Sunday FUN-day by Jesse

Today, I took the kids for a walk on the greenway. We have had the first warm and non-rainy weather of the year recently, so we took advantage of it. Instead of sitting around while Bonnie is at church, I figure the rest of us should get out and about. I packed a lunch and some drinks and we hit the road.

I tried to let the kids play on a small playground briefly, but I understand why Bonnie tells me this is too much to handle at most parks. This particular playset was intended for ages five and up, so we loaded up in the wagon and hit the trail quickly.

I knew the uphill climb back to the van was going to be a beast, but it was tougher than I expected. Combined, all four kids weigh over 100 pounds. It was a good workout, I guess, which I haven't had in a long time.

Jackson briefly studied the creek along the trail. It was pretty deep and running quickly, which I explained to Jackson was because it rained so hard the day before. Clifford was unimpressed.

Riding an endorphin high from the most exercise I've had in months, I took Jackson to Lowe's because I needed some grass seed and fertilizer for the lawn. I figured I'd spruce up our front yard a bit more by planting a couple of new bushes. I put in a rose bush and Jackson put in an azalea.

If Jackson gets hot, he usually says, "I want something cold." This means he is making an excuse to get a popsicle. After putting in a good five minutes' work in the yard, we both needed a cold treat. I still had to drive to my brother's house to celebrate our dad's birthday, so I settled for a popsicle instead of a half-dozen Budweisers.

The triplets are great at staying hydrated, but it causes them to pee through their diapers in short order. Thus, the girls played outside at my brother's house without pants.  It was still warm enough for them to play outside for a little bit before their tiny legs got too cold.

Jackson and Levi led us in singing happy birthday to their papa, we had cake, and then some very exhausted children headed back to the house.

It's times like these when I like to reflect on the Immortal Bard, Grouch Marx, who once said, "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."