ERDC EASTER EGG HUNT

On your marks...

get set...

Go!

Will, Cora, James, David, and Manu enjoying their spoils:

Still too busy eating to pose for photos. Jay and I thought it was hilarious that you could just look around and tell which kids get candy at home (those who were hording their eggs) and which kids don't (like ours, who were shoving it in as fast as they could, wrapper and all sometimes, in the hopes that mama and daddy wouldn't take it away).

Hooray for Starburst and TootsieRolls!

Drooling, dripping, sugary saliva everywhere...

Too bad the hose didn't work (well, that's what we had to tell James so that he'd leave it alone), otherwise we could have just hosed them all down!

Yay for Easter festivities and lovely spring weather!

FIELD TRIP: ZOO

It's been a BUSY week for the kids. Two days of swim lessons and TWO field trips. We're all a little tired, but the kids have had a great week. Personally, I'm looking forward to a lazy pizza and movie night tonight though, and I didn't even go to the zoo today (Jay and I switched off, since neither of us have much annual leave saved up, and our new daycare with it's many field trips and teacher work days and holidays has really cut into our vacation stores)!

Anyway, being the awesome daddy and husband that he is, Jay sent me updates throughout the day, so I didn't feel like I completely missed out. The group stuck together, checking out all the animals, riding the carousel and train, and eating hotdogs for lunch. Jay said the kids were really good (we had them pinky swear this morning - yes, I'm serious).

Checking out the pygmy hippo:

Have you ever seen a pelican? (sorry, inside joke) It rained, but that didn't stop the kids from having fun. Plus, it gave Cora a chance to wear her gorgeous new rain jacket (from her Grambot and Pawpaw).

And this weekend? Our plans are minimal. Perhaps we'll find time to do the taxes, finish painting/decorating our bedroom, and clean up the yard. Fingers crossed! Until then, I'm headed out to meet my crazy family at the bounce house Playland, where they are somehow scrounging together enough energy to play until dinner time!

FIELD TRIP: CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

This morning we set off on an adventure with the preschool classes!

The kids were less than impressed with the instructions before being set free...

(He said "The cow's peeing! Look, pee-pee!" No amount of milk explanation could change his mind.)

All 3 buddies at the water table:

"A, G, A, P, E! Agape means God's love for me!"

After the museum, the kids had a PB&J picnic, then hit the playground to burn off any remaining energy before the ride home.

It totally worked:

And holy geez, I just have to say, I am SO glad I didn't end up having to drive any of the other kids today. I would have been a nervous wreck! It's one thing to have other people's childrens' lives in your hands when you are in full control of the situation (well, as much as you can be, anyway), but I was shocked when I walked into daycare this morning to see ~10 booster seats sitting in the foyer. Only 3 were the type with backs, and NONE had 5-point harnesses. These are 2- and 3-year-olds, all of whom should be in car seats, but at least 5-point harness full-back booster seats. Rearfacing soapbox aside (for once), this is yet another reason why we will likely never send our kids on field trips without us. A few parents, a few teachers, everyone quickly installing car seats (I mean, booster seats) of many brands and styles, without instructions. No thanks.

CAMP CUTIES

I had to share a few photos from Christina and Sophie, since they are too cute not to commit to the blog time capsule!

James asked to wear Cora's hat at the beach, since she wasn't enjoying it (because it's far too big for her, even in 12-18 month size, and she can't see a darn thing with it on)...

There was a cool playground at the front gate. The triple slide was especially awesome!

And last but not least, Will and Cora sharing a sweet smooch. Don't be jealous Chris!

Cora's a boy kisser, for sure. She gave Al one right on the smacker when she said goodbye Sunday afternoon. And she kissed Manu's head and cheek multiple times over the weekend. And of course, she kisses her daddy and brother all the time. I wonder if she's a smoocher at school too? Hopefully not, since she's been a stripper there for the past two weeks, and that's trouble enough all on it's own...

THE KIDS' FIRST CAMPING ADVENTURE!

This past weekend we took the kids on their first camping adventure. With our good friends the Sanchez and Kennedy families. It was a one-night trip, only an hour from home, in a commercialized setting: Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park! We figured that way, if all hell broke loose, we could always retreat. But you know what? They did GREAT! They really did. (They were totally pumped about the trip and "practiced" camping at home before we left, toting the lanterns into their tunnel and sitting around saying things like "We're camping" and "We're sleeping OUTside".) We were super proud of them for (mostly) listening to us about what they could (jump on the air mattress as long as their shoes were off) and couldn't do (go near the fire or fire ants or mud pits). They even slept. Well! And we suspect that they may even have slept through the night had campground noises not awoken them. Wait 'til you see the picture of them snuggling in the tent...

We found that zipping the kids into a tent was a highly effective way to keep them reigned in while we set up camp. What? They loved it!

The Yogi stickers they received at check-in were a big hit. And a big stick. (Stupid things left residue on their clothes, but oh well.)

The tent platforms were conveniently covered in sand. I mean, "the beach". All the kids highly enjoyed their little beach.

Leo was such a happy little man. Nature must suit him. And soothe him. Tell me that smile isn't a winner? CUTE!

Cora schooled us in Washers. Of course, she cheated. When mine bounced this way and that, she just gave me a look, walked up to the tray, and dropped hers right in the middle. Kinda like she was telling me "Duh, just get closer if you want it to land right Mama."

We even had a visit from Yogi himself. The boys were intrigued. Cora kept her distance. Safely up in her Daddy's arms.

There was a real beach. At the end of a little bridge. (The campground is on a lake.) There is a cool looking splash park/waterslide park too, but it wasn't open yet. Probably the reason the place was so conveniently deserted this weekend.

Wet sand was even more fun than the dry variety back at camp.

We brought the kids' swimsuits. But not to the beach. Oops. The boys loved having "naked belly" time on the way back to camp though, so no worries. And apparently going commando while biking doesn't bother preschoolers.

(Holding onto Daddy's ears for support)

Bumping naked bellies...

Little rednecks...

So yeah, I decided that we definitely have the cutest, sweetest kids around. Here's proof (they did this of their own volition):

The boys especially liked "the beach", while Cora preferred to sit in camp chairs around the fire and eat. Yup, she knows EXACTLY what camping is all about!

Dinner was fun. A potluck of hotdogs and brats and cheesy bacon potatoes and pasta salad and veggies and fruit. Have I mentioned that camping is all about food? OK, maybe not ALL about food, but it certainly plays an important role. For me, anyway.

It didn't take the kids long at all to fall asleep. We wore them out, for sure. Or maybe they wore themselves out. Either way, it worked. James and Cora shared the little TuckAire Toddler mattress and James' baby blanket from his Aunt Margie (so thick and warm and soft), snuggling together all night long, often laying nose-to-nose or holding each other's arms, while Jay and I had the big mattress to ourselves. Oh yes, the sleeping arrangements worked out SO much better than we ever dared hope. How completely sweet are these two?

The next morning brought more adventure.

Bike races down the deserted gravel road.

And up the road...

A Color Hunt around the campground.

(They were trying to blow a beetle off the big plant. And no, they didn't pick any of the decorative flowers or leaves. They were just looking.)

And when we sat down for a break (since a pregnant mama - Christina, and a mama with one bum hand - me, needed a rest after ushering 4 munchkins around the campground on a scavenger hunt), James saw this little tree stump and declared "It's the Lorax!" When I asked him if the Lorax speaks for the trees, he said yes. And when we asked him and Manu to hug a tree, James picked the stump instead. A-dorable!

(And about that bum hand... I grabbed a recently used skewer in a bad place Sunday morning. No worries though, the pain from the burn went away almost completely after 24 hours. Not my brightest moment. And I wasn't the only Lindsay to arrive home worse for wear. Poor James got a few chiggers and mosquito bites - one right on his eyebrow, which caused significant swelling this morning - and skinned his knees pretty badly. Add in the huge bruise on his elbow from his fall at his photo shoot a week and a half ago that is still healing, and multiple other bruises and scrapes on his arms and shins, and the kid looks a wreck. Bummer that he reacts to chigger bites just like me - major swelling and lengthy recovery. I have a feeling this summer is going to be filled with Neosporin and ChiggerX...)

We will definitely be camping again. SOON! And next time we're going for TWO nights! So much fun, and so much easier than we expected. Thanks for a great weekend everyone :-)