Memorial Day Weekend

We decided to drive up to Aberdeen after church and spend Memorial Day with the Aberdeen Allreds. It's a nice drive, just under 4 hours, and I always love driving through the "lake district" in South Dakota. I really like calling it the lake district; it makes me feel like I'm in England.

Owen really took to Great Grandma Allred. Every time he came downstairs and she was sitting in the living room, he would drag out this truck and climb up on her lap to play with the truck together. The kids also liked playing with the Johnsons. Hannah brought her old Polly Pocket collection, and Camille loved it and played with it almost every free moment. Hannah was nice enough to even give Camille a couple of the Polly Pockets, which Camille now takes to bed.

We visited Storybook Land. I was just planning on enjoying it and maybe paying for the train, but Brian splurged on the 10 pack of tickets, so we rode the train, the rollercoaster (Camille was terrified of it), the carousel, and the spinning balloons. Sadly, they took out the barrel that you spin in like a hamster. It was probably super dangerous, but also one of the most fun things there.

Every year the Allreds have a little Memorial Day thing at the cemetery, so we joined in that. It was very nice.

On the way back we stopped at a children's museum. Camille has been dying to go since she sees a commercial for it on Brian's pbs channel. (Mommy!--the South Dakota Children's Museum is just a short trip away in Brookings!) I consider this part of her birthday present.

This was the coolest part: you could dig for dinosaurs bones in the sandboxes.

We got home at 4:30. I hadn't planned well for Camille's birthday, and Brian wasn't feeling well, so he went to lie down. I put on Little Einstein's for the kids to watch and ran to the store. I bought a birthday cake. I feel bad about it because bakery cakes are so stinking expensive, but I didn't see how I would be able to make a cake and celebrate her birthday that night otherwise. She was really happy with the cake though, and we managed to get them to bed somewhat on time.

Her expectations for future birthday cakes might be a little too high now.

She got some kids furniture for her dollhouse and a couple books, and the Cinderella doll on the cake. She is happy with it all, although I still don't think she ever plays with her dollhouse.