Giggle

5th Stop: Zach Turns 2 Birthday Tour!

Last weekend was the 5th stop the Zach Turns 2 Birthday Tour!^TM We went to Duluth to visit Bumppa Daryl, Grandma Pam, Uncle Bryan, Uncle Shawn, and cousins Nick, Sam, and Jack. We also saw our friends; Jason & Kelly and their kids Devin & Ender and Lori & Jeff and their daughter Cassidy.  Again, I was Paparazzi Mommy taking over 400 pictures during the weekend. YIKES!  No, I will not be posting all of them...but it may seem like it. *giggle*  Photos tell a better story...so here we go!


Zach's 2nd Birthday cake - Lemon with white frosting - NUM!


Zach with his birthday cake


Cheeks full of FROSTING! Num!

After eating all that SUGAR we brought all the boys down to Park Point to run it off.


Nick, Sam,& Jack in the water.  Shawn saying, "Oh well"


Zach was afraid of the water and didn't want to get close. It was his first time at Lake Superior after all.


Sam playing in the water (That's Nick's head bobbing in the water)


Jack


Jack and Zach playing together in the sand.  They are filling a bucket full of sand.


"Zach don't eat the sand!"


"what?"


Sam and Nick swimming and playing


My hubby Dave, daddy to Zach


Dave pointing out boats to Zach


Grandma Pam showing Zach he can throw rocks into the water.  This caused Zach to become more brave and get closer to the water.


Grandma Pam, Zach and Sam


Grandma Pam and Zach saying, "WOW" because he hit the water with the rock.


Zach watching the water


Zach throwing rocks on his own now.


Bump-pa Daryl looking for skipping stones


Even Grandma Pam got in the cool Lake Superior water


Zach making sand angels


What do you mean it's time to go?


Our two year old son Zachary Conner

Then it was time to leave the beach and we headed back over the sand dunes.  It wasn't time to leave though, the boys all played on the playground.


Zach climbing up to go down....


the slide! He's afraid of the water but he goes face first down slides...


Zach playing on the wooden ore boat


Zach loved walking along the play boat


Making noise banging on the smoke stack


Swinging!


Zach and uncle Shawn testing out Zach's arm strength

Then it was time to round up all the boys and head back to grandma and bumppa's house for baths, stories and night-night!

On Sunday, August 23rd we got together with:


Jason, Kelly, Ender, and Devin

AND...


Jeff, Lori, & Cassidy

We had some lunch and hung out in canal park. Here are some more photos....


Zach went right down to the waters edge to throw rocks in Lake Superior.


Devin May


Ender walking along the rocks


Happy Birthday Ender! August 23 is also Ender's birthday.  He turned 9.


Cassidy


Dave and Zach throwing rocks


Zach


Zach watching the sailboats

Zach was so worn out running after Ender that he fell asleep in his stoller before he could enjoy birthday cupcakes.  We all enjoyed birthday cupcakes and then had to say so long.

Thanks for a SUPER birthday weekend everyone!

More Thomas the Train Photos

We had some of the 'professional' photos taken at the "Day out with Thomas" event this past Sunday.  I copied them from the site and am posting here so you can seen them.

Mommy Megan and Zach

Joshua and Thomas

A Day Out with Thomas!

Today Zach and I met Mommy Marie and Josh for a play date and a Day Out with Thomas the Train in Lakeville, MN.

We arrived early to check out the little carnival area for the kids. Most of it involved getting wet drenched. They had a bubble station set up in wading pools filled with water, and a 'train wash' where kids could walk through water noodles hanging down and of course water sprayed them as they walked through. I have to admit these activities were very inventive and age appropriate for the kids at the event. But..Marie and I looked at each other and said, "maybe AFTER the train ride."

We found the tattoo station where the boys each got a Thomas the Train Tattoo
   
Here's Josh checking out his tattoo and the lovely Marie smiling for the camera.

We walked briefly through the gift shop and said we'd come back later and headed back to the train tables, and a dry area. *giggle*  Here are a few photos of the boys playing:

Josh (has back turned) and Zach playing with trains.  (The boy in the green hat was also named Zachary actually.)

Zach pushing a train through a covered bridge.  Zach loves pushing the trains through things.

Josh seemed to enjoy playing with the trains too!

Zach pushing all the engines into the round house and Josh pushing the caboose up the big hill. He'll meet the boy pushing the green Henry engine up the other side.

Then another little boy named Zach came over to join our table and started removing all the trains that our Zachary had pushed into the roundhouse.  Our Zach didn't like that at all!  So....

I brought Zach over to check out the track  master trains. 

Then it was time to load up the boys in their strollers and head over to the BIG Thomas the Train to go for a ride! 

We found a window seat in one of the carriages and settled in.

Marie and Josh

Zach all excited for the train ride!

Then the whistle blew! "TOOT! TOOT!" Excitement!

Zach is being funny here...each time I took out the camera he tried to reach and touch the lens! 

Zach checking things out.

Josh showing us his Thomas the Train tattoo

Josh's tattoo up close.

I've decided that temporary tattoos are the bomb!  The kids love them and they can't peel them off lickity split like stickers.

Josh enjoying the train ride.

The coaches were double deckers.  We sat on the lower level but you can see the other seats above us. It was very hot on the train so I'm glad we found seats on the main level.

Zach watching out the window as the train ride comes to an end.

Josh and Thomas the Train. (I wasn't quick enough to catch him looking at us.) bummer! Marie has the photos of Zach and I in front of the train.  I'll post later. :)

Thomas the train

Thomas taking another group of kids for a ride.

After the train ride we let the boys run off some energy in the hay bale maze and then loaded them up in the strollers and headed into the gift shop to pick out some t-shirts and toys for the boys.

Then we used Mappy (sorry Dave I think this name may stick...) and found a Pizza Hut nearby and had lunch with the boys.

The boys fell asleep in their car seats as Marie and I sat chatting in the parking lot. *giggle* We had a great day! Thanks for joining us Marie and Josh.

P.S. I also happened to make this the 4th stop on Zach's Birthday Tour too! Zach's t-shirt is still soaking from his 3rd stop on the tour which is why he didn't wear it today. 

A Birthday Hit!

For Zach's 2nd birthday Aunt Dawn, Uncle Rob and Cousin Brady gave Zach a T-Ball set and a book all about trucks.

Zach was very excited over his T-ball set, pointing at the box and saying, "ball! ball!"

We took Zach out to the backyard to try out the T-ball set and see how he would do swinging the bat at the ball and see if he would understand what he's supposed to do. I should have taken video.  We have a 'little pro!" *giggle*


Zach saying "Cheese" giving Paparazzi Mom time to take a photo

 
An action shot of Zach swinging the bat.


Zach made contact with the ball - hitting the ball off the stand.


Picking up the ball....


And putting it back on the stand by himself.


No Dad! I don't want to share!  You don't get to try it out!


Making contact!  I have to say we were impressed he hit the ball and not the T-stand half of the time. We looked at each other and said, he's had to have done this at playschool!


A boy, his bat, and a ball - T-ball may be in his future.

Thanks for the awesome present Auntie Dawn, Uncle Rob and Cousin Brady!  Zach loved it so much he had a MELTDOWN when we put it away to go inside and go to bed. *giggle*

Thanks for reading folks!!

Third Stop: Zach Turns 2 Birthday Tour!

Today was Zach's third stop on the Zach Turns 2 Birthday Tour!^TM  We had a play date with his cousin Brady, Aunt Dawn and Uncle Rob at Teddy Bear Park in Stillwater, MN.  Here are a few photos of the day:


Zach on the big choo-choo.  The last time we were here he had a hard time climbing up onto the train climber.  This time - NO SWEAT!  He's getting so big!!


Zach only goes down the slides head first. It's a good thing there's static electricity to slow him down.


Zach turned around and said, "NO!" just as I snapped this photo.  I guess he had enough of Paparazzi Mommy.  Hey, you do get a good view of the back of his shirt though!


Zach sliding down the toddler slide


Zach and Brady running through the tunnels.  They were having so much fun running as aunt Dawn (Mommy to Brady) chased them!  I wish I had taken video so you could hear the constant giggles coming from the both of them!


Brady and Zach running through the tunnels.  Love the smiles on both of them!


Brady looking for Zach. (In the background...that's Rob seated on the bench.)


RUN!!


Zach at the bottom of the BIG KIDS slide.  Mom was at the top of the slide to make sure he went feet first this time.  He was on his butt, but he flipped over to his tummy while going down.  Silly boy!


Brady and Zach checking out what is going on outside of the park.


Chocolate Milk Break! Daddy Dave & Zach


After all that running it was time for Zach and Brady to slow down and have a milk break.


Brady (2) and Zach (almost 2...turns 2 on 8/23)

After all the running and playing in Teddy Bear Park it was time to load up the boys in the strollers and walk down to the St. Croix for a picnic lunch.  Then it was time to pack up and head home because it was nap time for the boys!

Thanks for a great time Aunt Dawn, Uncle Rob and cousin Brady!  Thanks for the super birthday present too! (I'll post those photos later).

Thanks for reading!