Big Day.

Clara has picked up the phrase "big day". Sometimes when we ask her what she did at school or daycare she'll tell us "big day guys, big day" with her very emphatic hand motions. We had a big day a couple weeks ago that was just what we needed. Luke had been sick early in the week and we were running on little sleep and very little sanity :) 

On a beautiful fall day, I got to take the morning off to go with Clara on her preschool field trip to the pumpkin patch. Our daycare provider went with her son too, so Luke was along for the ride. We had a great morning exploring. It was fun to see Clara interact with her classmates and her teachers. She loved the toddler-only bounce house, the wagon ride and her snack. 

 

Luke was a trooper after a couple days of fever

It was so nice, we decided we needed to end the day with a trip to Hartman Reserve after work.

We have a (maybe weird?) tradition of shaking the trees to catch the falling leaves. Clara quickly caught on to the fun.

She and dad also had some fun "hiding". 

Sometimes parents need a day filled with simple fun just as much as the kids do!

Road Trip with Two

After 7 months, it was time to leave the house. We stayed pretty close to home this summer as the thought of traveling with a pack and play and a swing for our two kids to sleep in seemed to be too much. But, I really wanted to take Clara to the zoo and we all really wanted to see Aunt Amy's new house so we made a trip over my birthday weekend  to Des Moines. We went out to eat to celebrate my birthday on Friday night and then got up Saturday morning and headed to the zoo. 

Clara loved it, as we knew she would. She pointed out lots of animals with enthusiasm and enjoyed watching dad feed the animals in the petting zoo (without getting too close). Luke took a nap, and we even got to see the Mortensons. It was a a fun visit. 

Drew showing her the ropes - the Morts are zoo experts :)

Clara's favorite - the TRAIN!

The kids slept great in their "special rooms" (closets) and we got to see both of my grandparents. My grandpa Daniels got to meet Luke for the first time, which was pretty neat. Luke's middle name is Daniel in no small part because of the respect Brad and I both have for him, and we're so glad we got to introduce him to Luke. 

Maybe the best part of the trip for Clara? She made a new friend - Dan's cat Raph.