What a weekend!

We had such a fun time this weekend! Sometimes I wonder how we can cram in so many activities, but the boys just love to be out and about! Maybe it's the impromptu naps...or the Pepsi Max!

Gabe didn't have school on Friday, so we skipped our normal routine and headed out to Cornelius library to attend storytime with the Webbers. We were, of course, a little bit late getting there...ok, we were technically an hour early, but then we went to Walmart, so then we were ten minutes late for storytime. On a side note, may I just say that Walmart actually had a cart that could accomodate all three of the munchkins - the boys could've ridden in that cart all day. The "peekaboos" and singing to Max were priceless. We may go to Walmart more often just to hog that cart. Do you think we can get one for home use?

When we got to the library Penny was sitting up in the chairs with the on-time story listeners, so we sat in the back. Ben kept stage whispering, "Hi, Penny! Mommy, I say "Hi Penny"!" Gabe was irritated with me that he didn't get a chair in the front, so he decided not to participate and played with a toy castle in the back of the room instead.

After storytime the kids all colored pages and played in the library. Ben, Penny, Henry, and Emily did quite a few rounds of Ring Around the Rosie. When everyone else was done, Ben kept going by himself for a few more times. Max tried everything he could to escape the Mommy who would not let him eat books. Won't eat food I want him to eat...maybe we can get food in book format?

We decided to move the party outside, and the kiddos had an up close look at the firefighters bell (Looking, no touching! Looking no touching, Ben!). Then Ben and Henry did a good bit of dangling off the bike rack while Gabe and Penny took turn jumping through it between the danglers. We finished off with a super fun playtime at Rodgers park, after which Ben and Gabe were one step away from vegetables.  Good, sleepy vegetables, though. Note Ben is still clutching a ring pop in his hand while he's asleep...

No rest for the weary though - we were up early the next day and off to the happiest place on earth. Most normal folks would probably guess that the happiest place on earth is Disneyland...but in Gabe's opinion, it's Salem, Oregon. Even folks who live in Salem might not agree, but for Gabe, the epicenter of fun is the Discovery Museum in Salem, and there is no place else he'd rather be. This Saturday he got to bring Daddy there for the first time, and he was totally jazzed. I got to go to the outlet mall and search for black pants for John to wear to prison on Monday. Ok - he's not going to prison, he's going to do a job at a prison, and non-prisoners need to wear black pants...I guess to be sure they aren't prisoners escaped from their orange jumpsuits? Who knows -  but the pants had to be purchased, and that bought me a morning of just Me and Max time...plus the ability to tease John relentlessly about his forthcoming time in prison.

Apparently outlet mall shopping agrees with Max, because he was happy as a clam all morning long, flirting with shopgirls and generally babbling and cooing away. He even agreed to chew on a sippy cup. That's right, folks - he actually put the cup in his mouth! I didn't say he drank out of it, but at least he didn't continue to just fling it overboard whenever he thought I wasn't looking. Maybe one day (knock on wood) he'll actually agree to drink something out of a stinking sippy cup. He is eating Baby MumMum rice crackers and bits of noodle without throwing up, so stranger things have happened I suppose.

On Sunday we played with Tina and Nathan and Eric again! Gabe read "I Stink" to our friends, and the boys played without incident all afternoon - amazing! This visit was such a blessing, since John was now offically on his way to prison (ha! I never get tired of that joke) and would be of no use to us at all today. When I put the boys to bed they were so tired from our long playdate topped off with a triple trike walk (Gabe and Ben on trikes, Nathan in the big red car push cart) and dinner at the McDonalds playplace that they didn't even argue for more drinks of water. Everyone is sleeping soundly in their own beds...except for me 'cause I'm blogging...and poor old John who's on his way to prison.

But he'll get out tomorrow with good behavior, and the boys will be thrilled to have Daddy home. Gabe said to me, "I'm missing Daddy already!" Ben said, "I jammin'!I jammin'! I like jammin' with you!"  Come home from prison, Daddy...those boys miss you!