Ryan & Allie's Birthday

Like last year, I wanted to do something fun as a family on the day of the twins' birthday. This year we decided to go to the Hands On Museum, and we invited Cousin Cuppycake, Baby D, Uncle Logi & Auntie Min to go with us (since Cuppycake had been the only one who could make it to their birthday party). We had such a fun day with our cousins!

The first thing we tried was the water table. A BIG hit with all the kids!

Allie making a fishy face.

Ryan LOVED fishing. I almost couldn't get him to leave!
Cuppycake, so intent!

We tempted them away with the giant, foam stacking blocks. Cuppycake did a great job of stacking towers.

The twins preferred jumping into the giant pile of cushy blocks!

There was a display that made a tornado on a lighted platform (with fog). Allie loved being on this platform (I think she thought it was a stage).

Pretty soon Ryan joined her and I got a rare picture of the two together (a little blurry because I was rushing to catch it before someone moved away with lightning speed)!

Even more illusive - a picture of the 3 cousins together! Notice that 2 are on the move...

There was an ambulance to explore. The twins are in love with all forms of transportation, and Ryan is especially taken with ambulances and fire trucks. I managed to catch them each driving. Cuppycake didn't get to drive because some students on a field trip descended on the ambulance like locusts, and took over the cab just as I was lifting her in. Frustrated and overwhelmed by this group of kids more than twice her size pushing her away from everything sent poor Cuppycake into a fit and she and her daddy left us for a while. It was not long before the rest of us searched out a place to get away from the "locusts" who took over every area we moved in to get away from them!

Obsessed with "cool cars," Ryan spent a good amount of time playing with this.

Allie enjoyed the laser harp. All you had to do was stick your hands where strings would be and it played.

Their favorite thing might have been this little machine. When they pressed the button it activated a mechanism that moved a penguin up the stairs. When he reached the top he would slide to to the bottom to repeat the process. They have seen this toy on Baby Einstein, and were so excited to run it in person!

I almost didn't get Allie to leave...

They had one of those giant, floor keyboards like on Big! Ryan thought it was pretty cool, but only liked to play with one foot.

Unfortunately, I saw she was in the giant bubble thing after the giant bubble surrounding her was gone :(

I got in some quality time with Baby D!

We ended up escaping into the preschool lounge (which I knew was there and had been looking for - it was it's own separate floor in a different part of the museum...). This wonderful, enclosed room had everything they loved in the museum, and was only for kids age 4 and under! It was perfect and so much fun!

A smaller water table WITH aprons to keep them dry! Ryan & Cuppycake spent a lot of the time here. Allie was in the playhouse making lunch with a little friend she made.

Uncle Logi helped Ry-guy dress up to drive the fire truck!

We had such a fun day and were so excited to share it with out cousins! What a wonderful way to celebrate turning 2!!