Chik-fil-a, Trains, Snow, Purple Cake, Mom's Hair, and Painting (whew!)

It's been too busy around here!  Trying to do a little catch up.

Last weekend we went to Chik-fil-a to use Carolyn's free kids meal birthday certificate.  The guy taking our order (Logan) noticed Carolyn and Erin's Camp Loll shirts and mentioned that this is his 4th year staffing there.  Poor Logan had no idea what he was getting himself into, but it was a whole lot of Bartlett vs. Loll banter.  I asked our red-headed Loll staffer friend to tell Logan when he sees him at a meeting sometime that those mean Bartlett people are really nice, but we've had too many Loll vs. Bartlett debates between Adam and Mr. Red Hair that it just comes naturally now.

The little girls were having a blast on the toys there.  Madeleine was this energizer bunny - up the stair things, down the slide, back to the stairs, down the slide.  We couldn't catch her attention though we were sitting so if she had even glanced as she came off the slide she would have seen us.  We finally did once.  There was a flash of a smile showing recognition that "Oh! My family is here too!" as she ran, and she was right back to her focus.  That's her on the left in the pink sweater.

Sammy got to help his grandparents at another train show, and they had this fun train the littles could ride outside.  Sam had been advertising like crazy, and a few friends, even our dentist, went to say hi and see all the fun.

Adam was being a snot one day (really not just ONE day, but . . . ).  I asked him to read an article with me in preparation for Vanguard and he refused.  Refused!  I just wanted his opinion!  By way of persuasion, I told him he could do it or go out and lay in the snow.  "Can I take my book?"  Okay fine.  Guess what he chose.  Punk.  At least it was entertaining for those of us in the house.

Madeleine is turning 3 soon!  We have a monthly birthday party at grandma's for everyone that is having a birthday during the month.  Melanie so kindly made her a chocolate cake and I made purple frosting (she kept saying she wanted to purple cake), and as she got ready to dump it out of the baking pan on to a flat pan to frost it, somehow the cake slipped off the stove.  I grabbed to two biggest pieces and we still frosted them.  Madeleine wasn't upset - it still tasted good.

Erin did my hair at the party.  I think my girls look way cuter in ponies than I do, but still a fun picture.

This Madeleine story tops all.  She was "braiding" my hair as she put it, but just playing with the front section.  At one point she bit it and I told her that's nasty, but she kept playing away.  Suddenly she said, "All it needs is a little . . ." and as her voice trailed off she spit in her hand!  Quick like a ninja I grabbed her hand and wiped it on her shirt.

This week in Vanguard we had an "artist in training" come and let us do some oil painting.  It was very interesting how much the boys got into it vs. the girls in the class.  Sammy painted a really cool train picture, and Adam worked on this huntery/fighter/something guy.  I think we need to paint around here more.  I was very impressed with both!

At pack meeting this month they gave us the picture taken at Blue and Gold last month.  Everyone else had these nice family poses.  It was just the boys and I that night (I told them they could come since they help me with Webelos sometimes), so we, well, Sam and I had to ham it up.  Adam does look very cool, though.

This was too sweet to not take a picture during scriptures.  That little girl loves her daddy.