Memorial Day in Columbus, Part 2

This is part 2 of the posts on our Memorial Day 2016 visit to Columbus. Susan and I dropped off Josh with S&S and Sam with AA and went off to a hotel for the night (Holiday Inn Express near Easton Mall). We had dinner at the Refectory and a very refreshing evening.

S&S also got a new kitten, Lulu, this weekend, which meant that Sue was already up at 6 AM when Josh got up earlier than usual. I am not 100% sure how they passed the time with Josh, but I know a trip to the library was involved, as well as playing in the back yard, and a walk around the block. They were nice enough to give him THREE NEW ELEPHANT AND PIGGY BOOKS as well as a 4-inch roaring velociraptor, all of which he loves. 

Stu, Josh, Susan and I rendezvoused with the Westerville Collinses after a lunch at Abuelo's at Easton mall, and Stu, Josh, Susan and I then met Amy and Sam at the zoo, where we dodged the rain as several thunder storms rumbled through:

 Memorable! We spent a fair amount of time in the safety of the aquarium, where we saw this bamboo shark circling:

Monday morning we all went over the the Worthington Estates playground where we sat in the shade and chatted:

The boys were excellent travelers. On the way down Josh spent a long time using the etch-a-sketch. This is his drawing of our family. You can guess which of us was too tall to have his head appear in-frame!

Here's Josh on the cat furniture in Emily's room at S&S's. By Monday Josh was feeling the effects of his cat allergy. We had to use a inhaler a couple of times during the weekend.

He's coughing much less now that he's home. All worth it! He had a great time, and definitely enjoyed meeting Lulu and seeing Thumbs again.

Back at the playground:

Sunday lunch was at the Liberty Tavern in Powell. Excellent food and company, and Heather was able to join us.

Mom's pond is looking great. Here Nana is giving Josh water so he can use the watering can to fill the bird bath:

A content Nana! She still has the occasional cough but is much better than at other times in the past 12 months.

Dad also demonstrated his dad's table-top steam engine:

It runs on denatured alcohol. If all's going well it makes a wheel turn. This time it was able to nudge the week, but a little more work is needed to get the wheel to turn. Fun to see!

Sam and Josh heading to the playground. Josh is pulling the red wagon we used as kids.

Sam being spun at the playground:

And Uncle Stu being chased:

Had fun using Sam's sling to bounce a tennis ball against the gym wall at Worthington Estates:

And here we are enjoying a really fun meal at the Refectory. I had forgotten that the waiters don't set any plate down without narrating it for you. We had two other surprises. Before the main course we each has a scoop of blood orange sorbet, and when all was said and done they brought Susan and small piece of chocolate cake with a candle and wished her happy birthday. We didn't want to embarrass them, so it became her birthday. :-)

Looking forward to doing this again in the fall or next year!

Sam with Aunt Amy

This weekend Susan and I had a romantic night alone thanks to Stu and Sue who took Josh for the night, and Aunt Amy who hosted Sam.

Sam had a great time. When finally he and AA were at the zoo near enough to rendezvous with us, AA asked if they should head over to us (and by "us" I mean Susan and Stu and Josh and me), Sam said, "I saw them yesterday and will see them tomorrow. Let's have a little more quality time together."

Aside from seeing the new live-action Jungle Book, they saw Zootopia, and played lawn darts (the old kind with the deadly metal tips) and went to the Columbus Museum of Art. Amy says he really interacted with the art and loved seeing all the new things. And he had a chance to do some drawing of his own.

Below are some photos from Amy. I am hoping AA will add some comments to fill in some of the details!

Okay, this might have been staged...

At the zoo, of course

There were several pieces which incorporated an osterich egg in a new exhibit at the museum

Zoo: Sam with sea turtle

Giant inflatable Buddha

It's an update!

Raised vegetable garden; sling and stomp rocket; Aunt Amy visit; Quarry trip; miscellany.

We put in a raised vegetable garden and some annuals this weekend!

The boys just LOVED helping and hanging around while we were doing it. Sam enjoyed throwing clods of dirty and Josh playing in the dirt looking for living things. In the garden we've got tomatoes, basil and marigolds and transplanted some peppers and carrots we've been growing inside from seeds. 

We'll see if anything grows. Susan's worried we've just planted a salad bar for the deer and rabbits.

For flowers we put in begonias, lavender, wave petunias, impatiens and cordyline (the tall thing in back):

This ought to be enough cover for the toad to feel a little safer hanging out (see below).

Aunt Amy and Sam relaxing on the couch on Saturday:

In celebration of Amy's last-month birthday, Susan made cupcakes:

Here are Josh and AA hanging out. Josh has a mouthful of milk.

Last weekend turned chilly but the boys and I spent a lot of time outdoors nevertheless. Here's JOsh playing with the stomp rocket:

oh, and here's an indoor interlude showing Josh building a church out of Jenga blocks:

Back outside, where Sam's throwing balls with a home-made sling:

And here's the toad I mentioned. He likes to live in the lower flower bed. (The upper one's for the chipmunk.) Josh is extremely fond of him:

We had flowers in the house and Josh took some in to his teachers, just to be nice:

We made a very quick stop at the dolomite quarry this year. (Last year's marathon was a bit too long.)

And here's a shot from Cobble Science Night where I did simple demos with liquid nitrogen. Sam was a good helper.

An impromptu mother-son dance:

Josh being cozy when I was first sick a month ago. Josh caught (or already had) a weaker form of the bug I had. He never had the fevers.

Sam and Josh playing Hiss:

This is Josh at the "broken bridge", which is just what it sounds, at the edge of the Montessori property. When they want to take the kids on a long walk that's where they go, and they really love it. 

All for now!