Picnic, Playdates, and Birthdays

The weather was cooperative and so were the kids, so that warranted a picnic at the game farm. We enjoyed our pb sandwiches, crackers, and fruit snacks, but the real fun was in feeding the geese. The kiddos just cackled as the geese gobbled up their bread. After the wild ones and the wildlife had their bellies fill, we headed into the Salato Wildlife Center to explore, or as Caleb commonly refers to it as the “little zoo.” We were even able to introduce Jeremiah and Rachel to wildcats. They are Ethiopian, but they are in Kentucky now – we bleed BLUE!


March also brought about some playdates... more like play-besides or play-among. There wasn’t much interaction or playing with one another, but if nothing else… the Mommies had fun! Thanks Gretchen, Rebecca, and Libby and Kim and Kelsey for two great mornings. Coupons, homeschool 101, loud toys, laughs, adoption talk, just catchin’ up and some super cute kiddos definitely equal two great mornings! (I can’t believe I didn’t get one picture of either playdate. Guess we were just having way too much fun!)

Then, there was the all-encompassing Wells’ Birthday get together. While we were in Ethiopia, Jon’s brother, Lee had a birthday, his Dad has a March birthday, and I have an April birthday. Since it is a great feat for all of our schedule’s to align, it was decided to have a catch-all birthday party. It was good to be together as a family and fun to watch my three play with their cousins Allison and Josh.

However, I must share the funniest bonding story ever leading up to the birthday celebration. We ventured out with our motley crew to shop for birthday gifts at Kohl’s. Prior to this we had only taken the kids grocery shopping or to Walmart, places with large shopping carts. Ah not so available at Kohl’s, so staying together and confined was not happening. Jeremiah and Rachel still loved to touch everything, so they were pawing all the jewelry racks. I picked Rachel up and shooed the boys away. We headed (or at least I thought we all did) to the men’s section to look at shirts, when I heard Jeremiah yell, “Momma!” I turn to find Caleb poking the lady manikin’s bra in the lingerie department while Jeremiah is pointing to the bras and rubbing his chest then pointing to the panties and smacking his butt. Oh what a pair and a humorous sight (after the fact)! I discard Rachel in order to rescue my boys from the allure of the scantily clad manikins in the lingerie department. Rachel was having none of that, so she threw herself on the floor wailing loudly. I look at Jon and say, “You have to pick her up!” knowing that act was likely to cause the wailing to crescendo. Jon grabbed the drama queen and wandered in the direction of shoes… her first love! They immediately bonded like never before. Jon took her on a grand tour of all the splendor Kohl’s has to offer little girls, and for the first time ever… she allowed Jon to buckle her in her carseat when we left! They’ve been getting along great ever since! The way to a girl’s heart… shoe shopping and bling, bling!