O-Hi-O

Just returned from another fun filled trip to Ohio.  Actually, I've been home for 4 days but it seems like I just returned.  I just haven't been able to sit down a post a few pictures.

It's always fun visiting the Smith home.  Katie is so much fun...I really miss having my daughter close by. Spencer isn't around much, (or maybe he just arranges to be gone when I'm there).  Poor guy is working AND trying to finish his Ph.D.  When he is around I enjoy visiting with him though.  I'm secretly jealous of his job.... teaching at the university--Ohio State-- and I love hearing all about that.   And  of course THE reason I go is to see my cute grandsons.  This trip did not disappoint.  We packed in a month full of activities into 5 short days.

• A visit to COSI (i'm not sure what the acronym stands for but it is a huge children's museum in downtown Columbus).  There was an "old time" section with different eras represented such as an old west village, a 50's section that had a soda fountain shop that the kids could play in and an old gas station, etc.  There was also a section on space exploration and the boys had a ride in a space capsule.  We also made a stop in the body world section.  I found out that 8 year old Parker could bench press more weight than I can.  And I don't mean a little bit more... A LOT more!  (how embarrassing!)  As we walked by a skeleton, I told Grayden that he had a skeleton inside of him.  He said very matter of fact, "I know that but I'm not afraid of it because it's inside of me."

• We took the kids to see Dolphin Tales.  I hadn't heard of it but it's a cute movie about a dolphin who loses it's tail and gets a prosthetic.  Reid especially loved it...he could relate to it and understood all of what was going on.  After the movie, we went to lunch at Steak and Shake for burgers and milkshakes. 

• Then there was a day at the library--these kids are readers!!!!  Parker is reading Harry Potter and Reid, who just finished kindergarten is reading chapter books.  Even Grayden could read a few books and he just finished pre-school.  After the library, Katie and I drug the boys to the fabric store so we could get supplies to work on projects.  We had to bribe the boys to behave since we were there for over an  hour.  What boy do you know who loves the fabric store?  Certainly not the Smith boys.

• Speaking of projects,Katie and I worked together on a gift for my niece (Katie's cousin) who is having a baby real soon.  It was great to work together.  One of us was at the sewing machine, the other was ironing or pinning (or often un-stitching my mistakes).  At any rate, it was very productive and a lot of fun.

• All of us loved playing Just Dance.  I have always thought of myself as a dancer but I must admit that I was pretty pathetic.  But it was fun anyway and especially good exercise.

• We went outside for bike riding.  All three of the boys have bikes and love to ride up and down the street.  One of their favorite things to do is to both get on opposite sides of the street and race.

• It's kind of become a tradition that one of the nights I'm there Katie and Spencer go out and I have an evening alone with the kiddos.  We played outside, had a picnic dinner in the living room, watched a movie, made ice cream cookie sandwiches, danced, read books and went to bed.  What a fun night!  I love this picture.  I told the boys to go in and scrub their feet after playing barefoot outside after the rain.   Rub-a-dub-dub, three boys in the tub......

• And Katie is getting ready to go to Girls Camp so she had some things to work on so we spent some time getting things ready for that.

So now it's back to the grind.  School starts in another week and I have A LOT to do to get ready.  I think I'm going to have some very long work days next week.  How nice to have had a little reprieve before the storm hits.