Post Weekend

Q:  What do you do on the weekend when you live in Minnesota, and experience 70-degree weather in early March?

A:  SPEND THE WHOLE DANG DAY OUTSIDE.

The first few days outside after being cooped up for so long...it's like a brand-new adventure for these little guys.  Everything is new again, even our own backyard.  After a few days of spending time outside, they got more and more brave, at first preferring to stay near me and on the path, but then venturing further and further, not needing or even wanting me nearby, and venturing off to do some exploring.

Even Nolan seemed to enjoy the fresh air, and napped like a dream after being all snuggled up in the carrier.

Then there's this kid, who watches whatever the 5, 6, 7-year olds do on the playground, shrugs his newly-turned-two-year old shoulders, and says, "Hey, I can do that."

Not pictured: the three-foot drop to the ground.  Or the "ladder" with VERY BIG, MUCH LARGER THAN CADEN-SIZED OPENINGS between the rungs that he managed to climb up about five feet off the ground on before anyone spotted him.  No fear.  That's okay, I've got enough fear for both of us as my mama heart starts beating about four times as fast.

In case you were wondering how cool they thought they were with their sunglasses...

...yeah.  They thought they owned the neighborhood.

Especially when they got to show their cousin around.  Caden and Brooklyn will be your guides; they know where all the happening playgrounds are at.

If you follow me on Facebook, you may know that we made a mad dash out of the house on Sunday before 8:40 am to make it to church at 9:00, only to arrive to find out that it was cancelled due to a power outage.  Tensions were running a bit high as we turned around in the parking lot, with two energetic toddlers and an infant who decided that THIS was the time to start wailing in the backseat.  I'll leave you attempt to calculate the effort that was involved to get two 2-year olds, an infant, myself, (Who decided at the last minute that Nolan and I would be attending church, as well.  Love this house, but man am I sick of looking at these walls.), and Tyson fed, clothed appropriately, and out the door by that ungodly hour.  On daylight savings weekend, for crying out loud.  And then we were denied our outing, AND a free hour of childcare for the older two.  Won't somebody please think of the children?!?

We all came home, collapsed, and gave in to the gods of technology, instead.