View from mom’s morning crunches
Breakfast with the family and the dinosaurs at Dixie Quicks for mom’s birthday
Checking out aunt Megan’s new truck with Liam and Viv
Pretty much everything still goes straight into the mouth
Des really likes his Cars book. Sister does too, but for a different reason.
Everything tastes better via chopsticks
Des (surprisingly) getting into the splashing mood after dinner
Proud of his stacking skills (and let’s face it, dad was too)
Early Saturday morning, the family set out on the first road trip as four to see great-grandpa Irv in Decorah. The long weekend also coincided with a wedding in Des Moines for one of mom’s cousins.
Eleanor (thankfully) slept all the way to Des Moines, but was awake and all smiles at the church.
Des and dad read his new book at the reception, What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night (thanks Katie & Stephen!)
All the great-grandchildren with great-grandma Jan
Des playing his first round of putt putt. Hitting stuff with balls is always a win.
Des exclaiming, “woohoo!” when he knocks the ball in
Mom putting around the toddler hazard
First official father and daughter dance ❤️
Ma showing another Meysenburg girl how to dance
Dance like nobody’s looking
Des pushing around a chair, moments before climbing on it, toppling off and scuffing the scab on his nose. This marked the beginning of the departure and resuming the road trip
Living the dream, both kids asleep in the car
…for about 14 minutes before sister needed her first rest area stop.
Des exploring and enjoying his own personal picnic shelter
Riding the wave of sister’s temperment/sleep, Des exploring rest stop #2
It was a rough final 45 minutes, but everyone made it to the hotel alive. While the girls were going to sleep, Des and dad decide to burn off some pent-up energy with a nature walk
Decorah’s characteristic limestone cliffs paired with an Iowan sunset was the perfect end to the day.
He had to get one more picture on the way back, this time with lights
Daredevil in the making.
“Whee!”
Brother playing peekaboo with sister
Not sure what to think of her first taste of peanut butter
Grandma and Eleanor have a tongue-sticking-out contest
Nothing wrong with grandma’s lips, just sputtering back to Ella
“Watch out for bridges and hop-ons. You’re going to get some hop-ons.”
Eleanor’s new placemat at daycare (note the meta cracker)
Brother and sister being silly at dinner with ma & pa
Counting boats with ma
After the bounce house excitement wore off at the site of the toddler-impossible ladder, an older boy helped Des to the top. To say he enjoyed sliding down is an understatement.
Desmond finding new ways to get stuck under furniture. At least it was less crying this time.
Cousin love
Ella exploring new heights and toys
After brunch, the cousins popped out on the deck to see the chicken’s they could clearly hear while eating
A bit later inside, the front door was heard closing while Liam and Viv were in plain site. About 30 seconds later, it registered with dad’s classroom management spidey-sense that “door + cousins visible = des somewhere unknown.” Scurrying out the front door and jogging right to the backyard, a gate was seen standing open. Des had made a run for it. Pushing further into the backyard, everyone finds that Desmond (on the lamb) had also jailbroken the chickens from their pen. Shown here is Desmond and his accomplices looking up at the onlookers on the deck above- all looking down in astonishment in what he had accomplished in under two minutes.
Desmond, ever the big helper, assisting Liam with corralling the chickens back in the coop
Des temporarily commandeering a game of Stinky Pig
Unaware of the recent shenanigans, Ella hangs out with pa after her nap
All smiles
After nap time and the storm clouds pass, it’s time for a picnic with the Sobczyk’s at Stinson Park. Des and Ernie steer the playground
Abruptly warm, the kids were eager to run free
…and seek out puddles to jump in.
Dotty, Ernie and Des looking down at the alligators resting below (?)
Massive bubbles to chase and pop
…we all fall down
Lots of open space to just run
When two huggers say good-bye…
Eleanor sitting up by herself, seconds before falling backward
Des wasting no time getting down to business upon arrival at daycare
Des hoping to be designated spinner for Candy Land with the cousins
Don’t all school buses have stops on snowman’s hat?
Celebrating great-grandma Kathy’s 80th birthday
Giggles and kisses with ma
Des eating and playing with his cousins at the “big boy” table
With daylight savings, everyone is ready for a nap
