I have seriously neglected my blog. There are a hundred excuses as to why, but really, I simply haven't made the time for it. Lately, though, I've been missing it. The boys are growing up so fast! Since Mason is in Kindergarten and Jacob is back in college (another Masters) we haven't been able to get back to Kansas as often as we normally do. Our kids have such a great relationship with our families and I want to keep that bond strong. This blog can keep us all connected, even when we can't physically visit as often as we'd like to. All that being said, I'm going to make a concerted effort to do a better job keeping the blog up!
We recently made a trip to Columbus for Kate's first birthday! It's hard to believe that she's already one. It seems liks just yesterday that I was flying up there to visit after she was born. Our sweet Kate-y-bug has such a sunny disposition. She is usually very happy and laughing. She loved being around the big boys. The boys were playing like boys do, crazy and loud, and Kate loved it! She was laughing at them and trying her darndest to get involved. I think Kelli may have a little tomboy on her hands! No doubt, however, that she'll be a tomboy with a big bow in her hair = )
Since we live so far apart, Kelli and I made the decision that after the first birthday, we would have one big birthday celebration a year for all the kids. This year we celebrated the big boys' birthday in Columbus! First, we went to the science museum. It was awesome!
The first exhibit was Grossology--The Impolite Science of the Human Body. Needless to say, Mason loved it!
Inside the nasal cavity...
That's one big mouth!
Sliding out the rectum into a pile of poop! Mason was adamant that he was not actually getting in the poop, but would get in the rectum so I could take a picture.
The vomit machine. Mason and Klaus were racing to see who could make it throw up first. Boys...
Climbing on the wall of zits, scabs, and pores, and loving it!
Thankfully, we finished Grossology and headed to the Under the Sea exhibit. It was so cool! It was so well designed. You really felt like you were in an underwater wonderworld.
The entrance, under a ship...
Posiedon...
The boys having a water war. I guess it's good for working on their aim ; )
On to the submarine. There was an actual submarine, in water, that the kids could climb into. It was so cool!
We all live in a yellow submarine...
Down the hatch...
Way to go, Grandma!
Next it was on to space, my personal favorite. The kids had fun, too = )
Future astronauts...
Flying the shuttle...
I could totally fly this thing...
Astronaut Speer...
Mason making his own space movie. He had a lot of fun with that. Maybe the next Spielberg...
In the space station...
The last stop was the high wire unicycle. There was a trapeze wire, 20 feet above the ground that you rode on a unicycle, both backward and forward.
Kelli thought that it looked like a good idea...
and not to be outdone, I had to give it a try! Not so much my thing, I found out. As I was about 2/3 of the way back, and I saw the platform (and safety!) getting further and further away, I had a small panic attack. Realizing that the only option was to keep going (she couldn't come get me, I couldn't jump off, and I wasn't sure exactly what would happen if I came to a stop!) I managed to keep going.
The boys had so much fun with Grandma & Pa! Max was not having one of his best days and opted not to grace the photo with his presence = )
Dinner that night was at California Pizza Kitchen. The boys each got their own chef's jacket, a behind the scenes kitchen tour, and got to make their own pizza! They had a ball!
Three little chefs.
Spreading the sauce...
and the finished product! They were so proud of their pizzas.
Finally, Kate's party! The theme was Pink Poodles in Paris, extremely fitting for our little diva. The party was at a cupcake bakery where each kid got to decorate his own cupcake. Everyone had a lot of fun!
Two pretty girls!
Deocrating the cupcakes. I'm pretty sure that Max ate more candy than he actually put on his cupcake!
Where's my cupcake??
The cake! It's leaning a little, but not too bad for my first attempt at a stacked cake. Jakie did a great job on the tower!
and the smash cake.
Kate didn't really think too much of the cake. Kelli had to put her hand in it and then when Kelli gave Kate a taste of the frosting, Kate quickly scraped off her tongue. It's obvious she does not have her cousins' sweet tooth!
Our little Valentine's Day pirates! Notice the flailing arm off the left of the picutre. Once again, this is the best we could get of Max. Not his best weekend! Kate's looking at him like he's crazy = )
We had so much fun in Columbus! It's nice to see and spend time with Kelli's family. It doesn't happen often enough!
