It’s that time of the year again- (sweltering) Railroad Days at Lauritzen Gardens
Desmond waving nearly the whole time he was on the train ride-Tra
“Where are the trains, Des?” “This way!”
And there they are.
It was shortly after this point that Eleanor indicated she was done with hot train day, ready for lunch and nap time
It was a good morning to go see Metamorphosis at Lauritzen Gardens, an exhibit constructed of found, recycled and reused plastic objects. In the primary atrium, there was one installation akin to a upcycled Chihuly sculpture-
That was pretty exciting, but so were the koi fish 😉
Ella’s first time walking around the botanical gardens
Des requested his photo in front of the rainbow piece
Outside there was a collection of processed recycled materials, a look at waste in a new light
Mom really did pick out the world’s cutest rain jacket
Once outside and able to run, Des would occasionally look to 1) verify he didn’t run too far, 2) wave at everyone else from the future
Nearly at the half-way mark, Eleanor is getting tired and decides to shift modes of transportation
Taking (short) steps like a pro
An excellent pre-nap outing
Later on it warmed up sufficiently for the annual Earth Day festival in Elmwood park. Eleanor has her headphones on during the Mynabirds set, but is clearly more interested in goofing around with grandma
We’re still not sure Ella fully comprehended that she was touching a real rabbit. Like, she knows what it is, but the fact that she’s actually getting to pet one like she does Max
Des gets in on the rabbit action as well
It just doesn’t get more adorable than toddlers petting puppies
The now twice-annual post-Earth Day taco outing. Next year, definitely the 24th St. favorite over Mula
Rise and shine for the LEGO artists expo at the botanical center. In addition to the prior lego exhibit, there were a lot of interesting builds from the Lincoln/Omaha Lego group. Featured here is a train racing past Ray’s Music Exchange (don’t tell mom)
What kid wouldn’t dive into a pile of legos? Des occasionally looked over at his older cousin for both validation and cues on what to do next 🙂
These two goofballs taking a break for a photo before lunch arrived
Sure Mr. Waiter, you can (try to) take our picture
Later in the afternoon at grandpa’s house, Des was focused primarily on his water can and how much he could get away with near the “pond”
Eleanor hanging with Travis and mom
Eleanor starting her long day with early morning exercises
Eleanor’s three-month photos with Kam
She was a trooper
Eleanor presumably looking at mom’s brunch with envy, wishing she was on to solid foods
Meanwhile, Des went on an adventure with grandma Anne to the botanical center. Des was clearly ecstatic for the annual LEGO exhibit
French fries, mac & cheese, grilled cheese- oh my!
Post-nap, staring at dad’s new grow light for starting seeds in the basement
Bedtime stories- vicuña violining!
Visited Lauritzen Gardens Saturday for part of the annual trains celebration throughout the city. If Des wasn’t already saying “Choo choo!” enough lately, this certainly amped that up.
Checking out the O scale display
Hiked further in to the year-round Model Railroad Garden
He was so in awe, he barely noticed the admission bracelet on his wrist- which presence may typically instigate a meltdown
Hiking back, shortly before surrendering to dad’s shoulders
We head off to breakfast on a cold January morning, but not before Des squeezes in one more book with grandma.
We trek off to the Lauritzen Gardens conservatory to warm up and walk off some energy. Des has been a walking machine over the past week.
Downhill walking is much faster
Still not sure what he’s thinking when he holds his hands out in front of him as he walks. Is he catching something? Soliciting low-fives?
Just skipping down the trail
Unlike everywhere else, all the plants are “look, but do not touch.” It’s a difficult concept to master; we’ll point instead.
Trying to glimpse all the fishies
One of the koi fish jumped up!
A montage of Des walking
