Djeco Finger Painting

Nature Pal Exchange

This year we participated in nature pal exchange. Basically you pay $5 and they match you up with another family. You send that family a box of items that are native to your area and they send you a box native to their area. It was so much fun collecting the items. Here's what we came up with to send:

And here's what we received:

We loved the sand dollars:

Some seaweed. Princess has a yogurt face:

Son loved the feathers:

I put everything in a basket for The a Wiz to look through. All in all this was an awesome experience:

In other news... We were raising a butterfly and it came out of the chrysalis yesterday so we released her today. Her name is Rainbow Sparkle:

One released her and one tried to catch her again:

Bye bye Rainbow Sparkle. We love you and hope you have a good life:

Ive Gone Bananas for Sure

Okay. IVE. LOST. MY. MIND. Do not ask me WHY I thought that I could take 4 kids to a 5k and believe it was going to go smoothly. I imagined running the race at a good 9 min per mile pace, pushing the jogging stroller with the boys happily enjoying the scenery. The girls running next to me smiling. NO! NO! NO!!!! 

Not even close. 

The before the race part went well. As good as it could've gotten with this group:

They sprayed their flavor packets. Good times, right?

Then the race started and it went downhill quickly. QUICKLY. The Wiz was crying. Didn't want to be in the stroller. Son didn't want to be in the stroller. Didn't want to run. Didn't want to walk. He wanted to do the following: play on the side of the road. Lay on the ground. Run in the opposite direction. OH MY GOSH.

Princess was tired. And thirsty. And didn't want to run either.

So we did what anyone who realized they were nuts for imagining a beautiful run with the family on a Saturdary would do. We turned around. We probably completed a mile and a half or maybe s mile. We just couldn't do it. I failed.

Do we went to the finish line to have some fun. Here is Son with his medal that he in no way shape or form earned:

The Wiz showing off his post race muscles:

I am not sure I would do it again. Ok. I know there is no way I will ever do this again as the only adult. No way, but I am glad we went. The colors were fun and the kids had a good time. It's also kind of neat to sneeze rainbow colors out your nose.....

Butterfly Festival

It was HOT outside and it was me, Sis and the babies 3. Lots of walking. Lots of work. BUT we made it.

Son loved loved loved watering at the community garden:

 The Wiz was on his usual path of destruction:

There was a butterfly enclosure:

My beauties:

We walked along the nature path and Princess scored a pretty headband:

Son was into a snake puzzle and so was Sis as you can see:

Splash

I'm pretty sure taking these guys to the splash park on a Saturday was crazy. Son is a run awayer and if you don't watch him 100 percent of the time he is off in a flash. The only good part is that he is easy to figure out and I know where he runs to.

The Wiz loves the outdoors so much and he had a great time splashing:

Posing before going home:

Here is Son setting up his match cards:

And my nature loving baby chilling in the high grass:

How to Water a Plant

I take the boys to the park sometimes while Princess is at swim team:

Son is a hard worker:

I just love baby feet so much. Even when muddy:

I picked up this set of Magnetix at a yard sale before any of these little guys were born. I finally got it out to play:

Plant watering mishap: