Of course the best part of the fair now is watching the kids enjoy the festivities. For a two and almost four year-old, the rides are just as fun as any amusement park.
And what's better than funnel cake for dessert on a hot August night?
We stayed out until well past dark, the kids were exhausted, and filthy, and full of sugar by the time we left. And I can't think of a better way to spend a summer evening.
My friend Katie started a photography business (visit her site here) so we hired her for a photo shoot at a local park. She did a wonderful job and we got some amazing shots from the day. The only downside was we chose quite possibly the hottest, most humid day of the year for this photo session. So don't look too closely or you might see our skin glistening in a picture or two.
With so many great shots, how exactly are we supposed to narrow these down for printing?
We celebrated Maren's 2nd birthday with a Veggie Tales party yesterday. I must admit, I had a lot of fun planning everything. We had the party in one of the community rooms at the pool house at Woodson Bend. The building was built in the 70's and I'm pretty sure it hasn't been updated since then. So, I tried to add a few festive touches that were Veggie Tales themed to spice up the atmosphere.
Being the nerd that I am, I found the Veggie Tales font (here) for the banner, which turned out super cute (if I do say so myself). 
Instead of a cake, we made Bob the Tomato cupcakes and frosted Twinkies for Larry the Cucumbers. The frosted Twinkies were a bit of a sugar overload, but they looked adorable.
The rest of the Veggie Tales characters graced the sandwiches on toothpicks and card stock (I printed the pictures from here). Add a few brightly colored balloons, table cloths, and tableware and we called it a party.
The kids swam before heading inside for food and presents. Maren must be loved because she left the party with some serious loot. 
I think her favorite presents are her new baby doll pram (it can hold a few babies as well as accessories so Maren is in complete heaven, pushing so many things around) and her Hello Kitty helmet. The helmet is for her new scooter but she likes to wear it around regardless of whether or not she's on the scooter.
Pink cowboy boots from my parents. Maren spent the better part of last fall and winter trying to sneak out of the house wearing Warner's cowboy boots, so I'm sure Warner and Maren are both thrilled that she now has boots to call her own.
Most of our family on both sides made it to the party, which was so meaningful to us. Here's Maren with Kevin's grandma.
Warner thoroughly enjoyed himself as well, helping Maren open presents and playing with the new toys when he got the opportunity. I think he was as excited about her birthday as she was. 
I can hardly believe our baby is two years old. Happy birthday, Maren!
I'm pretty sure the kids enjoy their time at the lake too. Both have become water bugs this year, with Warner navigating the shallow end of the pool without floaties. Maren (enthusiastically) jumps into either the big pool, baby pool, or lake the minute she's near the water, announcing:
Abby and Ashley joined us at the pool last week and my kids were thrilled to have their cousins join them in the water. After their visit Maren would ask if Abby and Ash-Ash would be at the pool whenever we went.
They are such sweet girls and play so nicely (and patiently) with my kids. Watching Warner and Maren's relationship with their cousins blesses me in more ways than one. I am so very thankful for my cousins and the close relationships we enjoy, even as adults. The fact that my kids won't have cousins on my side of the family is still hard, but knowing they have such great cousins in Abby and Ashley makes it easier to handle. 
The boat was also a hit with the kids. Warner has the whole routine down. He wants to help tie and untie the ropes at the dock, pull in the ski rope, help with life jackets, drive the boat, etc. Both kids love the tube, and most days it's hard to fit in a ski run for the adults because the kids want to swim or tube every second they're on the water.
One of the best parts of the summer so far has been seeing Warner learn to waterski on his ski trainer. He got up on his first try behind the boat and hasn't slowed down since. I know I've said my kids would ski as soon as they could walk, but 3 years old is pretty close, right?
He was SO excited and proud to have skied like the rest of us. The sweetest thing he said to my mom (as she helped him into the ski boots) was "Bobbie, do you think I need soap for my ski?". That probably means nothing to most people ... but for skiers with tight bindings (like myself), a little dish soap is needed to squeeze your feet into the ski. I guess it only made sense to Warner that he'd need soap for his feet as well.
Maren, being the daredevil in the family, wants to do everything Warner does. She gets completely frustrated when we won't let her tube by herself or try to ski. I have a feeling she'll be skiing behind the boat next summer.
Other highlights of our trip included Warner's first fireworks experience at the Bend (he thought he was one of the boys while Timothy and his friends were here) ...
... celebrating Dad's birthday ...
... cooking, baking, and eating (a lot) ...
... and of course, the Fourth of July golf cart parade. I keep saying we'll do something creative for the parade but it never materializes. There's always next year.
Now that we're home I'm up to my ears in laundry, housework, yardwork ... and can't even begin to think about weeding my garden. I'll be ready for another vacation soon once I've recovered from this one.
We had plenty of snacks and drinks, and Maren was allowed to take her blanket and paci (my decision to keep the peace). Warner stared intently at the screen for the entire two hour movie. Maren sat fairly still, taking turns sitting on my lap, then Kevin's. She had me wander around the theater once during the movie, but for the most part, I think she did great given her age and attention span.
After the movie we got the kids two new cars from the movie: Finn McMissile and Holly Shiftwell (as if we need more cars, right?). After waking up this morning, the first thing Warner did was thank me for taking him to see Cars 2 and asked me if we could go again. I'd say the adventure was a success.
While Warner is in class, Maren is in the child watch room. She cries each time I put her in there, knowing Warner will be playing in the gym while she's stuck in the playroom. Even though I assure her that her class is right after Warner's, she still puts up a fight. I think Warner likes the fact that his class is first and he gets me all to himself for 30 minutes.
There's only one week left in the summer session for gymnastics, but given their fondness for it, I think we'll be signing the kids up again in the fall.
We took the kids to JumpZone last week. They both ran around like crazy people. Warner was a hot sweaty mess 10 minutes into our visit. Maren kept up with Warner, even going down the BIG slide (on her belly) with him. I've since purchased a Groupon for more visits to JumpZone. Since we can't go to the pool (Shigella outbreak in Northern Kentucky: no un-potty-trained kids allowed in public pools. Ugh) JumpZone, the Zoo, and the Children's Museum will most likely be hot spots for the Platt kids this summer.
Picnic lunch last week. It was a bit bright - hence Warner's face. I think it was a better idea on paper than in practice. But we had a nice time.
Maren treats Larry the Cucumber like one of her babies, pushing him around in the car seat on top of her grocery cart. She's a mess.
This is one of my favorites. Rachel, our babysitter, took this while Kevin and I were out celebrating my birthday. They love Miss Rachel.
And, the reason I haven't gone completely insane: Kevin. My sweet, supportive husband who also happens to be the best dad on the planet. This was taken at church Sunday - Father's Day. I'm bummed that you can't see his shirt. He is wearing a "#1 Dad" badge that Warner made for him in Sunday School. Precious.
