Day 313: October Birthday Boys at the Nickelcade

Ben, Steve, and I, the family's October birthday boys, journeyed out to one of our favorite hangouts, the Nickelcade in Taylorsville, for some good-old-fashioned video gaming tonight as a sort of belated birthday party. They were both good enough to have also attended my b-day party at the Karaoke Cafe last month, and I was more than happy to return the favor.

Steve came prepared with a jar full of change, which he spent a good deal of time sorting out on the countertop by the register:

Once we got that straightened out, we spent a few hours playing some old favorites, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, which the three of us played from start to finish.

Steve and I also played several rounds of Skee-Ball, which won us enough tickets to redeem for a handful of candy to enjoy on the car ride home.

Hangin' with the Kids for the Weekend

It was my sister-in-law Jana's birthday Friday. I got to help tend my nephews (eight-year-old Dallin and six-month-old Jackson) while Mike took her out to dinner and then to the Kelly Clarkson/Reba McEntire concert.

Ben and I teamed up and decided to take Dallin to Taylorsville to spend a couple of hours at one of our favorite Salt Lake valley hangouts, the Nickelcade. It was Dallin's first time going there (first time in any kind of arcade, he said). He enjoyed playing Skee-Ball (and outbowled me, I might add), and he also got his first crack at an old favorite of ours, Rampage. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I may have also set my own personal best score on Ms. Pac Man.

Dallin, who usually has a more-than-adequate amount of energy for an eight-year-old, fell asleep soon after we returned to Bountiful at about 10:00 p.m. (His bedtime on a school night is 8:00 p.m., so I guess he held out for as long as he could.) His little brother Jack-Jack, ironically, was still awake for a while. We enjoyed watching him play with some toys from the toy room in his little box before we put him to sleep:


His new nickname is "Jack in the Box," thanks to Grandpa.

Mike, Jana, and all four of their kids were back again Sunday afternoon for a family birthday party. We had a combined shindig for Jana's and my recent b-days, for which we ate dinner and cake; played "Pass the Parcel" (a family tradition, which is a must-have at our family birthday parties), won by 10-year-old Kylee; and also got in a few rounds of another family favorite, Mario Kart Wii, which Jeff was good enough to bring over.

While we were thus employed, Kylee and Dallin snuck outside and made a couple of snowmen on the front lawn. (The first snowfall of the season here came Saturday night/Sunday morning.) I think they did a pretty good job. I got this shot of their creations:


All in all, it was an enjoyable weekend.