I think Dustin is sick!

It's already Monday and it's hard to believe that Dustin and Colton have already been here for a week! We are going to be sooooo sad to see them go. I know the kids are going to miss them terribly and be completely BORED TO DEATH when their cousins are gone.

Gage wanted to know first thing this morning, "What are we going to do today Mom?" I told them that we had to run to the library to pick up Emma's prize. Dustin blurts out, "Can I check out a book?" (I swear he said that!) He finished his Babe and Me book this morning and he's wanting another one! I think Dustin is sick..................he caught the reading bug!

Here's Emma and a few of the prizes she won! There were tons of things in the bag! Besides the bag, t-shirt and puzzle you see in the picture, there was a book "The Transmogrification of Roscoe Wizzle" (the book Scott and I read to them on our trip here), a pencil, bookmarker, notepad, button, stickers and tattoo. What a nice prize! Her picture will be posted on the bulletin board in the library, as well as on the t.v. monitor and a cable channel (I can't remember which channel), which won't do us any good since we don't get cable. To win the prize you have to turn in reading logs each week, documenting the amount of time you've spent reading (or being read to) and they draw 2 names each Friday from the bug hut. Dustin has been keeping track of his minutes spent reading as well, and he wants to win on Friday. I'm not sure if he can win because you have to be registered in the summer reading program, but I wrote my phone number down just in case they draw his name. Even if he doesn't "win" the drawing, he is winning because he is reading! He checked out another Dan Gutman book, "Honus and Me". Another baseball book. Tonight I gave him a reading log that I picked up at Barnes and Noble and if you read 8 books before Sept. 2, you can earn a free book. He's totally excited about it and said he's going to do it. He asked me, "Do I send this back to you to get it?" I told him that he could either do that, or I was sure there was a Barnes and Noble in Des Moines that he could go to. He replies, "So I'm going to have my Mom drive me all the way to Des Moines for a free book?" Okay, okay, it doesn't sound too logical when you put it that way Dustin! :-) He has been carrying a book around with him all day long. Each time we got in the car to go somewhere, he had his book in his hand and was reading it every chance he got. It's totally awesome!

Later this afternoon, around 3pm, we went to the North Dakota Heritage Center. The kids had a good time and I think they're sick of me taking pictures!

I didn't realize Dustin wasn't looking at the camera, or I would have taken another one! It's hard to get all 4 looking in the same direction at the same time!

The big bison is located just outside of the Heritage Center. Dustin was arguing with me trying to tell me he learned in 6th grade that a bison and a buffalo aren't the same thing. I tried telling him I thought that they were the same thing, but I wasn't confident enough to argue too much. Does anyone else know why they call them either a bison or buffalo? What's the difference?

Here we are inside at the new Dinomummy exhibit. This dinosaur fossil is the most intact dinosaur that's ever been discovered and even has skin intact! I'm not sure what Emma is doing in this picture, but she seems to be interested in posing like a dork lately?

Checking out the teepee.

Here's the inside.

Colton really liked this exhibit of the prairie dog.

More bison.....................or is it buffalo?

There is a kids area that they enjoyed the most. Gage was being a little butt, however. He didn't want Emma doing the things he was doing and was pushing her away and giving her shoves when he thought I wasn't looking.

Colton riding the pony. He was having fun watching himself ride in the mirror!

After we left, I took their picture next to the Sakakawea statue. Dustin was telling me it is Sacajawea. I told him that I think it's spelled differently depending on where you are or what you're looking at. They got to arguing about which way it is pronounced so much that they were all saying it wrong Sa-jack-a-wea. I guess that's a good combination of the two spellings.

We had to head home so that I would have time to make supper before Gage's 5:45pm ballgame. They ate up my mashed potatoes and were wanting more! I should have made more, but I didn't know how well they would go over!

Gage was in complete meltdown mode by the time we got to the ballpark. Here you can see he's completely upset and almost in tears. I think he's so tired he doesn't know which way is up?

Scott pretending to be a major league pitcher. He struck everyone of our batters out about 3 times each time they were up. The other team was lobbing it into their batters while Scott turned on the heat. I guess maybe it was a dream of his to be a major league pitcher with lots of K's? HA HA!

Gage waiting for a throw to home to tag out the runner. It was quite warm out today so the kids were definitely feeling the heat, and Gage was really hot after having the catcher gear on.

Dustin and Colton just fit right in with our family.

Colton enjoyed playing catch with some of our other players when we were batting and our team was in the dugout.

Colton is quite the little baseball player! He's better at catching and throwing than Gage (and over half the players on our team!)

Dustin stays busy shagging balls behind the catcher.

We were in such a hurry trying to get out the door that I forgot water. Emma was hot and thirsting to death, and so was Colton and Gage. Dustin didn't complain at all.

I kept telling them it would be over soon, and we would go to TCBY to get their free yogurt cones. While we were at the library this morning each of the kids filled out a quiz on the book I mentioned earlier "The Transmogrification of Roscoe Wizzle". It was selected as the book for the family reading this summer and we read it to them on our long drive to North Dakota. They each received a free coupon for TCBY.

Rainbow Ripple was the flavor of choice among Gage, Colton and Emma. As you can see, Gage is wearing most of his on his face. That was not even a joke! While we were still in TCBY, he started eating his ice cream and was walking towards the door. I noticed an older couple sitting at a table and they were giggling, and when I saw they were looking at Gage, I wondered what was up. Gage then turned around and I about died laughing. He took and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and I think he was totally embarrassed when he saw the big blue mark he left on his hand and arm. I helped him wipe his face off and then he continued to eat more. By the time we were at the car, he looked at his reflection in the window and saw he had it all over his face again. I don't quite understand how he can get so much all over his face?

He's going to LOVE this picture when he's 18!

After we got home and the kids all bathed and showered, I saw we had a message on the answering machine. It was from Kysa. I called her back and talked awhile and then put Colton on. I missed the big smile he had when he found out it was his Mom on the phone. He bought a postcard at the Heritage Center to send to her in the mail. I thought that was so sweet of him to think of that. He said he wanted to see if it would scare her, since it was a scary looking dinosaur! HA HA!

Tomorrow we have the annual zoo members' picnic. Free hamburgers and hot dogs with chips and ice cream and a drink. We're having supper at the zoo tomorrow! WOO HOO! I don't have to fix supper!