Super Bowl Village

We decided to check out the Super Bowl Village after nap/quiet time today. We initially didn't plan to go down at all, but once everyone started talking about it, we wanted to check it out too! So we threw the strollers in the car and bundled the kids up! Here they are getting ready to get out of the parking garage - Brendan fell asleep on the way there and actually slept for 30 minutes in the stroller like this. :)

The JW Marriott all decked out!

The zip-line - no we didn't do it :)

The NFL experience. We didn't do this either. It would've cost us $70 just to get in the door and our kids really weren't old enough to appreciate the experience or really do any of the activities. Hopefully the Super Bowl will come back to Indianapolis in a few years and our kids will be able to experience it!

So proud of our city!

Sledding

The first couple snow falls we got seemed to happen on Mondays, when I work. The whole way driving home, Brendan would ask if we could build a snowman, but of course it was dark by the time we got home. Finally this time, the snow seemed to stick around for a few days, of course it was bitterly cold and it was a powdery snow, not a wet snow. So it was not ideal for snowman or snowball building. Brendan was a little disappointed...

It was however, a pretty good day to go sledding.

22 Months

Train Show!

GrandBob read in the paper that a train show was going to be at the State Fairgrounds. We decided to check it out, figuring it'd keep Brendan amused and probably Katelyn as well. Unfortunately, we wasted entirely too much time in the front exhibit hall (I didn't realize that there were two and Chris didn't comment until we were almost done with the first!) which was mostly places selling various model train stuff. A few had train tables and such for the kids to play at and several had Thomas HO gauge set ups that were cool to watch.

But the two best things (besides tons of huge model train set ups) were in the second exhibit hall. A Thomas the train engine with Annie & Clarabel coaches that kids could ride in. The line was super long by the time we got in there and I wasn't a 100% certain that Brendan would actually ride it once we got to the front of the line...they were both getting tired and hungry by this point. They also had a huge pile of Thomas Trackmaster stuff on the floor that all the kids could play with. They had track, some train station buildings, tons of Thomas engines that go on their own, plus carriages and Annie & Clarabels for Thomas to pull.

Brendan can be pretty rough on his trains...he likes to see them have accidents, i.e. fall off the kitchen table, couch, etc. So for that reason (& the fact that we currently have tons of Thomas Take n Play as well as more hidden in the basement for birthdays, etc.) we have told him that he can't have Trackmaster until he's 5. I was super impressed with how nicely he played with the Trackmaster stuff. It doesn't have magnets to couple the trains, but actual plastic couplers which he was able to do for the most part.

Children's Museum with Daddy

Chris got an extra day off work as a Christmas present this year. :) We took advantage of it, by visiting the Children's Museum. I had taken the kids a week or so before hand, but Brendan showed interest in the big slide, but I couldn't figure out how to do it with Katelyn as well, plus our stroller, backpack, etc.... Of course this time, when we got there, he didn't want to do it. (At least we didn't wait in the mile long line for him to finally say "no!") We managed to do plenty of other stuff...the Jolly Days Exhibit. We "played" big games - they didn't quite get the concept of Connect 4, did some cooking in the kitchen, and a little ice fishing!

Then we checked out Playscape for a little while...mostly for the trains, but eventually Brendan played in the sand and the water very briefly.

Of course, we had to end in the basement with all the trains! Katelyn had other ideas and wanted to check out these sculptures.