One of the rocks on the beach had a hole all the way through it.

We had a great time on the North Shore. We stayed at Temperance River State Park after the RV decided it didn't want to go in reverse anymore and our original campsite didn't have any pull through camp sites. Despite that, we had a great time. These pictures are from Temperance River.

Notice anything different about Shannon today?

Shannon likes to make her own flower bouquets.

Glow in the dark worms!

Hurray for Easter and glow in the dark science experiment kits!

Meepie and Shannon showing off their matching dresses. Nina made them for Shannon - aren't they cute?

It's a Meepie party!

Every day I ask Shannon what she wants to wear and she usually says "dress". Yesterday she said "1979". I couldn't figure out what she wanted so I jokingly asked if she wanted to wear something from 1979. She said yes (which I doubt she meant since I am pretty sure she couldn't say what year this is, much less what the year 1979 means). So lucky for her I happened to have a dress of mine from approximately 1979. Here she is in it. She got a ton of compliments on it, too.

Pogo sticks are fun!

This is Shannon's new favorite outfit (thanks, Taylor). She likes it because I said it looked like she was wearing a school uniform. Now every time she wears it she asks everyone she meets (random strangers included) if she looks like a school girl. Hard to imagine what they are thinking.

Shannon and her buddies Galen and Otis.

Now Shannon and I both have fun refrigerator toys.

Strangely enough Alex is being nice, still. Amazing.

Christmas was fun!

Hanging up stockings.

Apparently we don't take very good family pictures. Somebody was blinking or making a weird face in all of them.

Shannon took this photo. Notice how it is better than all the ones I took this summer?

Every once in a while Alex manages to let his better nature out for a while. Especially if he can watch a little TV while doing so.

Teeny tiny little volcanos are fun to make.

Time to decorate the tree!

I have no ideal what to call this outfit. It is my old Easter dress from when I was about 6 with all sorts of additions including, of course, a Meep.

If only paper dolls weren't quite so flimsy. These ones have beautiful dresses with lots and lots of little tabs...

Blowing out the candle on her cake. She insisted on wearing her crown from pre-school.

I almost forgot to post Shannon with her favorite birthday present.

I don't really even know what to say about this guy anymore. I am not sure if he is thinking of a modelling career or what.

My attempts at cakes get only slightly less pathetic every year. I think next year I will tell her that she can have any cake she wants so long as it is round or rectangular and completely lacking in decorations. This one is supposed to be a crown but it looks more like some sort of smashed paw print. It is strawberry flavored with cream cheese frosting though so maybe if we just eat with our eyes shut.... Hopefully Shannon will like it when she sees it tomorrow.

Shannon opened her presents on Sunday. We were afraid with daycare and work that there wouldn't be enough time to enjoy them on Wednesday. Thanks Aunt Tree for another winter of trying to explain to Shannon that no, it isn't warm enough to play with your water toy. And can anyone guess what her favorite toy is? Anyone? The one that I most didn't want her to want to play with?

And of course you can't go to Sea World without getting pictures of Shamu. We did a lot of other fun things too, but Shannon's favorite were swimming in the hotel pool and going to the water park, neither of which are really great for taking pictures. We got tired of toting Shannon around the pool for hours at a time and got her some of those arm floaties and she now will happily paddle around completely by herself. She even willingly puts her whole head in the water. I do wish I had some pictures - she is so pleased with herself.