New Year's Weekend

My parents came to town last weekend for another Christmas celebration. We had a nice weekend of playing with new toys, putting together puzzles, brunch, visiting friends and a visit to the zoo, botanical center and science center.

It was ridiculously cold, so we mostly saw the inside animals at the zoo. The kids loved the fish.

Someday my children will actually sit still and look at the camera. Until then, I bring you pictures of the back of their heads and fish.

Weekend Scenes

We had a relatively lazy weekend. Kent traveled for work a few days last week, so we were both tired by the time Friday rolled around. The boys even slept in until 8 a.m.on Sunday--a first that we fully enjoyed, but won't get used to. 

On Saturday we visited a pumpkin patch not far from our house. It was a small apple orchard that also sold pumpkins and offered a hay ride. G couldn't wait to get home to carve a jack o lantern.

When it came time to carve pumpkins that afternoon, I explained to him how we would scoop out the insides before carving the faces. He rolled up his sleeves, stuck in his arm and then announced he was done. Kent and I carved two very nice jack o lanterns while he played with his trains downstairs.

A leaf pile in the backyard was also a main attraction over the weekend. G led Miles out to the pile and showed him how to jump and roll in the leaves.

Weekend Scenes

After several days of cold, rainy weather, we spent a lot of time outside over the weekend enjoying the last warm days of fall. A visit from the grandparents brought a return trip to the apple orchard, trips to the park and a hike near Saylorville Lake.

On our hike, G insisted on stopping at every bench to draw pictures of the leaves in his journal.

This hippo backpack, found on sale over the weekend, was such a hit that G wanted to wear it on our hike and sleep with it at night. He collected leaves, sticks and more in it.

Weekend Scenes

We had our first freeze over the weekend, so it was a good weekend to stay inside and bake cookies.G helped me frost our leaf-shaped cookies, and even got to use a knife to do it. All weekend he said, "I get to use a knife! I'm big enough now."

The cold temperatures didn't keep the boys inside, though.

Kent and G built a fire to stay warm.

We went for a chilly bike ride/run.

Weekend Scenes

It seems like Miles transformed overnight from a crawler into a walker. Still wobbly, he spent the weekend happily honing his toddling skills.

We stopped by the downtown Des Moines sculpture garden for a bit on a beautiful late summer afternoon.

At the sculpture park, Kent taught Grant the very important skill of how to roll down a hill, which he did over and over and over again. As we walked back to our car, we saw a pack of kids run to the top of the hill and take turns rolling down the hill. too.

Weekend Scenes: Summer Ends and a New Era Begins

We spent Labor Day weekend in Chicago watching the Hawkeyes and visiting the grandparents and friends. And of course going to the zoo.

Both kids loved the stingray exhibit -- Miles wanted to jump in with them. We also saw the dolphin show, bears, lions and the rhino and hippo.

We also spent a lot of time outside, going to the parks and playing in the backyard. While Kent and I were at the Iowa game, the grandparents took them to what's known in my family as "Madelaine's Park," which I named when I was about G's age. I love that Grant now calls it Madelaine's Park, too. 

Miles woke up on Monday and decided that it was time to start walking. He has been toddling around ever since with a giant smile on his face. 

Weekend Scenes: Stormy Saturday

It felt like our last weekend of summer. G goes back to school this week, and Saturdays from here on out are filled with football games, friends and family. {Kent has season tickets to see his beloved Hawkeyes.} So a rainy Saturday led to a last-minute decision to visit the children's museum in Iowa City. We met up with Aunt Kelsey and Uncle Austin at the museum, then went out to dinner at one of our Iowa City favorites before returning home after dark. Both kids were happy but exhausted, and we carried them to bed.

G shopped in the museum's kids' market. Please note that the first item in his cart was a box of veggie burgers. 

Miles thought this air pressure exhibit was funny but frustrating. He just wanted to grab the ball.

Both kids' favorite was a room filled floor to ceiling with air-filled plastic tubes.When they put a ball or scarf into one of the tubes, the object whooshed around the maze of tubes before shooting back out at them.

Before leaving, we rode the carousel outside the museum. G picked the elephant.

Weekend Scenes: A First Birthday Party

We had a weekend of celebration featuring balloons, ice cream and, of course, cake.

On Saturday, when the weather was lovely, we took Grandma and Grandpa Jerousek to Jester Park to see the buffalo {or "fuffalo," as G says}.

 The boys enjoyed climbing through this hollowed-out tree and peeking through the holes.

We spotted this very large flock of birds, and later discovered {after some digging by our family librarian} that they were pelicans.

Later on Saturday, Grant wanted to go to Target to pick out a gift "for Miles." He chose a tube of animal bath toys, which he brought home and helped me wrap. On Sunday morning, he presented the gift to Miles. "I can share with you," G told M. Then Grant took them downstairs to play with them and proceeded to hoard them the rest of the day.

We borrowed a blow-up bouncy house for the party, which was a hit with the boys and their cousins.

Of course, the day concluded with cake and ice cream.

Miles wasted no time devouring it, then whining for more.