Daniel & Annabel's Adventures: Getting Outside...

Could it be? Maybe Spring is starting to finally creep in? Maybe the temps will not dip below 40 degrees anymore?! I'll take it! (Side note- I started this post a few weeks ago...It's April now. It better be Spring now, is all I have to add!)

We've been getting outside a LOT these days. So much, that even my non-sleeper Annabel has been sleeping 12 hours at night, until as late as 9:30 one day! I believe that might be her all-time record. We're wearing the kids out with all the fresh air and sunshine and movement...it just feels so good to get outdoors more. And it's not like we don't get out during the winter at all, you know my kids- they are Eskimos and LOVE the snow, but Spring just means a ton more fresh air and all that sunshine and the snow...gone, thank goodness (well except for another fluke of 3 inches of snow a couple weeks ago- I about died, the kids loved it though), and that means we can play with more toys outside, too, and take walks without boots and all that gear on. Did I mention sunshine?! We love that part the most I think! The sunshine pulls us outside, the kids are SO inspired to get outside more- even when it is still only barely 40 degrees and still a little chilly- none of us seem to mind as long as it's sunny! Like I said, we'll take it- we're really ready for Spring!

So here are some pictures from our March outings...

We trekked in the snow just before it all melted away- we wanted to get outside on that warm-ish day and it's always fun to check out the park in the snow, too! Little Miss Annabel wasted no time getting back on that beloved swing- "push me higher, higher!" Daniel, I've noticed this time around, does not like to go high at all, just a few pushes and "that's enough, Mommy." But he's got a new skill this time around- once started, he can pump his own swing to keep going! So fun! In any case, he's starting to notice things about himself and share them with us, like he doesn't like things up high (he's thinking maybe he doesn't like to fly- he remembers how sick he was on our last Disney trip and his theory is planes and being up high- I told him a third plane trip with a rocky tummy will tell us...) and he only wants to go so fast and so on. It's interesting to hear all this coming to light- I for one am glad he's starting to speak up for himself and know these things about himself. Anyway, Daniel of course had to check out the slides and send his car flying down, too- just like always. And then we managed to convince the kids to take a walk around the pond before heading home. That was an adventure because Annabel had to slosh and stomp and splash in EVERY puddle as we went around and with all that snow melting, there were a LOT of puddles. That's a lot of splashing- and yes, she was soaked, absolutely soaked, when we got home. Snow boots and snow pants aren't exactly water proof, snow proof maybe, but not 2-inch-deep puddle proof; of course I knew that, but who can deny their kid some puddle fun? Not me. So a blast we had around that pond!

See? This girl really couldn't get enough splashing in! The video was requested by her.

The kids wanted to go to BOTH parks near us one afternoon, so we did...and we took the scenic route between the two. I always love watching my kids riding on their bikes/scooters ahead of me...so sweet.

This day. What can I say? Can you guess what season it is? Yes, those would be Winter hats, Spring raincoats, and Summer barefeet on my kids. Like I said, what can I say? They were having fun and clearly didn't mind the actual temp of maybe 40ish degrees that day.

See? More snow. In March. 3 inches, too. The kids were thrilled. I'm pretty sure they were the only ones happy about this snow. Annabel wanted her snow pile back, though she was a little miffed that that was as high as I could get it to go.

The kids have had fun playing around in the minivan and pretending to drive lately, too. I'm telling you- best time killer ever!

And in between all that, we also managed to continue the Park Challenge we started years ago! (Those two links are such a fun trip down memory lane- do click away!) The kids still do love to grab our park map, point to a park, and off we go exploring a new area of town. (And yes, we've continued that Challenge over the years, I just haven't documented each and every park on here- you're welcome. Still, we really have had fun and we are almost done. Time to move to a new town!) And sometimes, we go to two parks in one day!