Father's Day in Colorado

Perfect summer day part 1

Some people break out the beach chairs to start off summer. We head to the Smithsonian, something we only do in the summer because we aren't going NEAR Washington DC on the weekends. We hit the natural history museum for the morning.

Checking out the Plesiosaurs.... there was also a giant sea turtle. Neat!


Chloe is comparing her leg "bone" with this dinosaur shin bone.

Looking out at all the large dino skeletons from above. We didn't take any pictures of them this time. The kids still loved them, but this was the first time they actually looked at all the other little things that were a part of the exhibit.

A T-Rex skull


Right after this Gavin tried to climb in with the skeletons. He was MAD when I wouldn't let him.
This is my favorite picture of the day. My Chloe Jane in her puffy pink dress (that she picked) and a tiara (yes, she is wearing one if you look closely) staring up at the Triceratops bones. My baby girl summed up in a photo.

We hit other exhibits too... the mammals, the insect zoo, and a human origins exhibit for Dan. Lunch on the Mall lawn and then time to head home.

Perfect summer day part 2

On the metro. I expected this to be Gavin's favorite part, but Chloe was the one most fascinated by it. Gavin did enjoy driving past construction equipment and pointing out all the "tractors."

Walking the "Mall" in DC

Driving home from DC

After dinner we went to the park with the Masons. After playing on the playground for about 30 minutes, they then spent the next 30 minutes down the hull, sitting at the bottom, and then running back up.

Finishing the evening by catching fireflies in our jammies before bed. So much fun, except fpr Gavin who cried everytime they flew away. Checkout his eyelashes in this one!

summer begins

After being in the pool. Sorry! posted the pics in reverse order!

I went and bought the kids a "deluxe" baby pool this year. It has all the bells and whistles since I figured I had two "big kids" to play in it this year. It has a basketball hoop and ring toss game. There is an inflatable slide and a sprinkler. The kids LOVE it.

Spring

Covered in chocolate cake!

Birthday Boy

Well, Nick's birthday was one heck of a day. He woke up with a low-grade fever (only the second in his first year).
It was incredibly hot and humid, so we broke out the water table and kiddy pool only to have an epic thunderstorm and downpour begin precisely at the start of the party. The storm continued off and on for the next 36 hours. Nick was really feeling under-the-weather and did not want to do much of anything aside from sleep. We thought he was just teething, but it appears that he and Evan both have hand, foot, and mouth virus. I've already promised dinners to any families that get it from my kids. We all feel so bad!


Opening Aunt Sarah's present. Thank you, Aunt Sarah!


This is Rody, a present from Uncle Pat and Aunt Kim. I was told Uncle Pat carried this toy under his arm about 3 miles through Boston last week. It is basically one of those bouncy balls that you ride on. Nick was really scared of it at first, but in this picture he worked up the courage to touch it. Today, he tried feeding it blocks and gave it a few pats on the head. Evan adores it.

Around the House

We call this a "Nick"astrophe. He takes everything out of this cabinet at least twice a day.

Evan tillin' the garden.


We broke out the tunnels and I managed to get both kids looking happy about being near one another.