Block Party and Boxcars

One of the last big events at the end of our first year at home was the annual “Clyde Circle of Friends” block party. The boys got to join a bunch of the other neighborhood kids running around in the streets and eating “hamabugers” and hot dogs off the grill. We’ve been through 10 block parties now, but this is our first with kids. It’s quite a different experience.

There are lots of games for kids of all ages. Their favorites were the “fishing wall” (throw a clip over a wall and hook a prize) and the whipped cream race. In the race, a stick of gum is covered in a pile of whipped cream. The first one to get to the gum and blow a bubble wins – but no hands! They also got to throw a few water balloons, which you can see from the pictures Alex thoroughly enjoyed.

The highlight of the evening was a visit from the local ladder truck from the South Metro fire department. Fire trucks have universal appeal to the kids. We couldn’t pull Alex away. He even got up the gumption to walk up to one of the firemen to ask “open please” to ask for his third tour in the driver’s seat.

After dark, the boys joined the older kids in a round of “ghost in the graveyard”, which is like an after dark hide and seek for those of you don’t remember. Each of the boys latched on to one of the older neighborhood girls who ran around with them from one hiding place to another. I think we’re starting to cultivate a couple of future babysitters! By the end of the night, they were both exhausted. Evan threw a huge fit when we said it was time to go inside. He cried the whole way in, and after we got inside he screamed – I’M CRYING BECAUSE I’M SO TIRED! It was precious.

On Sunday, we went back to the Railroad Museum for a special event. They had brought in a real-life Thomas the Train. Neither of the boys has really gotten into the cartoon, but they do have a little train set in the basement. They were so excited for the ride, though they didn’t quite know what to make of it when we just took three slow laps around the grounds. Still, it was a good time, and they got Thomas “tatoos” to show off to their friends at school.