Andy and I both took Friday off because we were going to travel to Missouri for nephew Noah's second birthday on Saturday. Doing 16 hours in the car in a matter of three days just begs for everyone to be miserable.....so we dragged it out to four days. :)
We went down on Thursday night, and had a pretty peaceful ride. The only time Zach got fussy is when we were just a few miles from a stop. But once we changed his pants and filled his belly, he was good to go.
On Friday Grandpa had to work in the morning, so we went to Paradise Park. It's an awesome indoor "playground" - they had everything from a water room to a make-believe bank, grocery store and post office, to ball pits and tunnels, train room, face painting and art center. It was amazing! I think that this will be a new favorite place to go when we are in Blue Springs!
It was pretty overwhelming for Alex at first....he didn't quite know what to think....it wasn't crowded, but it was all just so new to him, it took a while to get warmed up. The train room (complete with Thomas the Tank Engine table) finally got him out of my arms and playing. (He checked every minute or so to make sure that we were still there...)
Trains! 
The snail Alex made with his dot-art. He actually did quite well for as timid as he was.....
Dot, dot, dot
Putting the cap back on....
My fort!
Wheeee!
Daddy's idea of funny......
Zach playing with (and slobbering on) a soft green block..
Both boys having fun in the "infant and toddler room"
Alex ringing up his purchases....
Shopping with mommy...we bought apples, oranges, bananas, potatoes, peppers, onions (one he rang up as over $2500!), and lemons.
Eyes on the target.....
Deciding his next plan of action....
Alex, after he just drove the airplane (there was a joystick-like thing on the floor behind him and moved the tunnel....this looked out over the entryway).
The tunnels at Paradise Park....Alex wasn't quite tall enough to climb up, so Mommy helped him climb. Yay Mommy!!
Yet another one of Alex's "let's pile toys on Zach" moments.....
The rest of Friday we went out to lunch with Grandpa (Grandma was already in Columbia helping Aunt Elly make the Thomas cake for Noah's party on Saturday!), then Great-Grandma and Grandpa came from Lincoln. Aunt Rah-rah came over and we all went out for Chinese.....expect Alex....he had macaroni and cheese. And he licked the broccoli.......so he gained three thousandths of the nutrients......silly guy! He also downed an onion ring.
Saturday morning the forecast was for snow.....but we knew that we'd be ok going to and from Columbia for Noah's party. We left and caravanned with the grandparents and met Aunt Rah-rah's boyfriend, Dan (or as she calls him, Andy), at the party. We all think he's very nice....we'll wait and see what happens!! :)
Anyway, the party was wonderful! Alex and Noah had a little chance to play before all of the other guests arrived. Alex ate THREE hot dogs (to make up from all of that broccoli-licking the night before), and ate some Thomas cake. Once the guys took the tables and chairs out of the garage, Alex and Noah RAN around the garage listening to their voices echo.......Grandma Le even joined in! :) They had a good time.....but our visit was cut short because the weather was beginning to get nasty in Blue Springs....so we headed back.
The rest of Saturday was spent at Grandma and Grandpa's.....hanging out with everyone and Alex being Grandpa's little buddy. I don't think that Grandpa even got to go to the bathroom alone....Alex was glued to his side!
It was also Zachary's 5-MONTH-BIRTHDAY!! :)
Sunday morning was church and then home to eat quick...then hit the road. The ride home was pretty uneventful...we had to stop and take a sanity break at McDonald's in Lincoln with the playplace (Alex decided to put one of his shoes on and then try to run away from me....by going up the slide.....only he forgot to watch where he was going and ran into the top of the slide, therefore cutting his upper lip and giving himself a bloody nose.......that boy!) We also stopped at WalMart in GI to get a new Thomas movie and train.....so we didn't get home until 9:45 last night.....so it was a SHORT night! The boys woke up exhausted this morning, but were troopers throughout today at Julie's. Both went to bed early tonight, and Andy and I aren't too far behind them!
Tonight Zach tried green beans for the FIRST TIME! And this is what was left......and here I thought that he'd eat only a little......he would've licked the jar if I would've let him!!
Zach S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G after his meal of beans and milk. :)
So that's our update. We're crossing our fingers and hoping Christine has a snow day tomorrow (yeah, I know, Wednesday is April! Hello, Spring? You need to KICK winter out of here!!) We've heard anywhere from 1" all the way up to 8" with wind.....so here's hoping. It's raining outside now, so we'll see.
But, Andy has to travel to Bow on Tuesdays and Thursdays now, so that's why I'm not hoping TOO hard for snow....I want his drive to be safe!
OK - time to publish! :) Love to all!
There should be some green right here.
These paints are too far away. Get them over here!
Clean after meals, just like brother and daddy.
Giving the new train table a test run.
In awe of his new toy.
Happiness is a new table.
Zach, watching grandma. Grandma, watching something else (probably Alex).
And now a blast from the past. We stumbled upon this picture while stalking Aunt Sarah via Facebook. In case you can't tell, it's an almost 1 year old Alex, watching the Red Sox beat the Rockies in the world series and drinking (juice) heavily. It was a tough series on alot of us Rockies fans, little buddy.
Video Number 1: Alex works on his dexterity with a 1 pound hammer. 
Easter hallmark duck, these are my trains. Thomas and Salty, this is Easter hallmark duck.
Nothing says happy like a little boy in a laundry basket with a toy vacuum cleaner...
Help mommy, the couch is buckling under our combined weights (not really...it doesn't even look like that but I'm just not that creative tonight).
