A Double Park Day

After two weeks of snow, ice, and rain, the warm sunshine today was such a joy! The ground was still wet so we couldn't play in the yard or most parks. Jackson had been asking to feed the ducks the past few days, so we headed to a local lake/shopping area. After a bit of research, I packed lettuce instead of bread to feed the ducks. (FYI, other appropriate foods for ducks include halved grapes, peas, and vegetable peels.) When I picked Jackson up from school, I asked if he wanted to go feed the ducks. He was very excited, but skeptical about the lettuce.

The lake is so relaxed and pretty. Some of my favorite pictures of the kids are at this park. It had been several months since we'd last been, so I was surprised at how difficult it was to allow three 19 month olds to safely explore. I'm usually very lenient about letting the trio walk around, but I'm usually surrounded by dry land.

I alternated letting one toddler out of the wagon at a time. Even that was limited because the wagon doesn't have brakes and there were lots of inclines, bridges, and embankments. Jackson was such a sweet brother the whole time. He tried to teach each of his siblings how to throw the lettuce into the water.

We had a picnic lunch on amphitheater style stairs.

Amelia took it upon herself to chase James. He led her down each row of stairs, then back around.

Unfortunately, Maddie's participation in the game ended abruptly when she fell and scraped both knees.

Maddie was tear-free and running around minutes later. She is so feisty and strong-willed. I buckled James and Amelia  back in the wagon and let Maddie have a turn walking around the lake. The swans were following us (in the water) and honking. She walked right up to them with her fists up, mimicking their sounds.

At one point, we were surrounded by low-flying sea gulls. All five of us kept turning our heads in every direction.

With the exception of the occasional gusts of wind, the weather was ideal.

Here are a few more silly shots of the kids.

While at the lake, I got a text from the mom of Jackson's best friend at his old school. We arranged to meet at another park an hour later. I knew I would be pushing my luck, considering the trio had not napped and Jackson didn't have any downtime. Still, I left it up to Jackson. He and this friend were the only two boys in their class and became great buddies. Of course, Jackson enthusiastically chose to go to the park to meet his friend.

Once I finally corralled the trio to the toddler playground, we had a lot more fun. They can navigate this smaller playground independently.

Maddie received unwanted help from her impatient brother.

Somehow we made it home (just a few minutes before Jesse) without any meltdowns. I guess we all needed warm sunshine.