Live, laugh, love...Loprinzi: Rainy day, park play

I felt it creeping in this morning. Multiple yawns paired with the desire to brew and consume more than one cup of coffee. I am tired in a way that I can't describe. Instead of being grumbly, wishing I was sleeping instead of breaking up the great bicker-fest occurring between to equally as tired and grumbly preschoolers, I said "that is it, we are leaving." I didn't care that the forecast called for rain, and a 30% chance of storms either, it was one of those pack up your crap, and get out as fast as you can sort of things. Even if it was only mere minutes after kissing my favorite firstborn goodbye at the bus stop at 7:11am this morning for school.

Per K's request we "went to the park with the trails too." Fresh air, rain, running, slides, and swings is a perfect recipe for happiness. Imagination of a 4 and 2 year old fueled every moment of our adventure.

K told me that Spiderman and Hulk must have came to the park this morning before us. I asked him why - and he pointed out exactly why. I agreed with him, fully. Spiderman spun some webs in a high up tree, and Hulk? Hulk, he twisted this tree until it was all swirly.

K had the desire to find hills to run up and down, and convinced J that it would be a better idea than playing at the playground first. He pretended he could read the signs, pointing out the details to J, then would turn to me and ask me to read it. J would always follow up what I said with "that's right, mmm hmm" with a head nod.

We found some real treasures along the way...a bridge that J ran across at lightning speed to "get away from the dinosaurs that were chasing us through the forest"

Then we came across this magical log that they spent a long time peering at each other and whispering secrets.

A HUGE leaf that K insisted on bringing home for daddy

A thankful mama, with a happy heart

A sweet little girl, with curly Q piggy tails, mismatching clothes (her choice), and a spunky little attitude.

Some "little white flowers" that J insisted on stopping to gather.

and finally a tree with a hole, that sparked a conversation with K, about how animals can make that their home. He said he never wanted to be a bird or squirrel because he didn't want to live in a tree hole, and gather his own nuts off the ground. He said he always wants me to get him his food, because I am his favorite. Oh, sweet boy, please stay 4 for a while.

Then it started pouring, and the sky turned so dark, and my K's eyes got HUGE, and he said he was scared. So I grabbed both of them, one on each hip, and we made our way for the car. A mile out, with two preschoolers to carry = one sweaty, hard breathing mama.

By the time we were back at the van, it was pouring. Instead of loading them up in the car, we embraced the rain, and stayed to play at the park.

"Push me high-ya Mama, high as a sky, high-ya then Kip"

While I was pushing him, he would count perfectly to 12, skip the number 13 (who needs 13 anyway) and resume 14,15,16, and would get all mixed up after that. So we've got a bit of work...give him a break he was tired from running 2 miles! Then we switched to the ABC's, and once he started throwing in the potty talk inbetween L,M,N,O, Pee, Poop...I took that as our time to hit the road.