September 16th, 2018

September 16, 2018 shreffler

After dad picks up the kids from ma & pa’s while mom’s in KC, it’s time for a picnic with the geese.

Sandwich and chips- and a pouch for good measure

Eleanor gets fairly insistent that the goose consumes her treat for them, right before dad intervenes…

Looking closely towards the middle of the frame- Eleanor’s bit of sandwich flies towards the unsuspecting geese

The lunch adventure ends in a standoff

Right before everyone completely loses it, each yearning for a nap

Sign models

Side trip to drop off some salsa to uncle Mike, Calvin guides Des through tic-tac-toe gameplay

What seems like not a first, Ella prefers to eat her nachos top-to-bottom

September 15th, 2018

September 15, 2018 shreffler

Sunrise after campout #1. Desmond and dad go hunting for donuts for sister.

Just pursuing some periodicals after breakfast

Morning trip to children’s museum, ahoy!

Slinging a few slices

Blanket ALL the things

Des checks mom’s cheek (for something)

Nailed it.

Ok, maybe she’s into dolls

While her lower half is soaked from water play, dad gets the traditional fruit sorting picture for comparison

Des pulling on a Newton’s cradle constructed with bowling balls

The faster you spin the platform, the stronger the water tornado

Milliseconds before lost grip and control of her emotions :/

Dad’s best attempt at face painting. Not too shabby.

In the construction room, each child lives out their fantasies

Des hammers and screws to his heart’s content

Eleanor let’s it rip and yanks off a few dozen feet off tape. Bliss.

That’s one arm around her llama

September 14th, 2018

September 14, 2018 shreffler

Des conversing with Braveheart, with dad’s new midi controller

Eleanor runs up at daycare, excited to show dad the stick she found

Desmond’s first practice camping trip in the new downstairs jungle (complete with campfire-scented candle and forest/frog background noises). Time to set up the sleeping gear-

All ready

Of course sister has to join in the fun as well

Although she was really concerned when walking upstairs the frog noises stopped. “Where froggy go?” “I think maybe the froggies went to sleep, Ella” “OK”

To complete the experience, mom busts out a white elephant gift from a few years back- an indoor s’mores maker. While the equivalent of cooking over a warm lightbulb, mom eventually got some marshmallows softened.

Ella completely dismisses the notion of taking bites, consuming hers via meticulous picking/pinching

“It’ll be ready soon…” (lie)

Yum!

It may have been the sugar overload, but Des was astounded at the site of the moon in daylight

When you’re hyped on s’mores, apparently it’s time to practice yoga poses?

Less of a sticky disaster than you’d think

A heated game of “Go Fish” with the bag mom fashioned into a partition so Des could manage his cards in bit larger layout

Campground #1

September 13th, 2018

September 13, 2018 shreffler

Baby’s first push-pop. It was a hit.

September 12th, 2018

September 12, 2018 shreffler

A new friend at daycare/school

What happens when Eleanor finds the stickers…

Ella finally has long enough hair to sport a ponytail most days

(Des x2 – PS)

September 11th, 2018

September 11, 2018 shreffler

Des was pretty excited about his new sleeping bag- it even has glow-in-the-dark bees on it! Here’s Des climbing out of the tent he fashioned (draping it over his head while sitting on his new camping chair) for a drink break

Practicing laying in the sleeping bag, someone’s clearly excited

September 10th, 2018

September 10, 2018 shreffler

With the shaving creme (foaming bath soap) out of stock, dad got some colored bath drops as a “consolation.” Des wanted to make orange, though one red and one yellow resulted in a light pink.