Time to play!

While we spend quite a bit of our spare time working on the house these days, we still find plenty of time for play.  Here's a run down of some of our memorable moments of January and February 2013:

In early January, Cole went ice skating for the very first time.  It was a love/hate experience for him as he switched back and forth from laughing to crying and back to laughing.  Of course it didn't help that it was a bitter cold January day. 

Cole's first time skating

Cole laughing as he kicks up his skates

And now the tears...

And more laughing...

And he's done...

Luckily, Owen didn't seem to mind the cold.  He was happy scooting around the ice and playing with a hockey puck that someone had left behind.

In mid-January, we took a mini-vacation and spent the weekend at The Depot in downtown Minneapolis.  The Depot was actually a train depot back in the day and has been renovated into two hotels, a water park and an ice skating rink.  With both boys' love of trains and water, we thought The Depot would be the perfect destination. 

The water park was built around the train theme and we had a great time playing in the water...until the whistle started blowing loudly indicating that something was about to happen.  We got out of the pool to watch and soon water was pouring down!  It shook up the boys for a bit, but we soon got the hang of playing in the water and exiting when the warning whistle began to blow.  By the end of the evening, Owen had gotten so courageous that he would stay in the pool with Shane so that the water would dump onto his head!

Cole running down the hall to the water park

Owen going down the train slide

The boys playing with the shooting water

Owen excited to see the train painting on the wall

Cole and Shane having fun in the kiddie pool

Owen pumping the handcar

Cole and Owen in the kiddie pool

Cole walking in the shallow water

Cole and Shane swimming

Owen having fun in the big kid pool

Shane and Cole enjoying the water

"Watch out below!" Owen jumping into the pool

Shane helping Cole swim

Owen having fun in the big kid pool

Lately, the boys have become very interested in Mom's glasses.  They are always asking to wear them, and since I'm blind without my glasses it can be a problem when they walk off with them!  Here Owen thought it would be fun to steal Mom's glasses AND my iphone to capture a self-portrait...

Owen is such a creative little boy.  When I picked him up at school one day, the kids were all outside for recess and he was busy working away on a snow sculpture.  He was so proud of his hard work he insisted that I take a photo.

Owen making art out of snow

And then he had to take a photo too...

Owen's snow sculpture

Later that night, he found an empty box laying around and before I knew it, it had been transformed into a rocket ship, complete with the American flag and a drawing of the crucifixion of Jesus.  That's my boy!

In early February, Owen and I attended the Kindergarten Roundup at Turtle Lake Elementary School.  We were both anxious going (I'm still in shock that he'll be going to Kindergarten in the fall!)  But as the night progressed, I could see his mood change from nervous to relaxed.  We toured the classrooms, had a snack while watching a slideshow of the current Kindergarten class, and even rode on the bus.

Having a snack in the gym

Riding on the bus

The highlight of the evening came at the end, when we got a tour of the library.  Owen loved seeing all the books and was determined to locate the dinosaur section.  Thank goodness we managed to stumble across it.  He was in heaven and did not want to leave.

Owen in the library

On our way out, we had to stop to take a photo of one of the many mosaic turtles on the wall.

And to end the evening, we stopped for a yummy treat at Village Scoop.

On February 10th, we celebrated FANA's 41st birthday!!  It was a great night out with other FANA families, bowling, playing bocce ball, and celebrating all the wonderful things that FANA has done over the past 41 years.  Happy birthday FANA!!  And thank you for all you have done for our family and the thousands of other families you have created over the years!

The boys picking out a ball

Owen ready to roll a strike

Owen excited about how many pins he knocked down

Owen watching the ball

Cole's first time bowling - he's got perfect form!

Jess and Cole enjoying the game

During this very cold winter, Owen's been staying especially warm snuggling up with his kitten William.  They are best of buds!  Owen will put his head next to William and wrap his arms around him and in return, William will put his paws around Owen giving him a kitty hug.  It's adorable to watch and almost makes up for William's early morning routine of waking me up each morning at 3:30 am!  That kitty is sure a stinker!

February 17th marked Cole's 4th Family Day.  Being a family created by adoption, we have always celebrated Owen's Family Day (the day we were united with Owen).  It only seemed appropriate that we also celebrate the day we found out Cole was among us.  To celebrate his special day, Cole wanted to play in the tunnels at the Eagle's Nest, an indoor park with an elaborate system of tunnels, slides and lots of other fun stuff.  It was so much fun watching him and Owen running around and playing with all the fun toys.  Cole's favorite was spinning the satellite dish on the top of the ambulance and driving around with Owen on toy cars.

Cole playing in the ambulance

Cole spinning the satellite in the ambulance

Owen going down a slide

There goes Owen!

Shane and Cole coming down the slide

Cole having a blast "driving"

Cole tackling the car

Cole laying on the car

Down the stretch come Owen and Cole - it's a tie!

Owen and Cole walking hand-in-hand

Owen being a monkey

Owen scaling the rock climbing wall

Climbing on up!

My littlest man

As I write this, Cole is looking at the photos from the Eagle's Nest and yelling, "I wanna go back there!" I think he had a good time!  A very happy Family Day to my sweet little Cole!!

On President's Day, the boys didn't have preschool so we headed to every little train lover's favorite destination, Choo Choo Bob's in St. Paul.  The boys loved watching the electric trains go by, playing with the train tables, and looking at all the toys (I knew we wouldn't be able to leave without buying something!)

Owen gazing at a train running along the track

The boys playing with one of the many train tables

Shopping for train stuff

My boys

Cole captivated by the Choo Choo Bob show

Owen excited about his new farm train

Cole showing off his new Choo Choo Bob DVD

Owen's new train has since become his new favorite toy and the number one watched movie in our household has been Choo Choo Bob.  Two purchases definitely worth the money!