9-13-11 Open House and the First Day of School

9-10-11 Wedding Bells Ring Again

Conrad explained to Max what a wedding is, "You walk down the aisle and then Dad is at the end and then he gives you candy". Max was all in. My handsome boys made lovely wedding guests and I swear Caden uttered new words during the ceremony. He was the most quiet as he was making the connection that the minister's voice was his Pa.

The reception was lovely and my three boys joined the other children in warming up the dance floor before the bride and groom arrived. They've all got pretty good rhythm. Conrad figured out how to make his shadow appear on the big screen. It was even more cool than hand shadows with a flashlight.

I know that I have a lot of work to do to learn how to use my new camera better and unfortunately, the pictures from this weekend only go to prove it. I still want to post a few because the boys are just so darn cute. Joe and I are too, but we're always behind the camera!

We rounded out the weekend visiting with Grandma, Grandpa, aunts, uncles, and cousins that span three generations. It was a lovely Sunday.

9-12-11 A Trip to the Aquarium

I got to pet a starfish today. Wow, that was a first. The boys did it, but weren't as impressed as I thought they should be. I guess when you're two and four, you figure this is just what people do every so often. . .

There were a lot of "Wow!" moments today. The first was as we exited the Interstate and sped into the downtown traffic. I could hear the moment the boys laid eyes on the skyline. Then Max nearly busted out of his car seat when he saw three city buses together.

What I always think of as the "Dolphin Show" has been renamed renamed the "Aquatic Show". I assume this is to not disrespect the dolphins. Today's show had a significant amount of information and minimal dolphin tricks. I learned the behavior modification methods that they use with the dolphins and the Belugas. Everybody knows that the small fish and the squid are positive reinforcements. But now I know that tickling the tongues are too! I also learned that it would be smart to give Caden a sucker at the very beginning of the show and then he would sit nicely through the whole thing.

The soothing sounds of the aquarium set a relaxing atmosphere. It was interesting to watch the divers feed the fish. I wish I had a recording of Max's little voice when we got to the shark exhibit. It was high pitched excitement with a touch of fear. Caden was free from the stroller in this exhibit and was able to stand over the plexiglass while the string rays swam underfoot. I could tell it boggled his mind! It was also here that Max announced he had found Nemo. Pheww.

The boys go to hang out in a submarine replica and Conrad found more than one set of decorative rocks to climb. I was trying to predict was Conrad's favorite part of the aquarium would be. I figured it would be seeing the divers feed the fish, the submarine, or the mushroom like jellyfish. He told me that the best part was me, Grandma, and Auntie Lee. My heart inflated a little bit. When I pushed for a more aquarium-related answer, Conrad replied, "All the tanks, mom." The tone of his voice added, "duh."

The aquarium is officially added to my favorite places for an adventure.

9-2-11 Farewell to Summer

When I saw the 10-day forecast, I knew our swimming days were coming to an end. Today we packed up our beach bag and headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for one last swim. The boys took advantage of every minute in the water. We played water guns, boats, shark, and other random games that don't have names. It's been a good summer. A really good summer.