Adventurous Little Girl

Liesl has been doing some adventurous things lately. She has really gotten into the dinosaurs since she visited the U of M Natural History Museum and the dino bones there. She also really loves elephants (which makes her love the Whooly Mammoths too) those were her favorite. She has some dino figurines she loves to play with and makes up stories with them too. Last week she visited cranbrook and the dinosaurs there and the farm center (her personal favorite). Cranbrook has a hands on exhibit that she really enjoyed to be a paleontologist and unearth dino bones. Kind of like the exhibit in Animal Kingdom but smaller.

This past weekend, Liesl and I went to Frankenmuth with the Omas, Opa, Ota and Grandad and stayed the night in the Bavarian Inn. Because she was such an angel she got some new dinosaurs to play with on the trip and a baby whooly mammoth (Schleigh toys). She had a wonderful time eating chicken dinner with her grandparents. Frankenmuth has a bunch of pools to play in and a lazy river and kiddie pool that were pretty awesome. She was really brave and was walking around (not holding momma's hand) up to her chin in the water. It was a little cold in the evening in the pool so she wanted to go into the "hot dog" with Oma to warm up. She liked floating around in her new turtle tube and playing with Grandad the alligator. She has not stopped talking about the lazy river and her alligator family and names us all off and says we were alligators. She also got to go on a few rides there in the arcade and the German play Village which was super fun. She went down a huge slide by herself there and amazed her Oma Gabi. She also loved making and handing out Valentines to her Omas that day too. We will have to go back and stay again another day. What a fun weekend.

She is still really into pirates and since Valentines day there has been a new show on the Disney Channel called "jake and the neverland pirates" that I can bribe her successfully every time with. Momma is loving it. She is very much of her own mind and very stubborn. I often have a hard time getting her out the door because no matter how much I warn her that we will be on our way soon she still pitches a fit. She really enjoys staying in with momma and playing with her figurines and dressing up in "beautiful dresses".

Winter Wonderland

I have not seen snow like this since I was living in the UP. Well it was much deeper up there. Down here it hasn't been this deep since I was little. I remember digging caverns and igloos and tunnels in the snow and having huge block snowball fights with our friends. Liesl enjoyed the snow very much this weekend in Pentwater with Mimi and Aunt Ann and Momma and Daddy. We made a gianormous "Noman" with a carrot nose and coal for eyes, daddy's scarf and Yooper hat and momma's pretty red mittens on stick arms. She had fun sledding down the hill and driveway and rolling and falling through the huge snow piles. The snow is even deeper there on the lake. We are so glad that we got the chance to visit with Mimi and Aunt Ann while Mimi was in town. Liesl even got a cake and candles this weekend from Aunt Ann for her 2 1/2 birthday. She gave both of them home made cards this weekend which they really enjoyed. She has really charmed them. They were "watching her like TV" all weekend.

It was a wonderful change from last weekend/week while we were all deathly ill with the stomach flu lying near dead face down on the carpet. So glad that is all over. So glad that Wednesday night some guy with a 4 wheeler with a ploy came by and asked to plow our driveway. I dont think it has looked so good in months! Too bad we missed the snow fest that we planned on going to with Oma and Opa Fritz and Oma and Grandad Halsall but we are planning on going this weekend for Valentines day again. It should be a blast and maybe some of the sculptures will be intact. We are looking forward to the fun pools/waterslides/waterfalls that they have in the hotel and the huge German village play structure that they have in there for Liesl to play in. Especially looking forward to Chicken! Too bad I will have to leave early Monday to go to work a late shift.

A couple of weeks ago Ota, Liesl and Oma Gabi and I went to the U of M Natural History Museum to visit the Dinosaur bones there. Liesl loved taking the tour and getting to touch all of the bones and get a more hands on view on everything. She really enjoyed the Mammoths and those are her favorites. We ended the day with the gift shop. She got some dinosaur play figures and some dinosaur books there. Then we went to the Blue Tractor for some comfort food. Good thing we bought the figures and books for her to play with. She really enjoyed the day. Thanks Mom!

Right before Liesl got sick on Friday Mom and I took her to the Warren pool to play in the lazy river because it is a "free day". We got an inner-tube and floated around, went in the main pool to play ball and in the play structure with the waterfall and mini water slides. Liesl really enjoyed herself and has been talking about the lazy river and the waterfall ever since. I even got a chance to ride down the water slide a few times. It was really fun because it was pitch black in there. The day before we had planned on going to the Children's museum in Detroit but mission was aborted because she fell asleep about a minute from the museum so we went back home, visited McDonald's and then she woke up just in time for the library. Momma checked out our new Shelby library and checked out a few books there which she really enjoyed. Too bad she desperately needed a diaper change and we had to leave.

Scott's Birthday last month was fun. We went to the Rathskeller for dinner and then back to the "new Halsall's house" afterward for dessert/games. Had a great time playing games with the Sheys and Fritzes. We were sad to have to leave early for bedtime. Liesl really enjoyed the restaurant. Maybe she was in such a good mood because of her beautiful dress she was wearing. That usually does the trick.

I haven't been able to take many pictures lately because our camera has been damaged. There is a little light getting into our pictures and it isnt really worth taking them with that camera. Waiting to get a little money together to get a the new Sony model. I am pretty excited about it but hoping it will be sooner rather than later.