But...that all changed this weekend. It was finally time for something that I've been looking forward to for a month...my mom and nephew, Nolan, came for a visit over the weekend!
They arrived on Friday afternoon by TRAIN - pretty cool for a three and a half year old. Curt and I both had Friday off, so we both got to go and pick them up at the train station.
We had lunch at a cool new restaurant by the water - while waiting for our food, Nolan and Uncle Curt enjoyed checking out the boats in the marina and watching turtles from the dock.
We didn't have much planned for the afternoon/evening, so we just came home and let Nolan run and play...something he was really ready for after three hours on the train!
Saturday was our only full day together - so we did LOTS of fun stuff! Curt had some work to do for Three Hills Engineering, so he stayed home to work on that...but, Mom, Nolan and I went to check out some local yard sales. Nolan definitely came home with the most - but my mom came home with the best deal, she paid $1 for a board game that normally retails for at least $50, and when we got home and opened it, we realized it has never even been used!
By the time we got home, it was lunch...so, while we got some hotdogs ready, Nolan took another opportunity to run around in the backyard...he played 'baseball' with an empty gingerale bottle and plastic ball all weekend! He also had fun with our aerobie (it's like a frisbee), and learned how to play bocce ball (although he wasn't big on the rules, and preferred to just kick his ball closer so he was always the winner!).
Taking in the baseball game...notice the 'bat' that Curt is using, and the ball in mid-flight...and, most important, the expression on Nolan's face!
A baseball action shot! Uncle Curt running the bases, and Nolan running to get the ball. As soon as he got to the ball, he would yell 'YOU'RE OUT!'
And then, it was time for the 'field trip' of the weekend. A few weeks ago I read an article about a dinosaur attraction in a nearby town, and I knew it was something we would have to check out with Nolan. He told a few people this weekend that 'he's all about dinosaurs', and he really is crazy about them, so it was perfect for him. There is a world renowned casting company in our area; one of the things they are famous for is their dinosaur castings, they have shipped their work to museums all over the world...and, they recently created this attraction for kids.
Nolan 'being a dinosaur' while sitting on a dinosaur :)
Nolan and a baby Maiasaurus. He was very hesitant when he approached this dinosaur, he definitely thought it was alive! He asked if he could pet it, and even though we said yes, he wouldn't get that close until one of us touched it first. Eventually, he decided it was his favourite, and named it Nolan.
And then there was 'Walter' the 12 meter Tyrannosaurus-Rex buried in a giant sandbox. We all had fun helping Nolan dig to find different parts of Walter. This isn't a great picture, but it shows the main part of the dinosaur...his tail extended out to left.
Nolan and I digging, and Grandma keeping a close eye on us.
Hard at work with Uncle Curt.
Grandma got right into it, getting down and dirty. Here, Nolan decided to take a break and just watch Grandma work hard.
Conveniently, we were going right past a splash pad on our way home, so we stopped by there, too! It wasn't that hot, but the boys still really enjoyed themselves!
Our dinner is worth mentioning here - we had ribs, Curt's favourite, and in order the convince Nolan to eat them, we told him that he would be eating just like dinosaurs eat, right off the bone! ha! It worked, and he dug right in.
And, as if that wasn't enough for a day, we had one more activity to fit in...we had a campfire and roasted marshmallows.
Sunday was a lot more laid back...we attended a different church this morning so that we could be part of two special baptisms...two of Curt's cousins had babies within a few weeks of each other, and they were both being baptized today. Nolan went off to the nursery to play during the service; he went in without any hesitation, and when mom checked on him midway through the service, he was doing great, but, when she went to pick him up he was crying a little :( The nursery workers said he cried a little off and on, so mom and I felt really guilty.
Our afternoon was pretty relaxing - we just played and visited and tried to soak in every last minute with each other.
No trip to visit Auntie Boo and Uncle Curt's is complete without a trip to Reid's Dairy for icecream, so we made sure we had time to go there before heading to the train station for mom and Nolan to head home.
Overall, it was an AWESOME weekend! I know Curt and I really enjoyed ourselves, and hopefully Mom and Nolan did, too?!?
A BIG THANK YOU to Mom for being brave enough to tackle a train trip with a three and a half year old, alone, and for giving up a weekend with dad to come and hang out with us...and, to my brother and sister-in-law for letting Nolan make the trip - I'm sure it was lonely and quiet at home without him, and I know you missed him, so I really appreciate it and we loved every minute with him!
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