A Romantic Holiday at the Dinosaur Museum

It's hard to have a "Couple's Valentine's" when said holiday falls on the Sunday of a long weekend, so why fight it?

We started Saturday at the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. (Okay, we actually started Saturday with me running 8 miles and then yelling, "For the VERY LAST time, could you two pick up your toys?!!?" afterwards. So much for endorphins.)

Playing in the discovery wing.

A giant leg. Notice Kiki in the background giving the stink-eye to museum employees.

Playing in the erosion pool.

Insert plumbing/excavating joke here.

We had dinner on Sunday at my mom and George's with my step-brothers, Bronco and Chance, and their Valentine's dates- one wife (Jody), and a new fiancee (Jamie).
It was fun to eat good food, and laugh, and play Bananagrams, and then go home without our kids. Thanks, Mom, for the sleepover!

Today we went ice skating at the Olympic Oval. I was inspired to go after seeing on the Olympics that I am the exact height and weight as Apollo Ohno, so it's obvious I have a natural affinity for the sport.

This pretty much sums it up.

We met our friends Julie, Rachael, and Becca there. The kids used their special walkers and did really great.

Smiling, but also not on the ice yet. Kiki initially refused to put the rental ice skates on, and then finally agreed to wear them if she could do so without socks. My stomach turned but I really wanted her to try skating, so I let her.

She was so brave, screaming out, "I doing it! I doing it! Faster, faster!!"

Julie and Becca

By the time we left, Kate was skating all by herself!

We needed a little something to eat after and wound up at Leatherby's in Taylorsville. The girls ordered bubble gum ice cream which was atrociously colored and stained their skin.

This is the first bite. By the third, she was looking like a smurf.

Look at the wobbly ankles on this kid.

She's got that Barratt natural athleticism, I'm afraid.