Spring Break

This year we stayed home for spring break, and my parents came to visit. We had a ton of fun going somewhere different each day. For the most part, we went to places that were familiar to the boys but we did try out one new place which turned out to be a lot of fun.

We spent a day at the park. We let the boys bring their scooters to ride on the trails, and we also brought bread to feed to the ducks.

Bearhug's typical "camera face" lol

He surprised me by actually smiling for a picture :)

Cuddlebug

Bitty feeding the ducks

I love Bearhug's expression in this one... Cuddlebug and Bitty are into feeding the ducks but Bearhug looks so bored. He managed to find his own fun sooner after, building a dam in the little stream that leads to the lake.

What a face!!

My mom and I

I never get tired of all the green - it's beautiful!

Hanging out at the house later that day. I gave Bitty my old camera a while back because he loves to take pictures, he was having me clear off his memory card so he could take some more.

We heard about a local trampoline playground so we went to check it out. Can I just say - PERFECT sensory activity!! Bitty complained that he didn't want to go (because it was new) and usually it takes him anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to relax and get acclimated when we go somewhere new, so I was afraid it would be time to leave before he even got started, but once he saw the trampolines it was only a few minutes before he decided to join in the fun :).

After that we went to the park (a different one this time).

Bitty loves the swings... (I love his smile in these pictures)

...but he was willing to share :)

It was great to see all three boys playing together. Cuddlebug and Bearhug even took turns pushing their little brother on the swing.

Grandma and Grandpa had a fun time too :)

Love their smiles! The tire swing is perfect for twins, no?

And one day we took a little drive into the mountains to see the waterfalls. It was weird to have to wear coats and pants, but it was cold and rainy that day. And foggy! But the fog cleared up while we were there.

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Pumpkin Patch

We took the boys out for an early-fall trip to the pumpkin patch. The one we usually go to wasn't open yet, so we tried a new one. Turns out this one sells fresh-baked pumpkin pie too... YUM!!! :) These were taken on Saturday 9/17.

All three boys together... Bitty doing his "puppy dog" face :)

Bearhug helping Bitty with the wheelbarrow.  It was big and rather unwieldy for someone of Bitty's size to maneuver.

Helping Dad push the wheelbarrow :)

Bitty and his puppy face again, lol.  Just like the Baby Einstein Neighborhood Animals puppy :).

Cuddlebug and Bearhug exploring

Getting better with the wheelbarrow... all by himself!

Bearhug blending in with the pumpkins :)

Checking out the pumpkins...

...so many to choose from!

Still working that wheelbarrow... not sure if he was frustrated or just concentrating.

Bearhug and Cuddlebug were pretty excited about their tiny pumpkin squash (they pointed out MANY times that the sign said that one was a squash, not a pumpkin, lol)

That's actually not a yawn, that's Bitty doing his "Kirby inhaling everything" impression.

We had a great time, and everyone was excited to go back the next weekend :).

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We went to the mall last week, and survived to tell about it :)

Cuddlebug and Bearhug walked several feet ahead of us.

Well, ok. "Bounced" is more accurate than "walked." Imagine Tigger with a twin brother, and you'll get the idea.

They looked up, down, sideways, even behind them, anywhere but right in front of them.

"Watch where you're going, guys."

Bump...

They bumped into some people walking the other direction.

Then another near miss as they looked back at us when we reminded them again to pay attention to the space in front of them.

Sometimes they ran ahead, making it hard to keep up. But just as we'd get close, one of them would spot something intriguing and stop in his tracks. Anyone following too close would have tripped over him.

We'd slow down but keep walking, keeping an eye behind us and calling out for them to keep going.

If we stopped, who knows how long they'd stand there looking at whatever had caught their attention. Not to mention, the next thing they noticed might be back in the other direction and then we'd be backtracking.

I felt like a broken record:

"This way, guys."

"Come on, let's keep going."

"Slow down, wait for us."

Seems like that would drive them crazy, but if I'm lucky, they might actually hear me maybe 1/3 of the time. Too many sights and sounds competing for their attention.

I can't even remember the last time we went to the mall, but it was too rainy to go to the park, and all of the boys needed new shoes.

It wasn't too crowded... more so than the average weekday but not as bad as a Saturday.

I'm loving that they are so tall now... it is much easier to keep them in visual range now that they are about shoulder height relative to the crowd. It was so hard when they were toddlers, barely knee height, slipping out of their stroller buckles and running off in different directions. How many times did we end up pushing an empty double stroller and chasing after them?

Pretty soon they'll be tall enough to be spotted above the crowd, and then it will be even easier to keep tabs on them when we go out ;).

We still kept a close eye on them, because although being tall means we could see them easily, it also means they have long legs and could quickly get too far ahead. We watched for any signs that the overstimulation was getting to be too much, always mindful of the exits and the distance to our car (I dare say we are something of experts in rapid escapes when necessary), but they actually handled it pretty well.

I couldn't help but smile at my big boys being themselves.

I also couldn't help but notice how calm Bitty was in comparison. He reached for my hand as soon as we started walking and walked beside me.

The entire time.

He didn't run. He didn't zig-zag. He didn't bounce. He just walked.

Holding my hand all the while.

While crowded places overstimulate Cuddlebug and Bearhug and make them even more hyperactive than usual (and if you know them, that's saying something!), the same crowds, especially in an unfamiliar place, sometimes make Bitty a little nervous and more mellow than usual (because he does plenty of running, bouncing, and crashing when we're somewhere familiar).

We managed to find shoes for Bearhug and Cuddlebug - and on sale too! (sales prices AND buy one-get one half off). Bitty refused to try on anything other than Thomas shoes, and we couldn't find any in his size. I'm still looking for some online, but he is reaching the point where Thomas items are harder to find in his size.

Luckily for me (and my back) Bitty lasted right up until it was almost time to leave before he started asking to be carried.

By "asking," I mean dancing around in front of me, making it impossible for me to walk, saying, "You wan' da up? Aww done wif da down-er?"

"How do you ask?" I prompted him.

"Up, pweez!" he answered happily, arms in the air.

And so with that, I lifted him up and we headed for the car.

I can say I got my exercise for that day ;).






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