zoo trip

Our local zoo has some very cool dinosaur exhibits visiting for the summer. There are a dozen or so scattered around the zoo, some of which kids can climb on, and the rest of which are animated--they roar and growl and chomp and swing their tails. It's a little silly and theme park-like to have them at the zoo, and I imagine it must drive the real animals a little nuts. But we'll be visiting more than usual this summer to enjoy them!

Theo always loves milking the cows at the zoo, but this year the milking cows got a nice new paint job to make them look more realistic.

The zoo also added a huge new sand pit with sand toys and a log tunnel and lots of wood and tree stumps to build with and climb on.

Science fair projects

Last week the boys showed off their "genius hour" projects at school. Each kid picked out a project he wanted to do, then researched and executed it. Theo worked with two friends to research the fastest cars on earth and then build their own balloon-powered cars out of household items, and Beckett worked with his buddy Kieran, above, to make a Mentos and Pepsi-powered volcano explosion.

After the kids showed off their projects, we got to build some egg houses together using gumdrops and toothpicks.

Yet another Museum of Play trip

Not great shots of Reed waiting for the balls to drop back down into the mechanism. He had so much fun with this. We met Auntie Alexis and Mary Kate on the Friday before Memorial Day when it was, not surprisingly, pretty quiet at MOP. Reed and MK had a great time pushing each other in the stroller, sharing food at lunch, and running amok. It was a fantastic day. And now we are anxiously awaiting news of a new baby sister for Mary Kate!

Hibachi for Grandpa Greg's birthday

Theo lost a front tooth just a few days after his birthday.

I often take walks with the boys around our neighborhood, even in cold or nasty weather, but this gorgeous weather we have had lately has just been awesome for our after-dinner walks. Sometimes we end up at the school playground or the park playground, or other times we just walk around the block. I love being with these three.

On the boys' birthday Jeff and I got to go to their classrooms and read a book. I went to Theo's class and read Iggy Peck, Architect, one of Theo's favorites. Reed came with me because Mrs. Quimby is his favorite. Jeff went to Beckett's class and read a book to his class as well. Then we got to join the birthday boys at a special table in the cafeteria for a birthday lunch of some of their favorite foods. We finished off the night at Friendly's for dinner.