Here's Mima with the dolphins

Sing, Play, Splash, Pet! Mima was a super-star!

Ezra and Aurelia in the background are saying "HI, MIMA!"


Yep - that's us laughing hysterically in the background. What a gal won't do to pet a porpoise (well, dolphin). Wish it was me!

Six Flags with The Dunns and Mima

Another fun day at Six Flags. Mima joined us, and the Dunns. Aurelia starts school this Tuesday, so Jason took the day off to have some fun - one last "hurrah" before she is in school for the year. She has a "modified" school schedule which means she only gets seven weeks for summer break, but also seven full weeks (plus holidays) off during the school year - so this will probably be the last of the six flags photos for a while.

The welcoming committee today included Leghorn Foghorn, or is it Foghorn Leghorn? I don't remember . . . but Oli really liked him.
This shark that Aurelia is posing with is called a wobbegong. I like it! (see in the shark tunnel experience thing).

Most of us riding Thomas. Aurelia, Daddy and Mima are in front of us.
Ezra so excited that MIMA was onstage with the dolphins. They were pretty magical!
Neat trick.
My crazy boys, sliding over and over and over. . .

Mima working hard to get her penny pressed.
Aurelia ringing the bell to "win" a Tiger Cape. And Ezra below is doing a fantastic job of modeling it for you.


On the way home, Ezra was so wiped out that he fell asleep while eating a sandwich , but he would occasionally wake up and chew and fall asleep again. He did finally swallow at one point. It was so funny to watch!
Oli's new trick is making his diaper disappear. So, he performed his trick and then snatched the "forbidden drink" and beelined to the hall to hide with it. Cute, huh?

Six Flags with Momma Stacey

We had a great time with "Momma" Stacey (due to the fact that our children are betrothed . . . a story for another time) at Six Flags.

Holding Hands across the stage.
hello?
The slowest ride in the world.
Taz love. Peace out.

Pick up Mima and head to the Zoo!

After picking Mima and Grandpa Scott from the airport (from their vacation to their home in Montana) we headed to the zoo! The kids had been anticipating this trip for weeks! Even tho Grandpa and Mima were EXHAUSTED (having been up since 3:30AM our time) they were reading to party (so to speak!) First we checked out the flamingos and the then we saw the monkeys. Oli was just interested in snacks. Here they are watching the swinging apes.

Here's my own swinging ape. This is what a 3 year old does when we are watching the bats (do nothing). Probably far more exciting.
Aurelia was armed with her Uncle Mikey camera and shot anything that moved. We'll have to post her viewpoint of the day later on.
Oli is as cut as a bug. Here's the proof!
Lunchtime involved sandwiches, icees and hanging out at the wall.
Did I tell you we're thinking of changing Oli's name to Linus? He certainly does a good impression (notice he has TWO gas. VERY important).
While watching the giraffes, we discovered that the young can be as irritating to their mothers as human children are to us. This little guy kept butting his momma's head so finally she started swinging back. It didn't look like love to me, but whatever.
Here's cutie face posing with the "toy" he helped decorated with goat's wool for the lions. Aurelia helped too.
Aurelia WAS wearing her cute new cowgirl boots, from Montana, but here they are off as she shows us how an elephant trumpets. I liked how this photo made the elephant look as if it were trying to take her hat.

Ah- and here we are at the end of the day making our souvenier penny. See the cute boots??

Back at the home-front (on a different day, even) Ezra and Oli get as close to fishing as they've ever come. Good practice for later, right?
And here are Aurelia and Mima snuggle-laughing.
What a great day, Thanks Mima and Grandpa Scott!! We love you!

Ride a train to see a train.

A good day with a sad ending? Maybe not. We made plans with our friends, Aunt Becky and Uncle Mikey to ride Amtrak to see Disney's (excuse me, Studio's) train to advertise their new movie A Christmas Carol (with Jim Carey). It was a beautiful day. Our train made good time and we arrived just as the Christmas train was opening. We even got special treatment because of Aunty Becky's relationship with Disney and were ushered to the front of the line and given all the inside scoops on stuff. The train was fascinating. We got to see a preview of the movie (WOW!) And since we were there, we headed downtown to eat and check out the shops.

But here are the photos - they are worth at least a thousand words.

Waiting to ride the train. Uncle Mikey reads BOLT!

The book wasn't long enough: "When will it get here??" We're bored. Mommy's turn to read BOLT!

Ezra playing with Thomas as we ride.

The Conductor was nice enough to pose with the kids as they consumed their breakfast of puffy "Cheesies," and doughnut holes. Hey - we were on an adventure!

Here we are in front of the movie/train ad. This movie is going to be so rad. It's live action and CG (like, but WAY more sophisticated than, The Polar Express movie).

For those who stand in line, there are entertainers. This guy was amazing with his magic hands!

Aunty Becky with her contact (I can't remember his name!! - was it John??) Who took us to the front of the line.

Here he is showing the kids how to use the interactive screens.


This is a photo of the technology involved in making the movie. The train also had masks and mock-ups of the characters and their costumes. As the movie is still in production, it was a real treat to see the behind-the-scenes secrets that went into making the movie. The train is traveling all over the US so check with your Amtrak station to see where it will pull in close to you!


Aunty Becky morphing herself into one of the characters.3

Here's Oli as Tiny Tim (with a "Ga-Ga")

Outside the train we got to decorate Christmas cards for the troops overseas. Very cool.

Walking through Old Town. There's lots to see. The kids want candy, but mommy insists we eat lunch first!

Oli really enjoyed his lunch of beans and rice. And for dessert? Sour Cream. Good stuff.

I love this picture of Uncle Mikey. He was taking a photo of the horse statue.

Here we are on the horse and buggy ride. Only $10 for all six of us to ride through Old Town!

Me and my boys.
Don't you love Aunty Becky's cute face?? We spent the ride home making cards. Ezra tried to rest with Uncle Mikey, but ended up joining us girls. Oli was wide awake and flirting with the grandma who sat in the seat opposite his stroller.

The sad part of the day was when I left my camera on the seat right next to me after taking the ride home photos and forgot to take it off the train. Uncle Mikey ran back right away and told the conductor but couldn't get on the train so my camera rode away with strangers. Happily for me - after many weeks and many phone calls and the help of Aunty Becky - my camera was finally located and returned to me. The day had a happy ending after all!

Thanks UM and AB for the adventure!! We had a lot of fun!