A Day of Museums

Today we went to the Cincinnati Museum Center. We started in the Children's Museum. Ethan was a little nervous at first with all the kids running around and all of the different things to do. He quickly caught on and started having a BLAST! We found the water area and the kids didn't want to leave! It was nice though because I was able to let Morgan and Jake go run around the bigger kids are "The Woods". After they had a good time they came back and took the kids around. I even crawled through a tunnel and went down the tree slide!

After the Children's Museum we decided to cruise through the Museum of Natural History. Morgan and Jake especially liked the caves and the ice caves. Before we knew it, it was way past the kids' nap time and we headed back home for a quick lunch and naps.

The End of a Wonderful Visit

After a good nap it was time to pack up and meet Jamie so she could get her kids back. I know it is always nice to get a little break, but nothing beats seeing your kids after missing them! We met up halfway and had dinner together.

Not sure what I'll do without Morgan and Jake here! It was such a wonderful week!

Fun With Animals and Water

Today we had another day of adventures! We started the day with a trip to the zoo. Aunt Melissa and the twins' cousin Phillip joined us. This trip to the zoo was fun because the twins really noticed the animals. They especially loved the manatees and polar bears because they swam right past them and they were able to stand right up to the glass. We walked around for quite sometime before we stopped and had lunch. Then the kids ran off some energy by playing on the playground. It started to get a little too hot and late so we finished up walking around and headed home for naps. It was great to hang out with Melissa and Phillip.

While the kids were napping, I set up the pool to let the water warm up. We hung out outside and played in the pool before Patrick got home from work.

A Visit From Cousins

Yesterday, Morgan and Jake came down to stay with us for until Thursday. This morning we went to Uncle Michael's to go swimming. Then we headed back for lunch and naps. After the naps, we took advantage of the nice weather and headed outside to play in the yard. MAN, it is so much easier to do when you've got three pairs of eyes on them rather than just one! I even got some time to clean up a little on the patio.

One Baby Down

Today I finally gave in and we went to get Ethan's hair cut. We went to lunch, stopped at Servati's for a cookie and headed to Kids Cuts.

Ethan was not too thrilled with the haircut but thanks to his Daddy, he got through it.

Meanwhile....Elaine was having a blast in the play area. I'm sure she was thinking "ha,ha...girls have long hair!"

After a tortureous 10 minutes, my baby came back to me a little boy! :(

After a balloon and a cookie, all was forgotten and forgiven! Elaine got a balloon and cookie too, we couldn't blame her for us wanting her to grow her hair more.

Festival Season

Tonight we headed to our first church festival of the summer. Aunt Melissa, Uncle Timmy and Phillip joined us. Phillip just got the ok from the doctor to go into public so it was a nice way for Melissa and Timmy to get out and stretch their wings. Phillip was very excited to explore a new environment

Patrick and I got some time with Phillip. Patrick was able to use his bottle juggling skills to feed Phillip and complete other tasks....definitely a trick learned when feeding two babies at the same time.

The twins had a blast playing games.

After they finished playing we cashed in their prize tickets and got them fun sunglasses. Ethan got bengal striped glasses and Elaine's were cheetah print. The thought they were fun and had a great time taking them off and making everyone put them back on.

A Surprise From Nonie and Poppy

While we were camping Nonie and Poppy came down to Cincinnati to help Uncle Michael paint his new house. On their way down, they saw this fire truck and had to get it for the twins. The twins had a blast checking out the new toy. Ethan loves riding in the back while Elaine drives.

Hopefully the new ride will help subside fights over who get to play in the car. Our yard is starting to fill up with toys! It's a little weird pulling up to the house and seeing everything, we definitely are parents of toddlers!

A Weekend of Camping

This weekend we headed to the campgrounds to meet Aunt Jamie, Uncle Mark, Morgan, Jake, and Joey. The twins were excited for a weekend of adventure. I also gave them each an Oreo for the drive. As you can see in the picture in the car, Elaine was actually messier than Ethan. It was a great weekend. It was a little cold so they had to wear jeans and occasionally a sweatshirt. The weekend's theme was "Beach Party". Since it was chilly we never went swimming, but they had great activities like color your own beach ball. The twins also had a blast playing at the playground and playing with the water in the mining stream. My sister got a baby fence, which helped out when we were grilling so they wouldn't run up to the grill and burn themselves.

The twins can't wait until next summer when their other cousins can possibly join them....we might have to buy some extensions for the baby fence! Ha,ha,ha.

Phillip's Baptism

Tonight was the twin's cousin Phillip's baptism. Patrick is his Godfather and we are so honored. It was a great ceremony, but the twins were a little crazy. Luckily I had Grandma and Grandpa to help out and Patrick was able to lend a hand when he was "off duty"!

PS. I didn't get to get a picture of the entire family or a close up of Phillip in his outfit because I was baby wrangling after the ceremony so if one of my inlaws (brothers, sisters, parents, ANYONE) could send me some pics to add, that would be GREAT!

We Are Coming Home!

After a over-night stop in Asheville, NC we hit the road again. I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank goodness for those free continental breakfasts that most hotels have now! It is so much easier and quicker to grab a healthy breakfast for the kids. The twins were estatic that they had their yogurt and Cheerios.

Shortly after we hit the road, Ethan zonked out while Elaine happily watched her shows and stayed awake the rest of the way!

Beach Babies

This morning we hit the beach! It was so different from last year. The boys walked the kids down to the ocean. Ethan was all about the waves, but Elaine was not impressed.
PS. Elaine is actually taller than Ethan, she just looks really small because she is next to Bob who towers over everyone! :)

Elaine was much more interested in running down the beach and keeping her distance from the crazy water!

Both kids loved playing in the sand! They had a great time letting the boys build sand castles and tearing them down before they even got to the second bucket. They also loved shoveling the sand into the buckets!

Filling Our Bellies Before We Hit the Road

Tonight we went to dinner at a wonderful italian restuarant on the island. The kids ate up the buttered noodles and fresh mozzerella. Elaine even nibbled on a cucumber slice from my salad!

We decided to leave after dinner to get a few hours on the road to help break up the trip. The kids had fun running around outside to stretch their legs before we packed up and hit the road.

Thanks again to Bob and Katie for letting us come down and take over their house for a few days! Maybe next year we will be able to catch a fireworks show!

Lone Sliders

The twins have conquered the slides on their own....although I still don't think they are quite ready for the spiral slides! Ethan is a little more adventurous, but Elaine will eventually join in.

The twins also enjoyed the other equipment at the playground, but I don't think anything beats the slides.

A Quiet and Relaxing Night

Tonight we celebrated the 4th by having a great cookout! After a busy morning at the playground the twins took a big nap and were ready to go!

The babies are still too little to stay up for fireworks, so we just hung out at the house all night. Next year should be easier to keep them up and still avoid any melt downs!

Swim, Eat, Sleep

After a good night's sleep (the twins slept in until 8:15am!) We decided to hit the pool. The kids had a blast swimming and splashing.

After an hour or so, the twins were pretty tired! We headed back to the house and decided to go out for lunch.

The twins enjoyed their grilled cheese and Bob and Katie's company. Elaine especially loved Katie sharing her water with her, both kids LOVE drinking out of straws! By the time we got back to the house, the twins were whipped and ready for naps...so were the adults. :)

Wow It's Humid Out Here!

After good naps, we had dinner and spent the evening playing in the backyard. The twins loved playing with balls, running around, and showing off their stair climbing skills. All the activity and the humid weather got the twins nice and sweaty!

Ready, Pack, Go!

We are leaving for Charleston, SC to see the Cole's this evening. The twins couldn't be more excited! Uncle Michael came over because he is watching our biggest baby....Charlie! Thanks Micheal!

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The drive went so well that we drove all the way through and got in around 1:15 am on Friday morning. The kids were awesome. The dual DVD players in my car definitely helped!