We all had a lazy morning (we were up late last night!) and then I took the kids out to my Dad’s house just after lunch time. We swam, played, and the boys’ even got haircuts. Ben took a nap in the crib and Kaitlyn took a nap in my arms. We went out for dinner and somehow Tuesday was over!
[pp_gallery id=”25453″]
Month: July 2018
Today we loaded up two cars and headed to Nashville. To make this road trip truly “epic” I have been trying to see and visit as many people and places as possible. Thankfully the stars aligned and we were able to see two of our Nashville friends today when we made our trip to the Zoo. We timed it so that we would arrive in Nashville just in time for an early lunch with Laura and then we drove straight to the Zoo.
[pp_gallery id=”25424″]
Then Melissa left us and headed for her hotel. (She is flying out tomorrow for a work-related trip.) Mom and I were supposed to head back to Paducah, but I managed to work out a quick stop with my old college roommate, Mindy, at a park on our way home. It has been years and years since we saw each other! The kids were tired but didn’t seem to mind too much. It was starting to get dark so my only pictures are a little blurry but I’m posting them anyway – this might not happen for another 10 years!
[pp_gallery id=”25442″]
Today we did all the little things the kids have been asking for – Orange Julius, root beer floats, and feeding the ducks.
[pp_gallery id=”25411″]
Today my high school friends and I gathered at the local splash pad. The kids were pretty good sports for seeing each other maybe once a year. It was great to see the girls and the kids were pretty good about the one picture we forced them to take as a group. It makes me smile every time I see it.
[pp_gallery id=”25383″]
Then we had lunch, a nap for Ben, and headed over for some more cousin time at Aunt Lissy’s house. The girls got a water slide for the backyard and my kids thought it was the coolest! The best part of the evening was pizza from one of my favorites – Mellow Mushroom.
[pp_gallery id=”25392″]
My kids always want to visit Gram’s Country Club pool when we come to Paducah, but I really think it’s the snacks and lunch they want the most. We met Melissa’s crew and spent the morning at the pool. I still couldn’t get Kaitlyn past the steps but she seemed to have fun regardless. The boys love the high dive and swimming with Aunt Lissy. Ben rarely finds a kiddie pool this big and his cousins thought he was a lot of fun. A perfect morning!
[pp_gallery id=”25364″]
Then we went back to Gram’s house for the afternoon. The kids managed to entertain themselves in this wonderful weather!
[pp_gallery id=”25372″]
We made it to our first destination – Gram’s house! I strategically planned our longest day yesterday so that today we would arrive in plenty of time to play with cousins and enjoy the late afternoon/evening. Gram had a few new outdoor toys and we introduced Ben to popsicles.
[pp_gallery id=”25352″]
The kids and I are undertaking an “Epic Roadtrip.” We will be gone 17 days and travel thousands of miles to visit lots of friends and family. Today was an uneventful day of driving. My oldest three are a breeze in the car because their normal heavy iPad/electronics restrictions are lifted. Ben is a happy baby that takes at least three naps a day and has just learned to tip up his own bottle! This means he can give himself a bottle as we drive. (My others didn’t learn this particular skill for at least another 3-4 months.)
[pp_gallery id=”25346″]
Today there were hours to fill so we headed to the splash pad at the YMCA. Ben napped in the stroller the entire time and the kids ran and played.
[pp_gallery id=”25337″]
Have I mentioned how much this boy loves dog food? It is almost impossible to keep him out of Madison’s bowl. She has become lazy about eating and rarely finishes her food when we feed her. Ben has figured out there is always food in her bowl and always seems to have some in his mouth before I realize it. Fun times!
Ben is still rocking the sink baths after most meals. They also keep him mostly contained while we finish up in the kitchen.
[pp_gallery id=”25321″]
Chef Teague was hard at work again today. Everyone’s favorite – banana and strawberry crepes. They were amazing!
[pp_gallery id=”25315″]
It’s not quite as nice (or as private) as our old lake in Barrington, but we are enjoying our lake in Grafton. The best part is we almost always run into friends.
[pp_gallery id=”25305″]
[pp_gallery id=”25300″]
We seem to have power outages a lot more frequently in this house than any other. There was a storm this evening and we knew it was likely we might lose power (there was high wind). We did lose power and we needed quite a few flashlights to keeps everyone happy and our house sufficiently lit (at least until bedtime).