07 August 2012

Thomas 2012 and the Booms.


Thomas & the Cheeky Ones

The weekend after Dexter's 1st birthday, we got to initiate him into another Gatton sibling family tradition (the first being the River Run): the Second Annual outing of the Gatton siblings/partners to see Thomas the Train in Baldwin City.

I was also super-pumped to because Ben, Dex, and Jamie got to come stay at our new house. All was a success. Max was "super loving" with Dexter, sooooo excited to have his cousin here (often to Dexter's dismay). We all slept well, and arose to meet Rob and Sara at the station in Baldwin.
Reading time the night before: Paul, Max, Dex, and Jamie.
Max and Dex in the video viewing tent,
more absorbed with one another's sunglasses than the videos.
Ben and Jamie helping Dex color.

Train layout!

Dex: "Sweet! Stuff I can touch!!!"
Playing together. Yippee!
Uncle Rob with his two proteges. ha!
Uncle Rob telling Dex all about riding the rails.
Ha, ha. I've got a secret. (He probably tooted on  Daddy.)
That was super funny!
Whatchu talking bout, Willis?

Let's look the other way! 
Sibs with cousins. Coolness.
So there was a point when Jamie and I tried to get Max and Dexter to pose together for a picture, perhaps for Father's Day or something. Well, here is how that went.






Ha, ha, ha. You really gotta love these boys. They are pretty special. And what a great day!

Borchardt-Boom Madness!

That evening, I invited my friends, the Neutebooms, over for a grill out and some ice cream. Eric and I have known each other since 1996, and really, we've been good friends since we first met (save one tenuous trip back from the Springs during which we argued over music). Let's says, he was also pretty pivotal in 2003-04 range as far as helping me cope with my divorce and what not. In 2004, I introduced him to his now wife Trish (formerly Averill), also a great friend. So those great friends have a lovely daughter, Bella, who is about two months older than Max.

After a little warm up time, the pair got along quite well. And the parents were pretty happy. Because they really do need to get along. :-)
First, Max was like, "Looks at my wheels."
Then Bella was like, "Hey, I got my own."
And Max thinks, "Cool, babycakes. Cool."
We had corn-on-the-cob, Neuty burgers, and chips.
Max has eaten corn-on-the-cob faithfully since that day.
No lie.
Could any two faces look more "caught in the act" or what?
Actually, I think Neuty was polemicizing on the merits
of a Neuty burger sans ketchup. Of course, this polemic is one
of many reasons Neuty and I are friends.
 Burgers led to story hour dates, which led to couples reading time.... Who knows! At least I like the parents.:-) And she likes to read. Score points there. :-)


Life in Lawrence. Good times. Great oldies.

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