Field Trip Fun

School field trips with my crazy mom and my friends' crazy moms are some of my favorite childhood memories. They were the most fun, and bless their hearts, they did little chaperoning. We loved it!

Their chaperoning went like this: First, they drove and told the teacher which kids that they wanted in their cars. They would pack EPIC picnics (this is where my mom shined the brightest)! Also, they always treated us to the gift shop. Last, they signed us out early and we stayed late at the field trip. That's exactly what happened last week when I tagged along with Burl and his friends to the Nature Center. 

We followed the same pattern as my mom and her friends. The forecast was total rain, but we got lucky and only dealt with mud for a while then sun in the afternoon. 

The above face was his reaction to an owl feasting on a dead mouse. It was a highlight/lowlight of the trip. 

Once his class left, Burl and I drove the look around the cove. Since we were on a one way, gravel, no other cars drive, I let him ride shotgun. He was so happy and talked about all the things for the entire time. I barely got a word in-he was so excited that he talked the whole time and even interrupted himself. Those were signs that he was really enjoying himself. 

He quickly spotted a bamboo forest and the grounds keeper gave him a staff. 

Burl loved having me there for the field trip and some one-on-one time at the end. One-on-one time with my children is such a treat for me, but especially my Burl who is gone to school most of the time. He kept saying how special the time was, and I couldn't have agreed more. I can only hope I held a candle to my childhood trips. 

Teal Mama

I found Fern like this a few days ago:

It was cold out, we were hanging out at home, and she was bopping around the house. Next thing I know, she's put on her cute suit and gone teal on me. That's the perfect outfit to wear when you give your swaddled baby a bottle, everyone woman knows that. 

This girl loves being a mama. This morning she declared very firmly that she "is not a toddler, I am a mama!" Ok, little mama, whatever you say. You do you! 

As sassy and determined as she is, she comes up with the sweetest compliments. Last night I was putting her to bed and told her how cute she is. She replied, "you're cute too! And happy every time!" Oh, how I hope that she really feels that. She is such a source of joy for me and our family. Mama or toddler, she is a great Fern!

Our Ginger Routine

We're about a month and a half away from Summer break, and I can not wait to have all my babies with me all the time. Among all the kindergarten changes that we've been through this year, a minor change has been having just two babies with me, Fern and Ridge. We have a loose routine everyday. During Ridge's first nap, Fern gets to watch TV. She watches and plays, while I clean then join her (I usually read my Bible or a book in the den). If we're leaving the house, then we have a two hour window where we can go on an adventure. We frequent playgrounds and have lots of picnics before their afternoon nap:

Fern abounds in patience and love for Ridge, bordering on his little mama. She's protective  and careful with him. 

He watches her and tries to keep up with her. What a cutie he is crawling around, testing out what he can and can not do. (And shaking his head "no" when he knows he's not suppose to do something, secretly hoping that I'm not looking.)

I know that I'm a broken record of "I love being a stay at home mom," but I can't quit the feeling. 

It doesn't take much to get them excited, and I feed off of their sweet wander! What a summer we will have! I'm ready to get it started!

Battlefield At Sunset

John's dubbed me the fun one. I'm constantly hurling up ideas for a fun adventure-big or small! Last week, I convinced Burl to run errands with me. "Come on, it will be fun, you know we will get a treat!" Well, our kindergarten schedule has limited my last minute, late night crawls. However, during Spring break, I was constantly coming up with ideas!

 On Saturday night, I took an opportunity after dinner to drive to the Battlefield to "use those new binoculars." (Really I just see the mom world through new experience glasses.) We made it there right before sunset. We climbed the tower, then drove a portion of the loop WITHOUT SEAT BELTS because we're wild and free. 

We came across three herds of deer. This sent us running/skipping/sneaking through fields to get closer. When we add a little adventure with light (and I mean VERY LIGHT) danger, the kids turn into super kids. Kind words. Thoughtful gestures. Serene siblings. It's adorable and we all love each other a little bit better. I'm literally skipping through fields and laughing with the kids. (Actually, I'm always laughing with them but RARELY skip.)

Crossing creeks turned up the excitement. We're like natives with our scheming. 

Ushering the kids into a little adventure is great, and the full reward is when they stop following my lead and try it themselves. Oh the bravery!

We stayed up almost two hours past bedtime, so we left the baby home with John. We were so worn out from our adventures that we had to re-fuel with milkshakes on the way home. (Because food goes with adventure like pb&j.) I love this growing up thing! These are my favorite little times with them!