Another Teenager in the House!

So, last week was Soccer Boy's 13th birthday!  I need to get his birth story posted but it involves non-digital pictures and I have to figure out our new printer's scanner so it will have to wait.  His birthday weekend involved another cold weather storm (figures).  They were predicting sleet but thankfully it really wasn't that bad out this time around.  His birthdays always seem to involve winter storms, the days surrounding his birth were filled with lots of snow.  On his actual birthday the family celebrated by picking him up some Smokey Bones nachos and playing a few games of his newest gift:

Ticket to Ride!

The game takes some time to play (think Monopoly), so we've only played it twice.  Firstborn won the inaugural game (just barely, only 6 measly points ahead of me)!  Doug won the second round.  We picked up an ice cream cake, per Soccer Boy's request, and headed to my folk's house a day ahead of the bad weather to celebrate with them.  He finally got his fishing cake (reference goldfish cake from last year).

Happy 13th!

The whole gang...

We were supposed to go to a local indoor gym, but when we arrived they were closed due to the expected bad weather.  Since we were out and about I went ahead and took the kids shopping at the pet store and Toys R Us to spend their Christmas money.  It was a real treat for them because we avoid that store like the plague.  Taking the kids there tends to give them a case of the "gimmies" Berenstain Bear style.

This past weekend we finally made it to the postponed gym date...

Soccer Boy on trampoline

Firstborn scaling the cargo net
Game Boy & Princess in background

Still working the net

Princess on ring swing

Game Boy on obstacle course

Flipping on the trampoline

It was a really neat obstacle course and they had a worker there to teach them how to use the equipment properly.  He also taught Firstborn how to do a official "drop" (landing bottom first, legs straight on the mats).  He was allowed to do a drop off the platform that was something like 20 feet up, suspended from the ceiling.  The actual drop was only maybe 10 to 12 feet to the mat, but still crazy high!  I wouldn't have been able to do it, but Firstborn enjoyed it.

So now I guess we're the parents of two "official" teenagers!  Firstborn will be working on getting his driver's permit soon.  Good times ahead!!