art

my boys love arts and crafts- below: sun catchers, shrinky dinks and coloring

raptor reef

We took the boys to Cabela's to get more fishing gear.  Plus they enjoy seeing the wild life (even if they are stuffed).  Connor likes to play at the shooting range too.

Then we went to Triple Play for a day of fun.  We started with their new rope course.  They have 3 levels and your strapped in, so there is no chance of falling or getting hurt.  Connor and Jason headed for the upper 2 levels, while I stayed with Kaiden on the lower level.  Kaiden had fun and went all over.  Connor has my fear of heights and would only go across 1 obstacle on the middle level.  Jason has no fear and went all over the place.  Years ago he used to climb towers to install Internet receivers with no problem.  After the 3 ran around for a while Connor wanted me to join him on the upper courses, so we switched.  Jason ran around with Kaiden on the lower deck, while I tried to get Connor over his fear of heights on the middle level.  A really nice girl that worked there helped Connor to go across his second obstacle on the middle level.  He was really excited to conquer his fear, but decided he was done after that one.  I crossed all the obstacles on the middle level and most on the upper level with no problems.. I would have done them all, but the boys were done and wanted to move onto the water park area.  I have a huge fear of heights too, but only when I'm not strapped in.  I guess my fear is more about falling than heights.  We had a blast at the water park.  Connor and Jason went down the slides.  Kaiden and I played in the toddler area.  Then I went down the slides with Connor.  Kaiden went down the little toddler slide at least 2 dozen times!  He loved it!  We had planned on going to the Texas Road House for steak dinner on the way home, but both boys fell asleep as soon as we hit the car.

Kaiden's second birthday

Happy Birthday Kaiden!!

Connor had his first soccer game of the season the morning of Kaiden's party.  The game was 11-12.  We met everyone at our house at 12 for his party.  We just invited family again this year: Grandma and Grandpa Kortus, Uncle John, Aunt Laura, Cousins Alivia and Ryan, Staci and Tony.  Jason made Malibu Chicken on the BBQ (marinated chicken in teriyaki sauce grilled with ham, pineapple ring and swiss cheese melted on top), along with potato salad, cottage cheese, chips, dip...  I made a "dirt and worms" cake for his birthday cake (dirt= crushed oreo cookies, mud= chocolate pudding with cool whip, white layer= cream cheese and powder sugar).  I only added the gummy worms to the kids small individual cups.  It turned out perfect.  Kaiden loved his cake and actually ate it (he doesn't like cake).  The mud layer taste like a chocolate moose.  I also bought mini cupcakes... which Kaiden ate the frosting and sprinkles off, but didn't eat any of the cake part.
He got lots of new trucks that make sounds and move, a bunch of beach toys, some stuffed animals and probably his favorite toy- a bubble lawn mower.  Connor had one as a kid too and loved it.  Kaiden thought it was hilarious that he could run over his new trucks (and everything else) with his lawn mower.  All 3 boys had fun playing with the new toys.  I had ordered some Shrinky Dinks and Sun Catchers for the kids to make at the party, but they had so much fun just running around playing with toys that we never got around to making the crafts.  Grandpa made Connor an art station/easel too.  Kaiden didn't take his nap until later that afternoon when everyone left, but he did great all day.  That evening I relaxed with the boys, while Jason went to test drive the new Toyota Tacoma trucks... he has his eye on a new truck.
Kaiden is now 32 inches tall and weighs 21.1 pounds.