Aaaaand, we're back.

We had a great trip, and we're not happy about coming back to high temps and high humidity.   We'll be updating everyone shortly, but here are a few pics.

Road Trip!

Off to Colorado, our home away from home.  Mandy left with the kids this morning, and it sounds like it went pretty well until they got to Hays, KS - the halfway point on our trip - and found the hotel lacking, to say the least.  I followed after getting off work, set back a little by having to go home and get the things we forgot to load up in the morning.

When I started, I was tired after a very long week, but with no kids, satellite radio and my ipod, I perked up just fine.  I got to see a spectacular sunset on an otherwise boring drive across Kansas, when at times I usually feel like this guy.  

Off to the right, the sun was setting.  Off to the left, storms were displaying lightening storms that were a spectacular contrast.  Unfortunately I was armed only with a cell phone camera and a fast-moving car, and the sunset pics don't do it justice, and none of the storm pictures turned out.

I'm sitting here in the hotel breakfast area typing this, trying to wind down from the drive.  Getting kids down in the hotel is quite a feat, and I'm glad I missed it.  

Scientific discovery

Noah was up early for breakfast a few days ago.  As he was getting ready to dig into some cereal for breakfast, I handed him a spoon. I'm not sure how the discussion came up, but I know I mentioned to him that if he looked at the spoon from the outside, he can see his face right side up, and if he looked at it from the inside, he would appear upside down.  

I said it offhandedly, but it took his complete attention for the next 10 minutes.  He asked me about it, and for the next 10 minutes I tried desperately to remember, and explain to a 4-year old, high school physics rules about the bend of light and reflections.  Fortunately, I think he was more distracted by the fact that he could see himself upside down, then right side up.  

He never did finish his cereal.

Boys (and girl) of Summer

We have pools nearby available, but sometimes, they just like to play in the yard.  Noah, Elliot, Liam and Ollie played on the slip and slide, the toys and the dirt/mud they dug up in our pitiful back yard.

No idea what this look was all about.

We showered them in the basement.  Nice forced smiles, boys.

High-tech toys

We came home Sunday night and had a surprise gift waiting from Grandpa Larry, with a little help from Grandma Joann and cousin Dylan - a cardboard box they turned into a little house.  My mom's kitchen is being remodeled, and some of the "trash" is perfect for recycling.

They were delighted to see it and play with it as soon as we walked in the door, and the next morning, they both came down and wanted to play with it right away.  Noah even wanted to bring it to his friend's house to show him and play with it.

They have been having a great time with it.

Checking the garden

Like everyone else in the country, we've been dealing with a summer heat wave - near 100 degrees every day, for at least a week.  While it leaves me in puddles of sweat, it doesn't stop Noah from constantly running outside for various reasons.  Every so often, he likes to take us out to the "garden" to see how things are going.  He's proud of his work, so we go.

Like always, running at full speed, even in the heat.

Showing me the tomato plants.  Ready soon!

We have a DIVER!

Sunday at the pool, Noah wanted to go jump off the diving board.  While standing in line he saw other kids diving.  He told me "I want to jump on my head, too".  He didn't do it, but I offered to have Paul come teach him, which he didn't want to do.  So I forgot about it.  Well today swimming at our friend's house while changing Elliot I heard him in the background telling me to watch him jump on his head.  I was just telling him he had to wait a minute.  Once I got Elliot all dressed and turned around to watch him, this is what I saw.  I am still dumbfounded.  No one taught him this.  Even crazier is he is doing flips!  So proud of Noah!

Crown Center Fountains

I took the boys to the Crown Center fountains this morning to get some exercise before nap time. The pool doesn't open until 11:00, and we were hoping to get Elliot down for an early nap because we're going bowling this afternoon for Mandy's birthday.

Mandy suggested I just put Elliot in a regular diaper because he wouldn't get in the fountains anyway. I don't know where she got her information, because Elliot was just fine with getting in the fountains. That diaper must have weighed 20 lbs by the time I replaced it with a swim diaper.

Typically, Elliot foiled Mandy's plans by not going to sleep until 1:30. We tried to let him put himself to sleep, but he destroyed the crib and his room. When I finally came up there to rock him to sleep, he was laying on top of the blankets that he had thrown onto the floor. As I entered the room, he yelled, "I'm free! I'm free!"