Out on the Town in ABQ: Part 1

During our visit with Grammy & Papa, we loved playing with them, reading stories, and exploring their home. However, we also enjoyed venturing out to a variety of places around town, too. It was a treat to visit a larger city which gave us more opportunities for kid-friendly outings.

Outing #1-- Library Storytime

Unfortunately, the storytimes for toddlers at our local library are set at inconvenient times for our boys. Once the boys officially pare down to 1 nap a day, we'll be able to attend more faithfully. But since birth, Jaden and Cody have only had one opportunity for a library storytime at home. Thankfully, Albuquerque had tons of options for storytime, and we were able to take advantage of one before Daddy had to leave town.

Both boys loved checking out the large stuffed animals that were right at the entrance. Right away, they made a new friend, too.

Cody particularly loved pulling the large animals off the bench.

The librarian leading the storytime jumped right into songs and various fingerplays.

While Cody attempted a conversation with the librarian, Jaden was much more interested in lounging out on the stuffed animals. 

Mommy tried to help Cody learn the actions to the Hokey Pokey.

Eventually, the librarian brought out some more balls and tons of instruments. Daddy and Cody had a brief sports practice...

...and then Grammy introduced the boys to the maracas. 

Playing with the instruments was the boys' favorite part. Jaden started wailing when the librarian took them away! It was so fun to attend this toddler time at the library with Mommy, Daddy, and Grammy.

Outing #2 -- The Park

Grammy and Papa live within walking distance of 2 fun play areas. Early on in our visit, we took a stroller ride down to the park. Cody and Jaden loved all the funny bars.

This slide was a bit too steep for independent sliding (which the boys can now do at our park back home!), but Cody and Jaden still loved having Mommy and Grammy's help to slide down this one.

The highlight of our park visit came when Grammy found some rocks for the boys. She had to look high and low to find even a pebble (and finally borrowed a couple small rocks from a neighbor across the street). Now the boys could do one of their favorite things--- make some noise!! The rocks became fun instruments when pounded on various surfaces. The metals bars sounded the best.

Outing #3 -- The Playground

Papa and Grammy also live very close to an elementary school playground. All we have to do is cut through a short alleyway, and we have a huge playground of fun! Papa led the way.

Once at the playground, Papa demonstrates his excellent balancing skills. :)

The boys love having lots of structures to climb.

Mommy loves having 2 extra sets of hands to help watch her climbing boys!

For these two active little boys, the playground was definitely a hit! 

Outing #4 -- Explora Science Center & Children's Museum

On Monday of our visit, we discovered that Explora had a special toddler time. The museum opened early specifically for kiddos under 4 to give them a chance to explore the exhibits at their own pace. What a treat!

Cody and Jaden loved this little toddler zone, a mini play area designed for kids just their size.

Cody really liked crawling back and forth over the bridge and hanging out in the playhouse.

The part that got the most giggles was this small ramp. The boys got progressively braver as they walked and then started to run down the ramp.

As you might guess, we didn't walk away without a minor accident... :) Thankfully, Jaden's little tumble captured on video didn't even make him cry!

Next, we explored the water table exhibit.

The water was moving enough at a decline that it would carry the small balls "downstream."

Jaden and Cody enjoyed trying to catch the balls as they floated by.

At another exhibit, we made REALLY large bubbles.

Once upstairs, we saw a special exhibit for older kids or adults where they could ride a bike across a tightrope.

Cody longed for the day when he could try out this exhibit for himself.

We watched a water "tornado" form,

listened to different sound frequencies clicking against this large wheel, 

stacked blocks,

and played this cool xylophone-type instrument by spinning the crank and hearing the music play.

On the way out, we noticed a few silly mirrors. Cody gained a few pounds in this one (be sure to notice Grammy cracking up at him in the reflection!),

while this mirror made Jaden grow a few inches.

What a great museum! We especially loved being able to explore the center without a bunch of older kids running around. Thanks for all of these new adventures, Grammy and Papa!

Our Trip to Albuquerque

At the end of September, Jason had to travel to Chicago for a week. He was scheduled to teach at a KINDLE conference for recent DCE graduates. (We're so proud of our studly leader/teacher DCE!) The boys and I figured that this would be a perfect time to visit some relatives, so we made a whole family vacation out of it. Together, we drove down to New Mexico to see Amy's parents. Jason flew out from Albuquerque while Jaden, Cody, and Amy stayed behind with Grammy and Papa. We were happy that Grammy & Papa were willing to entertain us and keep us company in Daddy's absence.

Grammy and Papa had done a wonderful job of preparing and toddler-proofing their home before our arrival. Grammy had set up one room entirely as a reading area (so cozy with the couches, blankets, and baskets of books!) and another as a toy room. Jaden and Cody absolutely LOVED the new play areas. The new toys were especially a big hit. The boys were big fans of the toddler-sized rocking chair...

Jaden

Cody

...and the rocking horse made by Great-Grandpa Sylvester. They were constantly reaching for this horse and "asking" to ride it. Both boys learned quickly how to bounce themselves up and down, which usually made them giggle or shriek with pleasure!

By the end of our visit, Cody had even learned how to climb off and on the horse all by himself!

Papa encouraged the twins in their "Rock & Ride" play...

... as seen in the following video. Papa is such a ham! :)

Jaden & Cody also enjoyed trying out Grammy & Papa's piano...

...and rolling around Grammy's large exercise ball. Jaden was a particular fan of this ball and daily found where Grammy put it away.

Probably the highlight of Grammy & Papa's home, though, was the easy access to the backyard. At times, Grammy would simply leave the door open and let Cody and Jaden freely roam in and out of the house. Only having one step to enter the yard was much preferable to our multiple stairs back home. Cody would often walk back and forth over this step simply for the sheer pleasure of going in and out of the house!

Once outside, the boys loved playing with the yard hose, 

running down the grassy hill, listening to the sounds of dogs and planes,

and bouncing & throwing various sports balls.

We were basking in the beautiful Albuquerque weather! This is likely the last day all year that the boys will be able to wear their shorts.

Cody & Jaden had a variety of playmates for the week. Papa even stayed home from work one entire morning just to hang out with us. 

He was great at practicing the art of throwing with Jaden and Cody.

He also tried to teach the boys how to pull weeds. Papa's plan didn't work so well, though, as Cody and Jaden mainly just started handing him rocks. 

Grammy also had a few creative ideas up her sleeve for how to entertain the boys. Here, she pulled out some bubble wands (Look familiar, Becky? Thanks for leaving them in ABQ!).

Jaden was especially curious about the bubbles and watching them float.

Mommy, of course, is not a new playmate for the boys. It was a treat, however, to get some pictures of Mommy's playtime with Jaden & Cody, as she is usually the one behind the camera. Here we are, discovering how much fun it is to bounce on Grammy's exercise ball. 

As you can tell, this activity elicited LOTS of giggles! :)

And here we are taking advantage of Grammy's reading room.

Evidence that mommies of twins are twice blessed....

Thanks for taking these fun pictures, Grammy!

Finally, one evening the boys spent time with some playmates their own age! Grammy & Papa's neighbors have a 3-year-old girl Kyree (I think), and 14-month-old twins, Keera (I think) and Owen.

This is the best shot we got of the 2 sets of twins, as they mainly just played past one another. The mommies really enjoyed sharing twin stories, though, and we all liked watching the kids interact.

Other than being great playmates, Grammy and Papa were also HUGE helpers! We found a convenient spot for the boys' daily snack bar. :)

On his morning off, Papa fed the boys their entire breakfast.

Jaden and Cody showed Grammy and Papa how they fold their hands to pray before mealtime.

Not only did they help with mealtimes, Grammy and Papa also assisted with baths, getting dressed, washing the boys' dishes, and even a few diaper changes. What a treat is was for Mommy to have all this hands-on help! In the evenings, we enjoyed playing a few games and watching some TV, but we also ventured into a couple projects together, too. The biggest project was getting Grammy's help with the boys' Halloween costumes. Along with their cousin Ryan, Jaden and Cody are going to be little jailbirds (with Ian as the big bad cop!). These costumes were easy-peasy to make with white onesies, black pants, and a little duct tape.

Our finished products!

A closer look will show you that Jaden and Cody's prisoner ID numbers are their birthdays. Thanks for your crafty help and great advice, Mom! :)

Thanks for taking such great care of all of us, Grammy and Papa! You are creative, patient, thoughtful, and loving grandparents. Jaden and Cody love you! We enjoyed our time with you immensely!

Still to Come: Out on the Town in ABQ...