The Afterparty

You hate to complain about vacation time, but we are routinized, predictable people. We enjoy our normalcy. And I reluctantly admit it was a bit long for us to be "off". So we traveled all over creation for Christmas, then spent a few days in the house breaking in all the new toys and learning a few very important lessons.

Lesson #1. A fireman hat is most efficiently worn with the long back brim placed in the front like a ball cap, so as to shield a Little Guy's eyes from the bright light of the fire in question.

Lesson #2. This is the sound a fire hose makes.

Lesson #3. M is for Momo. (Among the alphabet Duplos Santa brought for Christmas, a favorite has risen to the top.)

We tried to get out of the house, but the cold made it tough to be outside for very long.

We enjoyed a few days of walking at the park, and at least one day it was warm enough to run around a bit and play on the slides. We mostly enjoyed letting Colt run all his little energy out because being trapped in the house just doesn't cut it for this kid.

And then! Right at the end of our break! My friend Teresa helped me discover the greatest thing to ever happen to a 2 year old (and his Mama) in the history of the world!

Boingo Bounce, where have you been all my life?

Jeff had to work that last Monday of the break, but Colt and I met our friends Ryan and Teresa and their little guy Chaz for some fun at Boingo Bounce. This place is awesome. Six bucks and you get to run around this indoor, inflatable wonderland for as long as you can stand it. Colt was the youngest kid in there, but L-O-V-E-D it. We will be going back. Soon.

He was so excited he spent most of the time running back and forth from slide to slide to slide to slide, laughing and giggling and sometimes falling down he was dancing and running around like such a wild animal. There was a group of older kids about 8 or 9 years old that he tried his best to keep up with. He can't climb those little stairs quite as fast as they would have liked… but they were very sweet to these little boys as they played their hearts out.

Who knows why, but the boys got a wild hair to commandeer these little rocking horses and with Ryan's help they put on a show for the whole place.

A perfect way to end a nice long vacation – and next time Paw will get to come with us. Until we meet again, Boingo Bounce!

It's back to reality for these Hoods!