Memorial Day 2009

We had a fun-filled, jam-packed Memorial Day weekend. Unlike the past several years when we've spent the long weekend in Xenia, we decided to spend half of the time in Cincinnati this year so we'd have more options for family time. "Two Johnsons" and "Three Austins" arrived Friday night (after a ridiculously long car ride, poor things) and we got started bright and early Saturday morning with the festivities.
Saturday morning Louie & Josie did the 5K "River Run" with Michael & Lyla. The dads had planned on doing the Father's Day Race in Chicago next month, but since it's the morning after the Phish show at Deer Creek (yay we got tickets), they decided to do this race instead. It was the first race for both families and it went really well. It was a beautiful morning and we were very proud of our daddy/daughter teams.
Here is Louie with Josie just before the race...
And here is the only race-time photo I was able to capture of the foursome before my camera battery died (BOO!) Fortunately, Manda had her camera so when she gets her blog updated there will be more photos there (Hint, Hint)...
Saturday after the race, we all enjoyed the Westin Hotel pool (more photos from the Austins and Johnsons coming soon) - Josie is a little fish and we were really proud (and terrified) of her bravery. She's blowing bubbles in the water now, kicking her legs, and jumping off the side into our arms. She's even almost floating. I guess it's time for swim lessons.

On Saturday afternoon, we headed up to 'Run-Jump-n-Play' for the 4th birthday of Josie's little friend Katie. This was Josie's first birthday party and boy was she impressed. Here she is as we walked into the playset area with the world's fastest slides. I'm pretty sure she was thinking she had died and gone to toddler heaven.
After some quality sliding and swinging, we headed to the first of two "bounce house" rooms. Here are Josie and I trying not to break our necks in one of the many huge inflatables.
And here's a video of Josie and Louie trying to get the hang of it.


I thought I'd better get Josie's first "assist" on the blog as well, just in case she's in the WNBA one day, that way there will be evidence that she was playing b-ball since she was a toddler. :)

You can see in this video that Josie wasn't the only one having fun. Check out Louie on this insane Shark Slide. (Ha - he was eyeing it the whole party and finally went for it unapologetically once we came up with the excuse that he had to 'test it to see if Josie would like it'.) Too funny!

After some, well - running, jumping-n-playing, we headed to a party room for delicious, homemade (and peanut-free) cupcakes and got to spend a little time with the birthday girl. It was really fun and Josie even got her very own balloon, which (as you can see here) she wouldn't take her eyes off of.
On Saturday evening, we left the little ones with the Grandparents at our condo and M&M and Lou&I headed one street over to the "Taste of Cincinnati" but ended up opting for cocktails at McCormick & Schmicks over the crowds at Taste. It was a great, adult evening out and an important reminder the next morning that Margaritas at dinner and Makers Mark afterwards do not mix. So, Sunday morning plans were cancelled to allow for sleeping in and later Sunday we all made our way to Dayton to convene at Frickers. Then, some yummy chocolate pie and off to bed. On Monday we headed back to the 'Nati for a less-than-fun ending to a very fun weekend (long story short... one leaky pipe + seven holes in the drywall to find it = not a good way to leave the condo with a early morning showing the next day).
We did capture a couple of cute moments on Monday as the long weekend came to a close. Here is Josie diapering her cookie monster doll (after repeatedly wiping the nose of her teddybear but that video is on my cellphone). She's all about imagining and role-playing these days so we can't wait to get her a house where she can have a play kitchen and dollhouse one day.
And finally, we figured some stars & stripes were in order for Memorial Day...
I hope all of you out there in blogland enjoyed your long weekend. Thanks to the Austins and Johnsons for making the trip to Cincy. (Lyla is simply unbelievable. Really, she needs her own TV show or something, if for no other reason than to convince people afraid of taking the leap into parenthood just how sweet they can be...and that face...and that hair...more on Lyla at www.threeaustins.blogspot.com and more on the weekend there as well just as soon as Tia and Tio get back in the swing after an out-of-town trip.) Xoxo!