Lancaster Camping

This weekend was our annual camping event with our friends we met through adoption. We were supposed to leave Friday, but Paul ended up with the stomach bug Rudy had had a few days before, so we decided to wait until Saturday morning. By Saturday, Paul wasn't feeling any better, so Rudy and I ventured out alone.

Chris has promised to bring his double sided light saber, so Rudy was in his glory once he arrived.

The kids hung out inside the tent a lot where it was warm and dry.

It was a cold, windy day so we headed out to the Lancaster Science Museum to get warm and dry. The kids (and adults) had a lot of fun here.

The first table when we walked in had K'Nex to build with.




Then we hit the rest of the museum. Lily H tries to lift and drop balls to make the top ball go all the way to the ceiling.

Lily G and Rudy try to lift weights using pulleys.

A large kaleidoscope.

Lily G playing with the parachutes. I think these were Charlotte's favorite.

Rudy experimenting with air tubes and balls.

I think this was one of Rudy's favorite parts. The circle was placed on the jar with a marker balanced above it. The purpose was to quickly grab the circle and have the marker fall straight into the bottle. Rudy was successful at this several times.

His look of elation on his success.

Back at camp, Charlotte giving some love to the baby and Kim.

Our kiddos warming themselves by the fire.

And you can't camp without s'mores!

I ended up coming down with the stomach bug overnight, and it rained and poured and our tent leaked some, so once we woke up, everyone packed up and headed home. While the adults packed up, the kids hung out and played in the tent with the baby.

So while weather and illness hindered this camping trip, it was still fun to connect with friends and catch up on the last year.

Our Day in Pictures (and a Few Words)

This morning we went to our monthly road cleanup. Rudy wasn't available so this skeleton joined us. He picked up exactly three pieces of trash and said he was done. Instead he explored the woods. The good part - he was happy. The bad part - 4 ticks found after we left. Fortunately they were all really big, if you live anywhere that Lyme Disease is a problem, you know it's the little tiny ticks you have to worry about!


Then we built another project. That made two in a row that were flower/ plant related. So we bought some flowers the other day, then Rudy painted his planters and we set these up on the front step.

We met a friend and her daughter at a local playground. Even though she was 4 years older than Rudy, they played for more than an hour and a half. Then we ran a few errands, and stopped for some ice cream.

All in all a good day!

Look At Me

Recently, after a very long morning involving, shopping, misbehaving, some tears (mostly by Rudy), and some threats of telling 'what you did' (again by Rudy), the morning ended with some much-needed levity. We were waiting in the parking lot for my dad to join us for lunch. Rudy rolled down his window and said, "Look, I'm a dog," and stuck his head out the window.



Then he posed for several other pictures, at his request, as he posed as a dog might look in a car.

Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine.

Earth Day Festival

Sunday was the Earth Day festival at our local recycling center. The last few years I have had other plans on the day of this festival, so I was excited to get a chance to go. Paul was working so Rudy and I headed out.

There was an RV set up as a classroom that had this cool touch pad puzzle.

Rudy got a plant to add soil to and bring home. Hopefully we'll be able to plant it this week.

And of course he had to go down the big slide - not sure why he had to go down backwards, though!

The tunnel slide.

I think Rudy wants a pygmy goat for a pet. He just wanted to stay and pet and hug his goat. His name was Hijinx.

This happened several times, fortunately the goat's teeth were not strong enough to actually tear his shirt!

A pony ride.

We took a hayride to the top of the landfill, which is the highest point in our county. The view was amazing. We could see to the ocean, but the picture I took of that direction didn't turn out. The neat thing about this is that this recycling center not only provides all it's own energy, but it also creates enough to give back to the grid.

Rudy and the Supercan!

Eggs-cellent Easter

After several days of cold, dreary, rainy weather, we awoke on Easter morning to discover a warm day, getting warmer by the minute. What a nice Easter surprise!
Rudy was soooooo excited that Easter was coming. He kept getting out of bed the night before and telling us he saw the Easter bunny outside, and Paul and I better go to bed or he wouldn't come. Of course, he was up early and ready to see what he got. He was very happy that the Easter bunny gave him a Star Wars leapster game!




After a leisurely morning we headed to church. When we got there, I realized I hadn't taken a picture of Rudy yet, and I wanted to make sure I got one before he was no longer fully or neatly dressed. He was his usual cooperative self the first time I took the picture,

but then gave me a little smile. He had been asking to wear a tie and was so excited when I found a "kids size" tie for him. He proudly wore it at church (and got many compliments on it) and then didn't want to take it off for the rest of the day, and kept it surprisingly clean!

After mass, there was an Easter egg hunt. Here he is anxiously waiting to start.

And they are off!

Rudy, like many of the other littler kids, picked and chose which eggs to grab, and would walk over ten just to get to one!

Our priest was taking this picture of Rudy and these girls, and I couldn't resist getting a quick shot. Talk about a thorn among roses!

Showing off his bucket of eggs.

After church we went out to lunch with my dad. I hesitated to include this picture because Paul is the only one that looks great in it, but it's the only family picture we took.

For dinner, we walked over to Paul's aunt's house. Rudy wore his tie because he wanted to be the handsomest one there.

He loves all the toys he finds at Aunt Pat's house - left over from when her boy were little.

Sean had to prove that he could be handsome, too, so he got dressed up (for about 3 minutes, then took the tie off and eventually the shirt.)

Nothing like a little driveway bowling to work off a big Easter dinner!

I think every time we are at Pat's house, Rudy ends up snuggled with someone in this chair watching TV. It is the best and most comfortable seat in the house!

Walking home and playing with the transformer he got from Aunt Pat. By the way, transformers have gotten so much harder than when we were kids. Even trying to follow the picture directions is impossible!