Great Weekend!

We have had a wonderful weekend here, punctuated by some fabulous weather today. Erik and Luke are currently outside mowing the lawn together. Luke just popped in the front door (all by himself), saying, "Mommy, I have a flower for you." What he handed me is technically a weed, but I LOVE it.
Yesterday we took a family trip to the Children's Museum. This was our first venture here just the four of us. It went so well! Luke played, Paul napped and we all had a fabulous time. The newest exhibit is all about dinosaurs, something Luke found pretty interesting. He kept asking me all the names...can we get a book? I only remember about four and half of those have been changed in the twenty years since I cared about dinosaurs. I think a trip to the library is coming. I know we could find it online, but my toddler is pretty enamored with the written word. He likes to turn the pages himself and point, while asking questions.
Last night Erik and I were blessed to have a date. A real date. Our good friends suggested a new babysitter, a close friend of their family who just finished her second year in college. The lovely Emily arrived on our doorstep and gave me a huge hug first thing. I knew I was going to like this girl. She was awesome with both boys, getting Luke to bed on time and rocking the precious Paul back to sleep after he awoke crying. She also tidied up my house and told me my boys are wonderful. I think we have a winner!
Meanwhile, Erik and I escaped! We began our evening by enjoying the peace, quiet and lovely view at Dave and Lynne's place. They are currently enjoying Europe and thought they wouldn't mind if we hung out in the relative calm of their condo. We then headed to the Pearl District for dinner and enjoyed the amazing cuisine and delightful atmosphere of Andina, a Peruvian restaurant. I especially enjoyed the lively Saturday night crowd and the live music. I felt a bit like an alien invading from planet Diaper Change, but I tried to blend in. While we were dining, the co-owner, and true Peruvian Mama came around to greet the evening guests. I gushed my appreciation for the food, the hospitality and the general feeling of warmth exuded by the place. She smiled and said their dream was to create a small piece of Peru, where there is always good food and a warm welcome. I think I need to go there!
We arrived home to sleeping children and a happy babysitter. Did I mention she's a winner? It was a lovely date and we are thinking of having another one in July!
Today was a little nuts. I sang on worship team at church, necessitating my 6:30 am departure from home. Erik brought the boys for the 9:30 am service, while I stayed until 12:30 pm helping take down after the last service. We had a super mellow lunch of hummus, goat cheese, crackers and mini-toasts, leftovers from our date appetizers. Not surprisingly Luke liked both spreads. At dinner tonight he chose the balsamic vinaigrette for his carrot slices. Eclectic palette.
Here are the pics from the trip to the Children's Museum.

Paul in the Baby Garden, happy.

Luke liked the dinosaur puppets and found some folks to play with him while Mommy took pictures.

Daddy and his boys in the "dinosaur nest." Those big, squishy pillows are the eggs. Luke has spent the last few mornings hatching from his bed. Quite the site!