Tuesday Monday Blogging

If you're here looking for this week's Hodgepodge questions you'll find them one post back. 

When Monday is Tuesday it throws us all off, right? Linking with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday today because at least we're all on the same page with these shorter weeks. 

We're wrapping up a seven day visit to Cincy where we've been in charge of one set of grands since first thing Friday morning. They've been in charge of us? Whatever. It's been fun and the littles have been so good. 

We aim for a some sort of outing in the morning hours because Little Miss takes a solid afternoon nap and ain't nobody missing that. The boys have some quiet time in the playroom then, where they listen to a story on their Yoto player while working on their various lego projects and hubs 'rests' on the couch while I do a quick pick up, get dinner organized, and sometimes blog. 

The mancub is a lego master and is happy to help little brother if he gets stuck or forgets a step. Thank goodness, because the world of legos is mostly new to me. I raised daughters and can get a shoe on a Barbie foot in record time, but don't have a lot of experience with legos. I see the appeal though. There is something so satisfying about putting together a model from literal square one. 

There are wonderful parks and playgrounds in this town, and we've hit up several that are close to my daughter's home here. The kids don't really watch television and we try to stick with that household policy. We do put a movie on to watch together most afternoons because we're not the parents lol. 

Also, we're not thirty something an.y.more. 

Note to young parents everywhere...keep doing those squats and planks because one day you'll be twice your grown children's ages and will find yourself awkwardly climbing in and out of a mini van's third seat, getting up from a 'criss cross applesauce' kind of seat on the floor, squeezing yourself into a tunnel slide made for five year olds, and lifting wriggly toddlers in and out of a bathtub-crib-carseat. You’re gonna need those abs. 

Our first day here with the kids we took them to a neighborhood park. Little Miss spied a balloon stuck in a tree and this has been the topic of her very animated conversations several times a day every day since. 

There'a another park nearby, close to a small airfield, and we spent some time there one day too. The boys love the playground at this park, but honestly we chose it mostly because on our drive into town hubs spied a B-29 parked there and wanted to see it up close. Turns out you could go inside so he took the boys and they had a ball. 

It was sunny-ha! Little miss and I sat on the sidewalk (the squats! the planks!) and watched the world go by from the shade of a big tree. 

Today is Memorial Day, and while there was no parade or backyard bbq we did spend the morning visiting a farm that's part of the park system which felt patriotic in it's own way. How fortunate we are to have time with family, to see the flag fly against a bright blue sky as we enjoy the outdoors, to laugh and share and make memories with the people we love. Thank you to the soldiers who have made it so. 

We had the farm practically to ourselves, if you don't count the pigs, sheep, cows, goats, horses and chickens. Oh, and the geese. Can't forget the geese. Baby geese, momma geese, and a whole lot of goose poop, which continues to be a hot topic for discussion amongst the boys. 

We walked around a pond filled with turtles and algae, and hubs, who knows a lot about a lot, provided our science lesson for the day. 

Because the park was so empty a girl working with the horses brought one out for us to pet. Meet Hammer-

Of course we made a stop at the playground here too, built in the shape of a barn. The boys had a ball running and chasing and sliding and climbing. 

Little Miss always trying to keep up with the big brothers. 

She is too cute for words. 

Pretty sure her favorite thing about having us here is we bring the dog. He has been the absolute best distraction for her, and the first word out of her mouth every morning, and at the end of every nap time, and probably twenty or thirty times a day is 'Hunley!' 

The next word out of her mouth is always Pawpaw, but after five grandchildren I'm used to that-ha! 

Pawpaw is the man of a million faces, sound effects, tricks, and hijinks that keep everyone laughing and happy and forgetting for a moment mom and dad are not in the house. He steals that nap on the couch when he can, but when he's on he's on and all the grands adore him. 

What else have we done since we arrived? Well, we've showered every day, and that feels like a bit of an accomplishment. I mean three kids under six means you have to plan when that will happen so go us! 

Everyone has eaten and slept and played so well together and I'm grateful for the routines mom and dad have in place that make stepping in for out of town parents pretty seamless. I've made easy dinners most nights, but last night we ordered out Thai food. Two years spent living in South Korea has left an impression on their palates so we ordered what they will tell you is their favorite foods-

Sushi for the mancub and pork gyozo for Max. 

Tomorrow we have a little outing planned, will order pizza for dinner 'cuz we're tired, and will greet the parents when they pull in the drive. 

We've had such a sweet time with this high energy, tender hearted, funny, smart, busy bunch this week. I always leave with a newfound appreciation for my girl and how she manages everyone's needs with grace and patience. How she keeps her eye on the ball and what matters for eternity. 

We'll head out the next day and I know it will feel good to be home.

And also that we'll hate to leave.

In the words of my four-year old grandson...'It's bittersweet.'