Fun Day with Friends

I acknowledge I can be way too much of a hermit. Especially in winter, but really any time of year. I get in the habit of being overwhelmed by my ever present to-dos (most of which are house projects to include working from home). Sometimes so much so that I skip out on getting together with friends, rationalizing this decision by saying, "well at least the kids got out and played with friends at preschool". But really, that's not enough. I need to get out and be around kindred spirits too. It's so enlivening and just pure fun.
So, today we headed out to our tiny local hands-on children's museum and met up with my adorable friend Jill and her three precious little gems. We had so much fun catching up and chattering away about everything under the sun. A breath of fresh air it was.
I need to do it more often. I really do.
And we swapped things too which added to our fun!
By the way, Jill, if you are reading this, Amelia LOVED her bag of goodies. She raved on and on during the ride home. I was going to have her call you to tell you herself, but since she's tuckered out and tucked in her bed now, I'll tell you instead. And I quote:"Oh Mommy! I love all these beautiful things Miss Jill gave me! Why did she give me all these beautiful things? (Me: Well, because she's so nice and she's our friend and she wanted to share them with you.) Well, I love them. Thank you Miss Jill."
I love completely sincere, unprovoked, pure oozing child adoration. It's the best!
Thank you, Jill. As you can see in the pic above, she had to put it all on the minute we arrived home. I think she looks a little Little Bo Peepish thanks to her makeshift "staff" she found out in the yard. Don't you love a three year old who styles her own shoots? :-)

Here are some other quick shots of our day-

Amelia & Coop poling away down the river to somewhere historically correct..you know, like Disneyworld or Big Kahuna's Water Park. I am surprised they didn't tell me Target. That's almost always their destination of choice.
Rise & Shine! Pretty Madison peeks her head out of her covers (in actuality the mattress). A terrible, limp, lethargic mattress that feels just a tad less comfortable than laying on a pile of rocks. This girl has a back of steel to snuggle up on a rope bed and use the mattress for a blankie!

Adorable toddlers preparing a delightful feast to be remembered.

Upon closer examination you can see that the feast consists mainly of spoons. Delicious, splintery, wooden, inedible spoons.

And finally here Amelia sizes up the treasure chest trying to discover a) will her baby brother Cooper fit inside b) does it lock c) will Mom notice if he doesn't leave with us?

Happy soon to be weekend!!