The Things I Get Into

Dylan could probably have a blog of all his own. That is because he tends to get himself into some interesting situations. He obviously found a soft somewhat melted crayon in the car...I guess he put it to good use huh?! During his nap he got into some stickers he found in his room. Once again the face tells it all. What are we going to do with that boy?!

Visiting with Friends

This past week one of my best friends from my high school days made a trip down from Chicago with her 4 children. We had a lot of fun. Her children are older than mine which had no affect on anyone. They just adored and played with each other. It was a great time to catch up, hang out, and play. It is really neat to spend time with each others children now that we are parents. We only get to see each other once a year, if that. Time has passed but our friendship has remained the same or at least the best it can for being so far away from each other.

Happy 60th Birthday Grandee!!

We had a busy but very fun weekend. It was my mother-in-law's 60th birthday. I hope she had a lot of fun because I know we all did.

Her actual birthday was on Friday but we celebrated it with the family on Saturday. We started the morning off with family pictures which was fun. We had lunch together and then went our separate ways. That evening we were picked up in a Hummer stretch limo. Fancy smancy. My father-in-law surprised her. We were taken to Shogun for dinner and Joshua got his first opportunity with the kiddie chop sticks and did great. After dinner we took a ride downtown in the limo and then headed back for cake, ice cream and gifts.

Hope you had a great birthday Grandee!!

Land of Dinosaurs

My boys are so into dinosaurs. The fact that I know the names of dinosaurs is kind of scary. It is sweet to see the excitement the boys show each time they come across something with a dinosaur on it. They still love diggers, trains, and cars but dinosaurs are at the top of the list these days. Joshua's latest thing is to sort everything out. He has the land of dinosaurs, a construction site, a Speedway, and train tracks. The only thing is that we can never get around in his room. Guess it's worth it though?!

You also have to love the Dollar Store. We found these self-adhesive peel and stick stickers for the wall. They are supposed to be used as a border on your wall. There are stickers on both sides...so there are a good bit of stickers. The boys just loved them and we had fun putting them on the wall. We'll just have to see how long they stay on the wall (meaning-hopefully Dylan will not have pulled them all off after nap time).

Splash Pad

I think the new find in the Birmingham area is "Splash Pad" in Gardendale. All I have to say...AWESOME!! Just a little info on it for those of you who might be interested. It is a good 30 minute drive but absolutely free and tons of fun. They don't open until 10am so we got there a little earlier to get a table, believe me you want the shade. There are also pavilion areas with more tables but depending on the day those may be reserved. They are not open on Mondays.

My boys had a great time. They just played and played. If they got bored with the water it was just 25 feet to the playground. We packed a lunch and were there a good 3 hours. There are bathrooms nearby. I highly recommend it and we will definitely be going back. It is well worth the drive. No, I did not get paid to say any of this.

Chicago- Fourth of July Visit

Each year we try to go to Chicago for the 4th of July. It is becoming another one of our family traditions. During our visit we try to attend the "Taste of Chicago". It is a huge food festival downtown. It is always fun to ride the train downtown, eat some great food, and enjoy the people and sounds of Chicago.

The weather was perfect. Definitely didn't miss the humidity that we deal with in the south. The boys had a great time and so did Scott and I. It is just fun to watch the boys get so excited about riding the train, something I took for granted as a kid and growing up. We played, hung out, and just enjoyed our time together as a family.

We were also able to spend some time with friends and family. The boys got to see Papa, who they haven't seen since Christmas. They also had some playtime with cousin Colin, Unlce Joe and Aunt Jaime. Colin had his graduation party (8th grade) and they had a jousting/jumping blow up. The boys played and played. Guess who was tired at the end of the day?!

When you see Joshua, ask him where he went and what was his favorite part.

A quick visit to Chicago

I was able to make a trip up to Chicago with the boys. Very busy and hectic with all that is going on with my dad right now, but good. We had some special time with family and I got a chance to see and hang out with friends from my high school years. I hadn't seen some of them in 20 years. It always good to see old friends and catch up to see and hear what they have been up to. It was also good for my boys to meet the little ones of my friends. They all just hit it off.

We rode the train (the CTA "EL") that runs up and down the expressway (interstate for you southerners). We also found a park that has "diggers". At this stage in life with two boys what more could you ask for? Oh, how about the dinosaur park somewhere in Indiana. I didn't stop but you can see a big T Rex from the road. That's pretty much all they need.