Aunt Aubrey's splash park

Well, today was 100.6 degrees and my sister-in-law Aubrey hosted a morning of running through the sprinklers. The kids took a great nap this afternoon, thanks Aubrey. Ethan is checking out the kids running around the yard. He keeps eyeing the sprinkler but hasn't mustered up the courage just yet.

Clare - now that's cooling off

Isaiah

Ethan was finally daring enough to approach the sprinkler.

Noah, giving Anderson a good ride on the swing

Aubrey and Isaiah are getting ready for the sprinkler to come around again.

Anderson and Noah

Delphina and Clare

Isaiah and Ethan played so well together in the sandbox.

Boys will be boys. There was some where to get dirty and they found it. It was a bit surprising that Evie wasn't in there too considering how much she loves to get dirty but she found the Potter's huge bin of Polly Pockets, her favorite.

Pioneer's Park Nature Center

We visited the Nature Center today at Pioneer's park. Surprisingly the park wasn't busy at all for a weekend.

My little birds built a nest and are busy keeping their eggs warm.

Ethan is saying 'night night'. He's probably right, it's just about his nap time.

We joined 'The great park Pursuit' today, a fun way to encourage families to explore Nebraska parks. Evie is doing our first pencil rubbing. The more parks we visit and the more pencil rubbings we submit the greater our chance is to win the grand prize at the end of the summer.

Our little Evie is always stopping to smell the flowers

And we're off to see the reindeer.

Ethan was pretty curious about the animals. He is watching calmly at the moment but most of the time he was acting like one of them...

see what I mean...our little monkey is on the wrong side of the fence...

The kids enjoyed playing in the huge sandbox filled with lots and lots of fun sand toys.

pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake...

Say 'cheese'

Look ma, no hands.

so proud

Evie and Ethan are making a big pot of soup. Ethan is standing in our stove so he can be close enough to stir the soup. Evie is being a good big sister and kept yelling at him to get off the stove that he's going to burn himself. He would just give her the look of what are you yelling about and then continue mixing his bucket of sand.

Evie singing one of her favorite songs... The Happy Birthday song

Ethan blowing out his candles and hopefully making a wish. I think he's close enough looking at the sand on his chin...

Evie with her bouquet of 'pickable' flowers.

Our neighbors Sarah and baby Grace joined us at the park but the mosquito's have also loved our wonderfully cool and rainy spring - they were feasting on us so we couldn't stay long.

VIDEO: Ethan chasing a toad

Children's museum's Music and Mozzarella

The String Beans kicked off the opening night of the summer 'Music and Mozzarella' concert series hosted by the Children's Museum and Valentino's pizza. The kids danced and had a great time despite the heat.

rosy cheeks already...

Evie's cousins Gabriel, Clare and Delphina played so well together. They actually won the dance contest they are dancing in at the moment. There is a short video at the end of this post.

Claudia did a good job protecting her sister Delphina's American Girl

You gotta shake those hips just a little more buddy

Gabriel, Delphina and Clare

Ethan's just a little hot...but he's going to keep partying

Curt from the String Beans is announcing the winner of the dance competition and handing out pictures to Delphina, Gabriel and Clare.

And the closing song was "dance like a dinosaur". Evie is usually totally into this song but tonight...

...she seemed to have some reservations

...and still not sure...

After the last song the kids cooled down with a snow cone. Ethan is bending over to pick up a piece that had fallen on the ground and actually dumped his entire snow cone on his shoes. Mandy quickly rescued it and put it back into his cup before he noticed his feet were cold (and blue and sticky - oh wait, that's only something a mother would notice).

One of the best reasons for living in Lincoln is so Evie and Ethan can grow up with their cousins.

There is no getting that treat out of those clutched hands.

Ethan finished his and is now after Evie's. She just gracefully moved around in circles while she ate with Ethan close behind her every move.

Video: Evie's cousins; Gabriel, Clare and Delphina during a dance competition and they won!