of the bowl. And at the second door, she tried to walk into their house. I had to keep telling her to let them give out the candy.

Above is a picture of Paige leading the way. She could even keep up with Casey at full stride, (which sometimes I can't even do!)

After we trick-or-treated in our neighborhood, we decided to go visit Grandma and Grandpa. On the way over, Caiden fell asleep and the sucker even fell out of his mouth. He was so worn out!

At home they finally checked out what candy they got. (And I have to admit I also was checking out what candy they got too.)