Thomas the Train

Adam keeps saying it... "I may sound like a broken record, but this summer has been amazing.  Warm days and cool nights."  This summer has allowed us to do a lot outside!  

Thursday nights we gather for Cul-de-sac Cocktails.  I am always snapping pictures of the boys and Finn, but realized that we don't have many of the two lovely little ladies!  Here are Nora and Molly.  Next summer they will be chasing the boys, and in 10 years the boys will be stealing their diaries, like my brother and the neighbor boy did!

 Ashton is outgrowing the crazy "cheese face" and he is hamming it up for the camera lately!

 You will see the tilted head now more than the cheese face ;)

 The boys re-enact the movie Sandlot on a daily basis.  They are usually Benny and Smalls, but I think Ashton should be Ham!  Not a day goes by that I don't hear, "You're killing me Smalls" and "Please catch it, please catch it, please catch it".  If they aren't playing baseball and quoting Sandlot, they play that they are puppies.

 The entertainment was Devin's juggling!  Pretty impressive.

 The other entertainment was rock picking.  Mike and Bethanne just put in their yard, so there are plenty of rocks that can keep three crazy boys busy!

 No, we didn't call each other.  We both love Blue Moon, Bethanne DVRs Real Housewives of New Jersey and waits to watch them with me, and we wore the same shirt to cocktail night.  How funny!

 The boys beg to go to Finn's house to play with his toys.  They always to ask to "go inside and play" so maybe it won't be such a long winter when we move our play dates inside!  Other people's toys are so much cooler ;)

 By the way, I didn't ask for this pose.  It was Ham's idea.

 This one too.

 Friday night we were invited to Elle and Elise's for pizza, to swim and to go to Uncle Dave's baseball game in a "real stadium".  The boys were excited!

 Adam getting ready for a swim...

 Dive in, it won't feel so cold!

 Maybe Elle can teach the boys how to dunk under.  Adam says we are the only family that leaves the water park with two little dry heads.

 The cutest little swimmer... I think I got a "Noooo" face.

 Off to Carson Park for the baseball game!  What?  They actually have to sit and watch?  

They did okay.... with treats, bathroom breaks and popcorn!

This confirmed that we will wait a couple years to go to a Brewer's game, and maybe do a Twin's game next summer since it is closer to home.

 They thought they were pretty cool running the bases at the "stadium" after the game!  They went around at least 6 times...

 Saturday we went to Steve and Janie's for their Annual Yard Party.  I don't know who had more fun, everyone playing with the boys, Adam and I sitting and watching everyone play with the boys, or the boys having eager people to play baseball with them?!?!  My cousin Josh was GREAT with them!  The good news?  He's moving closer to go to CVTC before deciding on a college to go to... even better for us ;)

 They finished digging a hole that Millie (the dog) was digging.  No shovel, just their bare hands...

 D.I.R.T.Y

 Aiden doesn't like being dirty... sorry buddy!  You made the choice to play in the dirt!

 This past Wednesday we were off to the Children's Museum in the cities for the Thomas Exhibit.  We might as well went to the zoo... I felt like we were at the zoo with all the wild children running around!  We met my friend Kim there because it has been a while since we have seen Wyatt and met his new baby brother, Oliver, but we didn't really get a chance to talk!  Our kids went opposite directions and luckily she had one non-mobile one!  The boys liked it and it was great seeing Wyatt.  They are already wanting to see him again.  Maybe the next time will be adult only for some real catching up to take place.  I can't believe it's been 16 years since we met at orientation at the U of M the summer of 1998.  Here we are, both with two boys, both teaching special education, and we can both say that we don't see each other enough!

 The boys liked the HUGE train table!

 Wyatt and Aiden

 Wyatt liked getting into character, while the boys stuck to the train table.

 Ashton, Aiden, and Wyatt.

 2012

 2013

2014

We attempted to explore the other exhibits among the thousands of other kids, day cares, and classes.

Ashton the Turtle.

Operating a pulley system... they were pretending to drive a crane!

BUBBLES!

Daddy finally picked out his Father's day present!  Since we moved, he has wanted a recliner and we haven't found on that "matched" what I wanted upstairs.  On Wednesday we bummed and found one.  He's pretty excited.  I must admit that I have used it to read while the boys are napping!

The first night he had it, I had to check on him and make sure he didn't fall asleep in it.

Tonight he and the boys watched Rio 2 in it.

We are making the best of our summer pool pass!  We have went to the pool the last three days in a row and plan on going more this week!  Although we are hoping for some rain tomorrow to have a lazy house day (we already have movies rented), bring on the sun the rest of the week!

Who says summer is just about over?  

School may be starting soon, but that doesn't mean that summer is over ;)