JJ and Popcorn's for the 4th

We headed to OK for Independence Day and a visit. Erica came down with her new kitten, Pringles. 

Penny and Ollie were in love. Ollie was very snotty from Pringles - he is allergic to cats. 

We set up Erica's slip-n-slide and the pool. 

The kids' favorite pool game was to toss grapes or veggies in for them to eat. Just like the zoo. 

JJ smoked ribs. Penny ate two. 

It is hard to see but there is a Penny way out past the run way. She was hanging out with Dick, and she decided she wanted to pick flowers. She was off like a shot. 

Waiting for fireworks. 

Bikes with the Kerrs

Ollie wanted to bike with Hannah Kerr, so we set up a play date. Penny can't even trike yet (she is too short), but she still had fun with Olive. 

The stream at Franklin Park turned on, so everyone was happy. 

Dentist happy/Dentist sad

Penny went and had her first cleaning today. 

She did great!!  She thought it was good fun. 

Ollie did wonderfully as well, but he did not get a great report. 

He has another infection in a filling. The dentist wanted to pull it but after our last experience we said no. So he has to have a root canal and a cap to fix the problem. Sad face. 

   On the bright-side he told us the dentist was the best part of today, because he got ice cream and a toy. 

Kids Meal Night

Ollie pointed out that we have been eating a lot of adult meals...spicy stir fry, tamale pie...so we decided to have a kid's choice night. 

The kids and I went to the farmers market today. I asked them to pick out two veggies to have at our kid-picked meal. 

Here is the menu:

Corn and cheese biscuits

Sausage links (for O)

Bacon (for P)

Cooked cabbage 

Cucumbers

Not the norm, but very tasty. 

Penny liked the meats and surprisingly the biscuit, but she said the cabbage was her favorite. 

Ollie liked the meat and cucumbers, and did NOT like the made-from-scratch cheese and corn biscuit. 

Indianapolis Children's Museum

On our way back from NJ, we stopped in Indianapolis to stay the night. We decided to celebrate Father's day at their children's museum. It was amazing. It is the largest kid museum in the world. 

Ollie in front of a life size BumbleBee Transformer. 

The exterior of the building had tons of life size dinos breaking in or busting out of the building. 

The dinosaur section had a planetarium as well as several full skeletons. Even a mummified duckbill. 

They had a section for temporary exhibits that was set up like a trip to China. Ollie liked the calligraphy hands on stuff best. 

Two story Great Wall of China slide. 

The area for younger kids was like Wonderscope here in KC - if they had millions of dollars. Penny loved it!!!

Climbing bean plant. 

Penny like the area on native wildlife, too. 

This Terra Cotta Warrior was a puzzle made out of rubber. So cool!!

They had a four story Dale Chihuly sculpture. At the bottom, it spreads out and you can lay down on a rotating couch to observe it. 

Then the kids can build their own in plastic. Funny O. 

Rated 10 out of 10 by our family. Great Dad's day. 

Benben Columbia Visit

Beth and I took all the kids and went to Columbia to play with the Benbens for the day. The drive was so short after 20 hours to get to the boardwalk. 

We started at the park and are lunch. 

The heat was unreal. The kids had a great time playing on the playground. 

Then we went to the pirates cove splash area. It was really fun and cheap. I didn't get any pictures in the water but Leslie will send some soon. 

We went to the mall to play on their climbing area. 

Elizabeth is a little sprite like monkey. 

Then we rode the Columbia mall train. It literally drives you (no track) around the mall. The kids thought it was amazing. 

Finally we rode the carousel. Penny loves this bunny. 

Every once in a while I take a picture I really like. This one above is my new fav. I like the lighting, the way Lo and Lennon are looking up with big smiles, Penny and Leslie in deep conversation, the background makes it look not in the mall, and notice the girl on the bench behind lennon's arm. I just like it. 

The only pic I got with all the kids. June was done, but look how photogenic Harrison is. Cutie.