Train Expo

We rode the TRE to Ft. Worth today and took the boys to the Great Train Expo. Truthfully, it was a bit disappointing; the ads said kids were free and there was a train they could ride, but that train was $4 per kid, and it was the type you have to pedal, which Owen is too small to do. But the boys had fun at the Thomas table and looking at all the model train exhibits, and they loved riding the TRE. We didn't realize how cold it was going to be until we got to the train station. It was in the 30s! I didn't even have scarves or hats in the car for the kids because it's been so warm lately. After we looked at the exhibit we walked to Panera Bread and ate a late breakfast while we watched runners crossing the finish line at the Ft. Worth Marathon.

Pirate Day!

Thursday was Pirate and Princess Day at Alex's school (they were studying the letter P). We have a ton of pirate stuff, and to make up for the fact that he didn't dress up at all on western day (we don't even own boots), I might have gone overboard on his accessories. It's hard to tell from this picture, but he has long black pirate hair attached to the back of his hat, an earring, a bag of pirate treasure attached to his belt loop, a telescope, the eye patch, and a Pirates of the Caribbean t-shirt.

Christmas morning! My grandmother bought all of the great-grands these huge stuffed animals. Jason threatened to forget to take them home, because they take up so much room. But the kids (that's my niece Jenna in the middle) liked them a lot. Since Christmas, they've been used as riding toys, tunnels, and tent poles.

Christmas 2007 was kind of a bust; Owen had RSV and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas night in the hospital. This year was a major improvement. Alex had very chapped lips (see how red they are?), but other than that, we were illness-free.

Most of the boys' gifts from Santa were for both of them, to keep fighting to a minimum. The drum set is actually Owen's (Alex got an accordion, per his request), but they took turns on it fairly well.

Owen's birthday party

I'm back! And yes, I really am just now posting pictures from December. I feel guilty about this, but it's better to post them late than not at all, right?

These pictures were taken at Owen's second birthday party, which took place at a local church's indoor play area.

This is my cousin Amanda, who lives in Denver, and baby Austin, my cousin Wade's son. I took lots of pictures of Austin, but this is the only one where he was looking at the camera! Amanda flew in for Christmas at the same time as the party, and we didn't think she would be able to make it, but she surprised us!

Owen's Mickey Mouse cake! He liked looking at it a lot, but I'm not sure he ever ate any of it. The piece he had at his party went untouched, and we had so many things going on that weekend (a few days before Christmas) that the leftovers weren't eaten.

This is what Owen did for most of the party! He was big enough to climb in the climbing structure, but during his first time down the slide, he hit his head on a bar, and it took awhile to get him calmed down. Even after the redness on his head had faded, he seemed to be more interested in cuddling with Nana than playing with all of his friends.

I'm not sure how many kids were there, but here are a few, from left to right: Makaylie (who is four days older than Owen), Tatum (in the red shirt; Makaylie's brother, who is Alex's age), Ryder (in Spider-Man shirt), Casey (in the red shirt beside Ryder), Alex, Sebastian (in the white shirt; he's Alex and Owen's cousin) and Evelyn (one of Evelyn's friends and classmates). Based on this picture, you might think the party was made up of mostly Alex's friends. That's true, I guess, but Owen doesn't realize they're "Alex's friends"; he thinks they're his! And a lot of Alex's friends have younger siblings who are very close in age to Owen; they just didn't happen to make it into the picture!

I was also really happy that so many of our family members were able to come. Besides Amanda, my cousin Alyson and her husband James drove up from Austin, Wade brought baby Austin, my grandmother and Aunt Debbie were there, and my brother came with my parents. On Jason's side, his parents, brother Greg, sister in law Silvia, and their kids all came. It was great to get to see everyone so close to Christmas!