Finding the Happy Place

Today our family was in our happy place.  We were all home and in one place for the holiday.  No particular plans besides finding ways to beat the heat.  After a traditional Garner Breakfast (a.k.a. pancakes and Spam) the kids tossed out ideas of what adventure to have that day.  We soon settled on going to Prophetstown for a picnic then time at the Aquatic Center.  Naps almost guaranteed when we returned home.

The picnic was a short one. How can you compete with the excitement of the first swimming pool visit of summer?  We weren't the only ones excited.  The line for the pool was out the door and into the parking lot 15 minutes before they even opened.


Our daughter was so excited to find out she was tall enough to ride the water slides this year.  She had waited two summers for this moment.  No fear at all as we climbed the stairs.  Her confidence eased my nervousness and the ride down was so fun!  As soon as we finished she was ready to go again.

The eldest enjoyed exploring the freedom to roam from one attraction to another.  Confidence in swimming skills and familiarity with the venue made him a ghost most of the day.  A flash of checked swimming shorts running by assured me he was having a great time.

Have you ever seen a toddler dance with happiness?  It is like watching a slippery eel with ants in its pants!  Lots of rubbing of the belly and wiggling of their little tush.  Makes me smile every time because I know my kid isn't faking his happiness.  Add in some upbeat tunes and it is a full on party of joy! 

When it was time to go, everyone was tired but glad we came.  The youngest would have lasted longer if we had more snacks.  As soon as he got some chips in his belly, he was out for the count.
The middle child was sad to leave, but we agreed to come back soon without little brother so we can stay longer. 

Just a tip, if you want a lounge chair on the weekend, you need to be first in the door.  They go quick.  A blanket on the grass under a tree is another option as well.  Oh, and sunscreen. Always wear sunscreen :-)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 1 - Setting the ground rules

Image
Day 1 - Setting the ground rules Today I entered into the brave new world of summer break.   Thanks to childcare, full time jobs, summer camps, etc. I have up to this point been spared the challenge of keeping children occupied for 10 straight weeks.   I have been looking forward to the task though.   Many plans have been made, adventures planned, and hopes shared about the upcoming season of freedom from the classroom.   I also have goals, including finishing some schooling myself, getting to know my children better, and hoping that my constant presence will be beneficial in some way. The morning was off to an early start with the youngest awake before the earliest of the alarm clocks.   The older two were not far behind, their internal clocks still on the early school schedule.   All eventually clambered downstairs.   The older kids were told that they were responsible for their own breakfasts; thus freeing Dad up from his role of being a short ...
Read more

From growing to growing up

Image
As our youngest approaches his 4th birthday, I realized this is the longest we have seen a child grow without another sibling on the way. Our family is in a transition from growing in size to growing up. Our family is at the right size, but it is also bittersweet to think of no more babies.  But then I realize all the adventures we can now try and enjoy with everyone being older and more independent. We were at a family camp a few weeks ago and it hit me that keeping track of three kids no longer felt like taking care of three hundred.  Having other kids to play with and parents to help keep an eye out for everyone also made the event more manageable and enjoyable. Plus, I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited about the dream of everyone in the house being potty trained. There will always be new challenges, life events, hormonal changes, and new discernments along the way.  But as the kids grow, we will also grow as parents. For now, we will enjoy that there are ...
Read more

It just got a bit harder

Image
The State of Indiana declared a 'shelter in place' order today in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Only essential personnel is to be going to work.  Only essential businesses will be open like grocery, gas, hardware, daycares, healthcare, etc.  Also businesses that are beneficial towards the effort of helping with the outbreak.  So, riddle me this...what do two essential employee parents do when their childcare puts into place a Zero Symptoms policy for your kid to go to childcare?  Do you scramble to find another way to keep the kids safe, or risk taking your kid to childcare with the understanding that the slighted sniffle can send your kid into a 14 day quarantine? With each day it feels like we are running out of moves to support our family and jobs.  But there is much as stake, so we continue to maneuver through the system. By the end of the day, we all needed to take a walk to shake off the frustrations of the day.  We may not be abl...
Read more