Quite Naturally

One of our favorite things about the new house is that it includes a nice size pond on the property.  When we first moved in the grass was not so tall and it was pretty easy to get to.  Wet, but we got ourselves some boots and it was no stopping us!  That is until summer came in full force and the reeds reached Mom's eyebrows...but I may have mentioned a couple of times to Best that I was missing our little exploring trips and what do you know? He cleared us a trail.  He earns that title.  So here we are, doing what we love: fishing with sticks.

My dear friend Star know a lot about the great outdoors and had given me the tip about treating our pond for mosquito larvae before they hatch and it really paid off.  We bought some dunks and spread them liberally.  I feel sure they are working because I notice a difference in our pond than some of the  other similar places we visit.

Peanut always likes to look for frogs and snakes and we usually see at least one frog.  He wants to eventually go all the way around the pond and I have promised him I will do that with him...and without Sissy.

See the rectangular object in the pond?  We aren't sure what it is.  We might take binoculars next time and try to get a closer look.  We plan on clearing the pond before it freezes for skating so we'll find out for sure then!

A few weeks back Peanut and Best were out in the yard and they found a snakeskin.  I'm not actually sure who found it, but Peanut quickly claimed it as his own.  He was so proud of it and knew exactly where he wanted to show it off.

I love our science museum.  It has so many exhibits geared towards children and even a special day where kids 5 and under get in free and there are activities set up for them around the museum.  This day Peanut was headed straight for Collectors Corner. 

 This is a spot where kids can bring in things they find in nature to trade or just to learn more about them.  Peanut wanted to hang on to his snake skin but he was happy to show it off and both ask and answer questions about it. 

Afterwards we did do some of the special activities and earned stickers at each station to turn in for a prize at the end of our day.  Sister picked a magnifying glass and Peanut chose a balsa wood flyer.

 

This is one of my favorite things at the museum.  The 15 minute shows they put on made especially for young children.  Both kids listen and participate and I always learn something too! The actors are funny and full of energy.  My all time favorite was the one about the water cycle where the actresses had toilets on their heads.  I though Peanut was going to laugh his head off!

And of course we have to climb up in the Jonathan Towboat.  Sometimes there's a wait, and if so, we wait.  Because it's very exciting to the kids.  I do love how while we wait Peanut will ask me to read the information posted and ask questions.  And it is a great view!

One of the other exhibits on this particular day was medical hoaxes or contraptions that people thought did things that they absolutely did not.   Like this "intelligence tester". 

And Sister continues to love the audio tour phones.  She used to talk back to them but now I notice she just listens.  I have no idea if she understands any of it but she looks like she's concentrating on something!

 

And we always end the trip the same way.  Sharing one of our favorite treats.  Who knows?  Maybe one of the kids will be eating this in space some day!

See that little hand reaching out from the bottom of the picture?  My photo was slowing down her snack and it was not appreciated, ha!  Have a great week friends and family!

South Dakota: That's a Wrap!

 

For our last full day in South Dakota we decided to stay close to "home".  The town of Deadwood is just 10 minutes from the cabin we stayed at and it offers plenty of sightseeing and souvenir shopping as well as something we knew would be of particular interest to Peanut.  Flipping through a brochure I just happened to notice an ad for a hotel featuring movie memorabilia and a mention of the "Transformer Car".  Oh Boy, was he excited!

Here he is and the look on his face sums it up.  He had me take about 10 pictures of him in various positions around the 2 vehicles shown, but this face was pretty much the same in all of them!

Another fun stop was the basement of a little tshirt shop that held this humongous model train display.  For a dollar we watched her go round for 10 whole mins!  Well, actually I watched for about 2 and then left to do some "Mom shopping" across the street.  Smile.

We took some pictures at the same spots we had when we were on our honeymoon.  I remember thinking how that time of my life was probably going to be the most exciting ever, and although it was great, having our family of four now makes everyday a million times better.

We stopped for a bite to eat and got to watch a boy take a glass blowing lesson.  It was so cool and I would love to try it sometime. 

They worked quickly and the kids were really interested in the whole process.

 

 We made it back to the cabin and I took Peanut to the pool while Daddy and Bree had a little rest, then we all met up at the clubhouse for some air hockey.

 And a ride on the bar stool. 

Back at the cabin we just took time to relax and play, Peanut and I took a nature walk and got some souvenir rocks...

and then we all collapsed in the basement for a bit of hockey to end the day.  And again, in full disclosure... I snapped a picture and then went to read my book on the deck until it was time to put the kids down.  Thanks Best.

Another good nights sleep and we were up having coffee on the deck.  It was hard to leave such a beautiful setting.  We had one more night to go on the road and then back to real life...which is also pretty nice so I'm not complaining!

The kids did great in the car and we thought about driving through for a few minutes but then decided to stop and break up the trip.  Good thing because it gave Peanut another chance to practice his "diving show" in the hotel pool, we went to the mall playplace across the street, had more ice cream, and I bought myself a new book for the rest of the ride!

So there you have it.  Another successful vacation in the books.  And a 5 year old in the family.  I am so thankful for my Best friend who works so hard to provide us with these opportunities for new experiences together. I am thankful for my children who love each other and have fun together when we go places.  And I am also thankful that when we get home and things get back to "normal", that these are the same wonderful people I get to live with every day.  Have a great week friends and family!

South Dakota: Rocks and Reptiles! (Part Three)

After a great first night at the cabin we were rested and ready for another adventure.  We had breakfast on the deck and it was nice not having to pack up before we headed out.  Best and I had been to Reptile Gardens on our honeymoon and knew it was a great place for hands on fun!

 First we saw a snake show and then on to the alligators.  It was the same guy doing the show that was there 6 years ago so I guess he knows what he's doing!

 This was one of the big reasons I wanted to bring the kids.  I knew Peanut would LOVE to be able to pet a real live alligator.  He's so funny now when he tells people he always adds, "it was a baby and it had it's mouth banded."  Almost like a "don't try this at home kids" warning...

 And of course Sissy needed some bragging rights too so we made sure she got to get her hands on something just as impressive.  This Boa Constrictor fit the bill and his mouth was not banded...

 The kids split a bison burger for lunch and said it was delicious! 

 I had totally forgotten about this part of the gardens and it was actually my favorite this trip.  So cool to watch these giant tortoises lumber about and get to see them up close.  Bree kissed one.  Does that surprise you?  It didn't me in the least.  She loves everyone and everything. 

 In addition to giant tortoises, scary snakes, and fierce alligators they had some of the most beautiful tropical birds.

Not to mention some gorgeous orchids and other flowers that reminded us of Grandma Sharon!

After a half day of reptiles Sis was pretty tired and Best was kind enough to stay with her in the van while Peanut and I conquered another first for him.  Cave tour!  Oh, and don't feel sorry for Sis.  She was snuggled up in the van with plenty of snacks and air conditioning watching her favorite episodes of Daniel Tiger!  Peanut was not a bit hesitant about going on the tour.  He felt confident that he could do it and I knew he could too.  All 444 steps. Pardon my pictures, cave photography is a skill I have yet to acquire and we were pretty much moving the whole time...

He was so interested and asked lots of questions and kept up with the group.  About half way through the tour the guide told our group that if we were tired we could wait where we were and rest and rejoin the tour on the way back.  Peanut immediately looked at me and said, "We are NOT going to do that."  Smile.

 Cave Selfie

We had fun talking about what it would have been like to discover such a cave. 

The tour was great and if you talk to Sissy she will tell you she went too (which Peanut will quickly correct "She only went in the gift shop").  I have a feeling it won't be long before she is going on cave tours too, but in the meantime it was such a special date for just Peanut and me.  I was telling Best that although sometimes it feels like his childhood is whizzing by (and I get a bit emotional that it won't last forever) it's experiences like this that show me what fun it is to have a big kid in the family now.  So many new experiences for us to share. 
   After all that we actually got back to the cabin around 2 and we had a relaxing afternoon before another fun surprise!

 Although we had done pinatas at friend's birthdays, we had never had our very own!  Peanut and Sis were very excited, even though we tricked them into thinking it was full of vegetables, ha!  We said that since we had been having so many treats on vacation that we wanted it to be fun but healthy.  Peanut bought it hook, line, and sinker and was even optimistic about it: "That's ok because I like carrots!" What a great kid. 

 But look what was really inside.  He was pleasantly surprised and admitted our joke was pretty funny.  We just needed about 10 more kids to share the loot!

So four days in we are still going strong.  Amazingly we got these two to bed on time again and we were fresh the next morning for our last full day in South Dakota!  Coming up next...

Mount Rushmore! (South Dakota Part Deaux)

 

This photo is definitely a favorite from the trip.  I just love his swagger as he enters the park.  He is such a happy, friendly, curious child and places like this fascinate him.  He was pointing out the flags he recognized, talking to other visitors, and asking lots of questions.  I'm so glad that he has already developed an interest in history.  I know he will have an important place in our future!

And Sister loves to wave at and talk to people too!  She wanted to make sure the other visitors didn't miss the carvings in the mountain so she was pointing them out to everyone.  "Look right there!" she kept saying.

Yay! Everyone is looking at the camera and you can see the presidents too!  The nicest lady offered to take this picture for us and then saw us later and offered again at a different spot.  I am always so appreciative when people offer and I want to do the same for others.  It's important to have these family pics with Mom and Dad in them.

After we toured the visitors center we took the long hike to the sculptors studio.  Lots of steps, but the kids did great and it was fun to see the presidents from different vantage points like this little nook we found.

Sissy on the steps.  She wanted to "do it myself".  So we were a bit behind the boys but we made it. 

The Sculptors Studio was so cool.  We learned that the majority of the mountain was "carved" with dynamite!  And the air conditioning was nice for a break before we tackled the return trip.  Sis did a little less walking this time and Best did a little more carrying.  Thanks Dad!

Seeing it was Peanut's 5th birthday that day we figured he was ready for a grown up adventure!  I thought he was so brave as he eagerly climbed aboard the ski lift to go on the Alpine Slide. 

They had so much fun!  I think next time we will have a picture of Sis and I racing down!

After a quick trip to Walmart to stock up on "camping supplies" we made it to the cabin.  It was located in a beautiful forested area but once inside we were definitely not roughing it!

The balloons and banners are in honor of Peanut's birthday.  Best set it up so the cabin would be decorated and cake and ice cream waiting for us.  It was such a great idea but didn't surprise me a bit because that's just the sort of creative thoughtful man he is.  Smile.

The tablecloth was a hockey rink and there was even a hockey puck piñata!  All Minnesota Wild theme and we saved some of the décor which now hang in Peanut's room.  The cabin itself was gorgeous and for less than 200 a night we felt like it was a steal!  Great planning ahead on Best's part.

 We ate a lot of cake in those three days...

And we saved a gift for the cabin, a remote controlled police car.  We had so much fun making obstacle courses for it!

 We keep the kids on bedtime schedules when we travel which works well for our family.  After a full day they are ready for bed at 7 and Best and I are ready for some alone (together) time.  We enjoyed some of that time in this private hot tub on the deck. 

Later we dried off and I enjoyed some quiet time on the deck with a new book and Best watched some of the Stanley Cup.  Our first three days done and a great time had by all.  Ok, stayed tuned for more fun!