Visit to the Botanical Gardens

One slightly cooler Sunday morning (i.e. -it was 85 instead of 105) we decided to go to the Botanical Gardens in FW. The boys had a great time running around...unfortunately, most of the flowers & stuff were not blooming (or maybe just killed by the previous weeks' crazy heat?). We got sausage biscuits from McD's for a special treat...which attracted some local wildlife, like the crazy stalking squirrel (which I did NOT get a photo of).

Peter, Pop-pop & Andrew walking up the stairs

Peter, Pop-pop & Andrew

Peter missed the memo to 'stand still'

Overlooking the rose garden from the balcony

Very cool view!

The boys' running off to explore on their own

Wandering around the Gardens

Notice Andrew's 'Iowa State' shirt - it attracted the attention of another garden patron who stopped his car as we were walking by to ask if we were from Iowa. He had gone to U of Iowa. I had NOT noticed the shirt and was thoroughly confused (and sort of freaked out!) as to how this complete stranger knew I was from Iowa!

Summertime - July 2009!

Fun at home...


The boys thought it would be fun to try on Jim's shoes...
I'm not exactly sure how Peter stood up as the shoe is about as long as his torso



Peter after painting with, I mean eating, yogurt...
Being 2nd time parents we actually took time to get a picture BEFORE we wiped him off...lol!



Even "knights" with baskets on their heads have to do chores...



Enjoying a summertime treat!
(This vantage point makes me realize how TALL we must seem to Andrew!)



Peter eats his treat

STILL eating...

Playing in the little pool

andrew looks so enthused

Andrew eating some watermelon

BIG bites, little dude

DSM - part VI - going home

Going Home

During the long drive back to Texas, we stopped at a park in Kansas (found courtesy of the GPS). It just happened to be near several train tracks and showcased an old steam engine & caboose used by the (old) Santa Fe Railroad.



Pop-pop & Andrew on the see-saw



Peter patiently waiting to go down the slide
although I think he had greater fun throwing the little gravel rocks down the thing...



The old steam engine (notice the attached coal hopper...wow, I'm becoming a train nerd!)



The Caboose

Andrew on an 'A'

Peter on a 'P'

A train that went by...we were REALLY close!

Peter is happy to be heading home with his buddies, monkey & duckie

Andrew was tired out from all the fun!

DSM - part V - lunch & SCI

After the zoo, we went to get lunch from B&B Deli. They've been around since 1920-ish. And, apparently, will be featured on Guy Fieri's DDD show sometime this summer! I forgot how much of an adventure getting a meal for 13+ can be...fortunately, we only ordered 2 different kinds of sandwiches, so that kept it pretty simple!

B&B - Home of the 'Killer Sandwich'

Part of the Menu...

Inside the deli - as you can see, it's a pretty popular place...

Next we went to SCI - Science Center of Iowa - it was my first time at the new building down town - which was REALLY neat! They had a whole area for toddlers - which was fun; and a really neat interactive area upstairs. The boys thoroughly enjoyed our trip there! Now you can see why they love Grandma's house - people to play with, trips to fun places and good food!

Peter goes fishing indoors

There was a play-mat area that Peter walked on (and then fell).

This was Andrew's fav - it was a set of 3 conveyer belts, activated by a hand-crank, that moved a bean bag from point A to point B. He LOVED the cause/effect of it all, and seeing the bean bag go up 'way high'.

Andrew racing tennis balls -

an attempt to show kids how angles affect velocity or something like that...



The massive BALL WALL - this was the COOLEST thing EVER!

Air made balls go up tubes, and they then rained down into funnels and down ladders and thru wiggly tunnels and kids (um, and adults) could manipulate the path of the balls by pulling cords and turning wheels on the wall. Peter was here for a good 20 - 30 minutes...



Peter working the heavy machinery



Andrew really wanted to try the 'rocket launch'.

So we gathered some paper & tape and I quickly threw one together. After a few false starts, we actually got the thing to fly a good 30 feet!



3, 2, 1...BLASTOFF!

Really enjoying the rocket launch station!

DSM - part IV - Zoo trip

The day before going back to Texas, Grandma took us to the zoo. We saw penguins, giraffes, zebras, camels and all sorts of fun stuff. The boys saw the 'new' aquarium AND it happened to be 'train day', so we got to ride the train, too!


We got to the zoo just in time for penguin feeding time.
Andrew (1), Peter (2), Nate (the non-conformist), Luke (11)
(I dressed the boys first, then Uncle Luke decided he wanted to match, too!)




Feeding the penguins - this was slightly less thrilling than we anticipated



Done eating, ready for a swim



Luke, Nate w/ Peter at the 'gopher' hole
Andrew had already gone to the 'exit' tunnel



Peter, reverting to scooching, to get out



At the Tiger Area - they had an outside cage & an inside area
This one came up & looked us right in the eye thru the window, he was pawing the window with his massive paws, and I got a good look at his massively long teeth
(Andrew, Luke, Nate, Amy holding Peter)



Jim got the boys to line up at the giraffe's place.



These little birds were one of Peter's fav things!
They flitted & hopped around on the ground in the 'rainforest' area - I think he just liked that they were at his 'level' in the stroller!



Peter on the 'African boardwalk' (I think?)



Andrew got to sit with 'Unca Luke' on the train ride
He thought it was pretty cool he got to sit 1) on a train, 2) with his uncle, 3) NOT with mom & dad!



At least, he liked it until we went thru the really dark tunnel...at which point, you can see, he got a little freaked out!



A view of the zoo train

Peter's 2nd Birthday!

The real reason for our June trip to DSM was to celebrate Peter's b-day with the Wadle fam. We had cake Saturday night - to maximize aunt/uncle attendance and opened presents on Sunday.


Peter & his ice-cream cake
Grandma has REALLY COOL candles!



Divying up the cake for hungry siblings



Peter REALLY likes it!



Aunt Ro interrupts Peter's b-day cake eating...

Grandma got Peter balloons!

They kept Peter & Andrew busy until we left for Texas



Peter opening presents



more presents -

the noisy trucks - peter's fav after the balloons

Andrew, Luke, Peter, Laura, Lizzie

Peter playing with the trucks

Notice the bright yellow wristband - it was from Uncle Charlie, who swam in a triathlon that morning. Peter wore his cool bracelet until the following day when it fell off (he even slept in the thing!)



"Thank you for my fun presents, Grandma!"