Fall weekend adventure!

*This post is my shameless plug for our local pumpkin patch in attempts to lure friends and family to come down this fall and join us, so bear with me and my gushing =)

This past weekend we had the opportunity to visit Pinter’s Pumpkin Patch, a local pumpkin patch, corn maze, and so much more!!! We decided to head over for a couple hours to tire the boys out before naptime (which is ALWAYS a challenge for us on weekends—does this happen to anyone else?)

Here is my juicy insider tip! Visit in the morning; we arrived as they were opening and just as we were leaving at noon it was just starting to get busy.

Our highlights? I knew you would ask!

Jumping pillow (H’s pick)—This is where our early arrival really paid off! The boys had SO much fun bouncing and running on this but can’t hang once their dad the older kids get this thing hopping. Another bonus-moms are allowed on it too…and I love a good trampoline.

Corn box (B’s pick)—The boys had a blast crawling around filling up buckets and even found an innocent bystander to bury. 

Mr. M was intrigued with how much less messy the corn box was than our sandbox at home. I could see wheels turning and am a little scared what might come of this. Anyone that knows Mr. M knows about his ‘invention’ ideas.

Big slides (L’s pick)—L told me he wanted to ‘slide and slide and slide’ and could have played here all day. Mr. M and I had to sample the slides (for safety purposes of course) and found them pretty fun ourselves! And I have to say watching little smiling faces going down the tubes were some of my favorite moments of the day.

Pedal Go Karts (Mr M’s pick)—L and B each took a turn with mom and dad and had so much fun getting to steer while we did all the dirty work pedaling! A good workout and a lot of fun.

We also visited the animal farm saying hello to some turkeys, chickens and goats (B does the CUTEST goat impression); rolled ourselves in tubes; tried out the ball zone; explored through the tire maze; and wrapped it up with a grain cart ride.

Needless to say—3 of the 4 of us were in full snooze by the time we got home for naps (don’t worry, the 4^th was the driver!). 

Season passes were obtained and we will definitely be back for more!! Mr. M said if they would install a beer truck and TV he’d be the first to arrive and last to leave every Sunday. I tend to agree, I don’t see a problem with an ‘adult cider’ option =)

On our agenda for next time? I knew you’d ask!

--Snack shack (did I mention Pinter’s makes the world’s best cupcakes?)

--Corn maze

--Wagon ride to the pumpkin patch

--‘Wiggleville’ (doesn’t that just sound fun?)

--Duck races

--Pumpkin cannon (this is obviously #1 on Mr. M’s list for next time)

H's race day recap--a very different story....

In honor of D's beautiful pre and post-MedCity recaps I thought I would walk you through a couple weeks ago when the kiddos and I ran the Cresco 10k. First just want to give a big shout out to the CFC for putting together a really well organized and fun race...also thank you for the photo documentation!

7:00am Decide to run the 10k 

7:30am Arrive to register with enough snacks and toys in the stroller to camp for a week. As soon as we pull in L (freshly potty trained) announces 'I Poot', which means we need to get to a bathroom ASAP. Everyone knows how important the pre-race 'Poot' is so I'm pretty impressed that L has mastered that skill so early in his running career.

7:40am The kids are out of the stroller running around like wild animals. Everyone comments on how cute they are while discretely moving away.

7:59am They announce the race will start in one minute. The race hasn't even started and I am sweating profusely from wrangling the kids into the stroller. Everyone is fortified with drinks, snacks, books, and stuffed animals--the stroller is getting a little crowded.

8:00am The race begins! WOW these kids are heavy.

We're off!!!

Mile 1: L plows through his entire supply of cherrios, starts trying to steal B's, first fight ensues.

Mile 2: I THOUGHT IOWA WAS FLAT--I was wrong.

Realize that B's binky was dropped sometime in mile 1--he is inconsoleable, also L won't stop touching him.

Mile 3: Pull out emergency back-up snacks for L, he eats half the container, says yucky and throws the rest at B.

Turnaround! Hurray!!!!!! I am smiling--both children are crying: L is mad we aren't going to grandma's house, B is still mourning the binky. 

'He's touching me!'

Mile 4: A raceday attendent brings us the binky on a Gator--apparently they could hear the crying at the mile 2 waterstop. L and I recite 'Little Blue Truck' from memory.

Mile 5: I start walking up the hills when I realize it has no effect on my pace..... L sings us Mary Has a Little Lamb which puts B to sleep.

Mile 6: L has to pee--we are on a trail on the side of a busy highway.... we go up into someone's yard and pee behind a bush, better him than me! L notices B is asleep so starts poking him until he wakes up and cries. A bout of 'he's touching me' ensues. Just as this happens, the 15k runners are passing us...super morale booster! 

Finish: We finished! I didn't even look at our time because I'm sure it was terrible, but who cares! We did it and it was an adventure. 

Post Race: The boys are ravenous (as if they hadn't just eaten enough snacks to feed a football team during the run). B sticks a half banana in his mouth whole, wipes what doesn't fit on my leg. L keeps trying to raid the snack table for more 'nacks'. B is throwing an apple all over because he thinks it is a ball. I guess we can have applesauce when he is done? I take this as our cue to leave...I'm pretty sure they won't be calling our names at the awards ceremony anyway =)

 

Chowing down bananas

B was super thirsty from his hard work

 

Europe 2014 (part 9)

Day 13: Venice

Where to start? Love, love-love-love, love Venice! This was my second time and just as fantastic as the first. Maybe even better since I knew what to look for!

The view from our boat coming into the Harbor was truly magical. We were able to see the entire city.

 

We arrived and boarded the water bus (when the roads are made of water, the bus is a boat!)

 

We took in some of the sites...

  

J had some major navigational difficulties this day. Normally she is the go-to navigator, however on water her internal compass must get a little wonky. Last time I was in Venice I was with J and the same thing happened. She reminded me REPEATEDLY that getting lost in Venice was literally what we wrote down on our itinerary so we should be enjoying ourselves. Note to self: NEVER put ‘get lost in ___’ on an itinerary again, I simply am not made for it.

 

ON this visit, we ended up passing the same café three times and walking in exactly the wrong direction. However, we were all forbidden to point this out (don’t you love family dynamics? J ) and had to follow her anyway. This happened again on the way back to the boat at 10pm and we somehow ended up next to Venice’s prison. To be fair—this was not an attraction we had visited yet.

 

  We then walked several miles in the rain (uphill the whole way, with no shoes, in a snowstorm) back to our ship. A and I passed the time singing Girl Scout songs our mom taught us when we were kids.  I know what you are thinking—yes there are people who sing camp songs after the age of 10—and those people weren’t even in the Girls Scouts. 

Never fear, these Girls Scouts (and their fellow ear plugging travel companions) still had an extraordinary time and Venice was the perfect place to end our trip.

 

 

Next week:  Back to real life!

 

Europe 2014 (part 8)

Day 12: At Sea


So you might be wondering what our kids, L and B, were up to while we were at sea. Our babysitter took 200 pictures while were gone (love her!) and here are a few of my favorites:

We also found out that our charming little L left the babysitter a present in the tub while were gone. She walked in the room to him holding said present and saying ‘all done’.

What. An. Adorable. Child.

Next week: Venice, our final destination!

Europe 2014 (part 7)

Day 11: Athens

 

Nothing takes my breath away like the site of the Parthenon in Athens. It makes me imagine what it would have been like thousands of years ago, paddling in from my mud hut in my little row boat (*probably NOT historically accurate) and looking up to see this:

Almost as breathtaking: getting off the bus to see THIS SIGN:

I have been looking forward to this since I left this yogurt stand 4 years ago on our last visit.

 It did not disappoint.

 

Again we road a Hop On Hop Off bus to take in all the sites of Athens.

The last time we were in Athens, our bus was late getting back to the Cruise Ship terminal, (and we may have been buying pictures from a street vendor). Scared we were going to MISS THE BOAT (my heart still palpitates at the thought), D and I had to run several miles to the ship! Meanwhile, Dad and J waited and took a leisurely tram ride, showing up at the ship the exact same time we did,except they were not sweating and panicking (in case you are wondering-we made the boat).   At one point in the run, I turned to D—who is significantly more athletic than me--and said, give me the bags and go. It was our own personal Marathon (in Greece even!) 

*Note-this photo is a recreation NO one was smiling in the original. 

Next week: What were the kids up to?