Buttars Summer Camp - Days 8 & 9

It's Friday and that means Grandpa still has to work but takes time to walk down to the coffee shop with us first.  Woot, woot.  The boys have waited so that they could go to the coffee shop with the old man.  For some reason, that is always on the list to do.  Let's get walking.

When one goes walking down to the coffee shop, one must also walk back.  The return walk is never quite as exciting, but the boys manage quite well and we already have a mile under our belt by the time we get back home.

At this point, we have decided to go over to the Arboretum and spend some time at the Children's Garden today so that Grandpa can work in peace.  Where's the car?

The boys always love it here - running, jumping, climbing, exploring, etc.  What more can a person want?

Gotta love the misters --- they feel so nice.

Learning about the parts of a flower and what they all do.

Onto a nature scavenger hunt and various other hands on activities.

The kaleidoscope is one of my favorite spots here and I am not alone.

However, it seems that each area is full of creative moments today.  The boys are all really in great moods and their minds are just happy to see what else they can come up with in each spot.

We have barely hit the beginning of the gardens and yet so much has already been touched and tried.

As we move into the lower areas of the gardens, the day is certainly starting to warm up.  Perhaps it's time for some water fun.

What would be really wonderful is if these could actually get another person wet.   Oh I know, kids would be out of control shooting everyone and soaking them, but what fun they would have if they could.

Instead, they try super hard to get all the center fountains operating.

The wind machine is good for cooling off too.  As we continue on, I find a few spots out of the sun to just sit and watch these boys.  Another water feature soon has all three of them building dams and Caleb causing just a wee bit of trouble.  No, not Caleb, surely I jest.

The morning is winding down, but we are not finished just yet.  There is still the upper east section of the gardens.  Do they ever really end?

I don't think so.

A stop at the maze and we are finished.  Let's go get some lunch.

After lunch, I have so many things to do at home.  I have laundry to do, boarding passes to print, and get them packed for tomorrow.  However, all caution is thrown to the wind and we head downtown for a stop at the Perot Museum.  I know -- crazy right?  Well, goodness -- It IS our last day of fun.

Let's get to the top of this place and work our way down.

And that's it.  A picture blast that showed some of the highlights of the visit.  Each spot is filled with activity and experiences that these boys just love.  Now, we REALLY need to get home and see about getting everything packed up.  When we get there, Grandpa has handled dinner, so I can focus on everything else.  Caleb gets his backpack loaded and tries it on to see if it is too heavy.  This kid is styling for sure.  Oh, I am so sad that today is over.  That means we have to say goodbye tomorrow and I am one unhappy Gammy over that.  Night all.

30th - It's a fly day.  We are up and off to the airport and giving good-byes to Grandpa.  So sad.

Sure as anything -- our flight is delayed.  Of course.  The boys find a spot to hand out and set up a play area.

Do you see the kid on the ledge in the back?  He (yes, he) is about 4 and watches for awhile before going over to talk to Caleb.  The interesting part is that he talks but never takes the pacifier out of his mouth.  Caleb handles it with a quizzical look for awhile and finally looks at the kids and loudly says, "You know those are for babies, right?"  I have to walk away so as not to laugh out loud as the boy walks over to his mom, hands her the pacifier and comes back to play.  Kids.

Finally, it is time to fly.

The boys are perfect travelers and we barely hear a peep out of anyone for the entire flight.  Towards the end, the two older ones, who have managed to get in a separate row from me, start getting a bit rowdy and I have to remind them that the person they are sitting next to doesn't want to be a part of it.  That's it - quiet for the remainder of the time.

Once in Denver, it's a train to the main terminal where Mom and Dad are ready to greet them.  It's been such a fun trip and an amazing time together.  I absolutely cannot wait until I see them again.

Once the boys have been delivered, it's back to the terminal for me.  I have a quick return flight and am back in Dallas in no time.

I started to have tears while saying good-bye and then remembered that we will all be together again in just a couple of weeks.

The family beach trip is right around the corner.  Oh yay.  For now, though, the summer camps are on break until 2017.  It's been a great summer and I have loved every minute of my time with the grands.