Pseudo Campers

We are enjoying spending time with L and K this week and learned that we have something in common: we all like psedo-camping.  I'm totally making that word up (I think) but I define it to mean: doing only the very funnest camping things and omitting all mosquitoes, humidity, nasty campground bathrooms and leaky tents, among other un-fun camping things.  Yesterday turned out to be a lovely afternoon, so the 6.5 of us went pesudo-camping.

First, we drove to Nerstrand Big Woods state park and went for a "hike."  It's just a path through the woods to a little waterfall (where we took our family photos for the Christmas card), but it's certainly a hike for a pregnant lady and two toddlers.  For the other 3 able bodied adults, it was just a stroll.  It was total BOY HEAVEN!  They could have spent the entire afternoon "rock climbing" up the side of the waterfall.  Don't worry, the men were spotting, L was photographing, and I was catching my breath on a bench, imagining it was 80 degrees and I was lounging with an ice cold beverage whilst my family frolicked in the falls. 

My favorite pic, N cresting the ridge

There is no denying that mug!

Look at that tongue!  "Should I do it again? YES!"

Long ways up!

He did it! 

This one's just to show you I still have a bit of a waist at 35 weeks this time!

Here's where we went home and ate chili, a total camping dish, which even the boys ate, so home run for my meal planning!  Of course, M and N think the kidney beans are "baby hot dogs," so we go with it...had to make sure K understood I do NOT cook chili with hot dogs.  Although that would be kind of like chili dogs, so I guess I could...

Moving into the backyard, we scrounged up a cord of wood, a bag of mallows, an old Hershey bar and the last of the graham crackers to round out our evening campfire with s'mores. 

Aunt L teaches N how to toast his mallow

Oops!  She burnt M's mallow!  Gotta start over!

Our manly men tending the fire (while L roasts a new mallow)

Our first campfire...awe, isn't that sweet?

Our first campfire of the season - no skeeters!  Hooray!

Funny mommy shot of me assembling s'mores for everyone and M lounging.

We all went inside when it got cold, I enjoyed a hot shower in my marvelous bathroom, (not to mention got a pedi from Aunt L!) and then we all passed out in our bug-free warm beds.  You can't beat that!  And it cost us $5.  Psuedo camping is the way to go.

3rd Annual Fall Family Photo Shoot

How many college educated adults does it take to shoot a family photo?  Answer: more than three!  We took the fellas to nearby Nerstrand Big Woods State Park because Daddy had the day off, we had our amateur photographer auntie, and it was a beautiful sunny 75 degree stunner today.  Could it get any better?  You decide.  

I ain't lookin at that camera, Dad.  This is just the beginning.

Man down!

Overexposed underbelly shot

I hate family photos, Daddy!  Don't make me take another one!

Cutie little N is happy to play Boy Scouts, as long as we're not trying to photograph him

All I need is a flint to make a spark...

What a lovely family...meltdown

Huh?  Camera?  Whassat?

Two mountain goats make a crazy mommy

One, two, three...RUN!

So organic.

Choo! Choo! Now we're TWO!

"Choo-Choo is coming!  WHAAAAHHH!  WHAAAAAH!"
That was how Hubs and I woke up at 5:30 this morning.  Think the boys were excited for their Thomas the Train themed birthday party?  The "WHAAAHHH!" sound is my sons imitating the noise the REAL trains make as they blast the horn going through our new town.  They already know trains don't say "chugga-chugga" or "choo-choo" - they know they are LOUD and startling!

Our two families gathered at a nearby park and shared a picnic together this afternoon.  Despite threatening weather, the rain held off until the chicken, salads, baked beans, and three delicious cakes were eaten and all the presents were opened.

What cracks me up about toddlers is that really, they just need ONE toy for a holiday or birthday.  They simply aren't interested in the clothes (that I'm THRILLED they're receiving)!  Or they just need some dirt and sticks, like they found at the park! 

Thank you to our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who braved the storm clouds to celebrate our sons' lives.  We love you and are grateful that you can be a part of their special day!  Enjoy a few of the lovely photos taken by our amateur photographer auntie:

M is all smiles, welcoming our guests.

3 fantastic cakes!

"I'll help you, brother."

Thanks for the presents!

Make a wish!

Best Friends Forever

Yummy!

Up, up and away!

For You!

Our son, Goldilocks

Happy Birthday, boys!  You are the answer to our prayers.  We love you and are proud to be your parents.  So please sleep in tomorrow.

Project Family Date Night

Call it desperation, a New Year's Resolution, or crazy, but we've decided that it's something that must be done.  In some ways, we've been hermits for 19 months (yes, we fly, but mostly to the grandparents' homes).  Make that two years - I stopped going out much once I reached whale-ific proportions.  Don't get me wrong: I love being home, and for the most part, I love cooking (it's the cleaning up I hate).  In fact, we've also decided that the only way to see our friends again is to cook for them at home on Sunday afternoons while the boys sleep.  So it's not like we're socialites or anything.

But we've gotta get outta here.  The house is small, the weather bad (-6 as I type), the toys overwhelming, and the kitchen must close down once in  while!  Besides, we do need to socialize them - like, in a place that's not babyproofed.

So we did again. 

We're calling it Project Family Date Night.  You know, like a sequel to that time in our lives when we actually had "Date Night?" 

We try to find a family-friendly activity and restaurant and have fun together, which in itself is no small potatoes when you need to entertain two curious and wily toddlers!

Activity 1: Edinborough Park. It's an indoor playground up near the cities that comes highly recommended from other parents.   It was fun, but I think it will be much more successful when the boys are bigger and the crowds are thinner.  Here are a couple pics, then we'll move on to the REAL fun:

Restaurant:California Pizza Kitchen!  It's no secret that we love pizza, but this joint brings back fond memories for us because we've eaten at several of its locations all over the world!  San Fransisco and Singapore spring to mind this morning.

And miracle of miracles!  I'm not sure what happened, but the fellas were ANGELS!  As in, the box of crayons fascinated them for 15 entire minutes! 

Tic tac toe, anyone?

Put 'em in, take 'em out, repeat 100 times.

Then...they ate their entire meal!  Without throwing it on the floor!  Without throwing the not-plastic plates on the floor!  Woo hoo!  You cannot imagine how wonderful this was.

Hubs and I actually got to eat our meals, much more peacefully than our previous date night with the guys.  Oh, how I love thee, chicken lettuce wraps!

As we cleaned up the fellas (a just a few errant noodles), we patted ourselves on the backs for a successful meal and told them, "You give us hope for the future, fellas," when a family entered the restaurant with a set of 5-ish year-old twin boys.

"Look!  Twins!  Just like you were!" the mom cried.  "Mom and Dad are sure brave!"  We smiled up at them, said hello, and they kept going.

"Hope for the future," Hubs said.  "Did you notice there was a third?" he asked, since the dad was carrying a little toddler.

"I noticed," I said. 

I'm hopeful, but not that hopeful.  Not yet, anyway.  I need a few more successful Project Family Date Nights.  No... a LOT more.

Wordless Wednesday