Ch'Hors D'Oeuvres and Putt-Putt

Making little snacks out of Cheerios with tiny pieces of American cheese in the middle has been a thing my Mom likes to do for babies/toddlers, so Graham got his first taste of this "famous" snack!

He was a fan! 

This morning, Mimi, Bampa and I took the boys to play a little Putt Putt.  It was pretty fun, although it was starting to get pretty hot, and Graham kept wanting to do a little more exploring than the rest of us felt necessary!  He really liked getting each ball out of the hole after we all had made our putts :)

Not the best shot, but there's something about this picture I really like :)

Oh, the look on Graham's face :(  We saw that a lot as we tried to restrain him and let other people get in a good shot!

There is a Graham tucked in there!

Putt!

Jackson was a pretty good helper too :)

Three of the future foursome...  (Meaning Josh!  I'm not implying ANYTHING ELSE!!!)

Fun morning!  Off to air conditioned Chick-fil-a!

First Father-Son Golf Date!!!

 Josh booked a tee time for him AND Jackson this afternoon!!!  Aren't they a cute two-some???

 Checking out this golf cart business!

 So cute, yet fast forward 12 years, and that thought is slightly terrifying!

 Josh reported that they had a great time!  Jackson played one whole hole on his own, he played lots more from the fairway in, and he putted on every green :)

 Such a little golfer!

 They had such a nice day!

LOVE these two :)  Can't wait to add Graham to this one day...

Paw Paw would be so proud :)

I am SO glad Jackson is enjoying many of Josh's hobbies already!  It makes me happy to see them both happy :)

A Few Days at Home...

We got home on Friday night, and the boys and I were home to sleep in our own beds for six night before flying to Evanston for a week!  Graham's and my first stop was brunch with Auntie Em!  We had a great time catching up--we hadn't gotten together in forever, and she is moving all the way to California in a month!!!  :(  

When we got home, we found Daddy and Jackson playing putt-putt...in the house!  Josh brilliantly set up little cups all over the main level, and laying on their sides, they were the holes!  Jackson was loving it--what a smart guy :)

Concentrating on his putt

On Sunday, we went for a family hike on a trail we hadn't done yet.  It was super fun for Jackson since it included all of those fitness stops.  Every little ways, there was something for him to climb, hang from, jump on, jump off of, etc.  Excellent :)

Our quick respite at home also included lunch at Chick-fil-a with Susie, Rachel and Ben, some unpacking and repacking, and preparation for house guests as we returned from Illinois!

Evanston Layover Part 5

We had a lazy morning on Tuesday, but in the afternoon we met Bampa to play putt-putt!!!  Jackson LOVED it, and it was the perfect activity for us all to do together.  Josh wore Graham in the Ergo and was our photographer.  Mimi, Bampa, Jackson and I played a whole round.  

Perhaps a future Olympian when Putt-Putt becomes an Olympic sport???

Just hanging out with Mimi on a crocodile ;)

Another classic from-the-back shot of Daddy and Jackson

The Fab Four Putt-Putters

Bampa and Jackson's special date---date-bombed by the rest of us!

Just a little golf under the Eiffel Tower

That's one tall giraffe!

This is why you shouldn't allow lions on a golf course ;)

I have been lucky enough to stay in touch with a couple of families who were part of my classroom when I taught in Elgin.  Sadly, the Masnatos were out of town the time we were in town, but the Wiedemann’s were in town and nice enough to trek all the way to Evanston to meet Baby Graham!  Jackson LOVED playing with Ashley and Alyssa, and of course, right as they were getting ready to leave, Jackson warmed up to Alex too!  They painted and played trucks and cars while the grown-ups chatted J  Mimi had the day off, so we went out for lunch and then she and I worked on filling the bottles with candy she planned to set out as little favors at the rehearsal dinner.  Josh and Dad played golf for their FOURTH time and then we all met for dinner with Nan. 

This day was a bit crazy since we were ALL getting ready to leave the next morning for Minneapolis!!!  The day was pretty low-key and full of packing, but the boys and I did get out in the afternoon to meet Beth, Lindsey, and Eric Saxe at Penny Park.  This produced one happy and sweaty boy J  Our last meal was Lou’s at home in the midst of the packing frenzy and the loading of cars.

Putt Putt at the National Building Museum

Larry had an early afternoon flight to catch on Sunday, so we decided to head into DC early and play putt putt at a new exhibit at the National Building Museum!  There were 12 holes total, and all of the holes were designed by some of the leading architects, landscape architects, and contractors in the Washington area.  Each hole had an architectural or landscape-oriented theme.

We haven't been to this museum so far, and it was really pretty!  I'm looking forward to coming back when we have more time!

This was the huge entry room where we waited in line for our tickets to Play Mini-Golf Inside the Museum!

Fun putt-putt facts :)

Hole #1

Hole #2

Hole #3

Hole #4

Hole #5

Hole #6

Hole #7

Hole #8

Hole #9

Hole #10

Hole #11

Hole #12

We stopped to pose with a lion in Judiciary Square across the street before dropping off Uncle Larry at the airport.  We were sad to see him go, but happy to say, "See you soon at YOUR WEDDING!!!"