The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

It has been a long five days since Dan left on his business trip. Team parenting is difficult without your MVP!! It has not been pretty! We're in the home stretch now since Dan is on his way back. Woo Hoo!

Before I knew Dan was going to be away, I volunteered to chaperone a field trip this past Friday. That meant even more one on one time with the boys!! But, it turned out to be a great day. We went to Hawk Creek!




It was a beautiful morning and a perfect time to visit this wildlife sanctuary. The kids were a lot of fun and we all enjoyed our tour although Tyler was very disappointed that there was no creek at Hawk Creek. Go figure!?!

He was pleased to pose with the metal bird on the way out. I think he thought this was a real bird at one point in time.

Ty and I had a nice lunch together before picking Ryan up to join friends at a local church carnival... or lawn fete as they call it around here!

Yippy! Things like this are always more fun with friends and when you know you should be in school!

Oh! Brain freeze!

That's better.

We spent the rest of the night hanging out with friends and dodging raindrops in the pool! What a great summer day!

The next morning Aunt Donna came to my rescue and joined us for the day. We took a drive north and the kids enjoyed more rides. For some strange reason Tyler loves this boat. It is always the first thing he wants to do at this particular park. Somehow he convinced Aunt Donna to check it out with him...

Ryan did enjoy the rides, but you would never know it from the blank stare on his face. Maybe next time he'll loosen up a little.

This place is awesome. 25 cents per ride = as much fun as you want to have!! And, we all had a ton of fun.

It is literally right on Lake Ontario. Isn't it beautiful? Ry thought so!

This kid is stingy with his laughs, but when you get them, they're sure worth the wait! Can you see the joy in this picture?

Two boys having a blast. Who could ask for more?

Toward the end Ryan decided he wanted his own car. This ride is a lot of fun because the shooters actually make noise. Ry still had his fingers on the trigger as I pulled him out.

We can't wait to go again!!

Last night the boys spent time in our neighbors pool and then camped out in the living room for the night. My goal when Dan is gone is to keep everyone moving. So, this morning we headed out to see the Robotic Dinosaurs. Roar!!

Ryan was too funny. He was very concerned about the roaring, moving monster behind him. But, he didn't cry or give us a hard time. He just stayed vigilant. He is definitely his father's boy.

On to the rest of the museum. Here is our future plinko star in action...

And, our future plumber. I don't know what he was building, but he was very serious about it!

The water table was a huge hit... really, it was... don't let the blank stare fool you!

We watched the 3D Dino movie and then we were off to the zoo! Yes, the science museum and the zoo on the same day!!

Tyler insisted on using the hoe and putting all the hay in a big pile.

And, he just had to sit on this turtle... I think he sensed my desire to head home to beat the rain so he implemented every delay tactic he could.

One quick stop at the balloon guy and then homeward bound!

I bet you're thinking all of this is pretty good, so where is the bad and the ugly? Well, let me tell you, there have been some rough moments this weekend! Check this out...

I have a lot of work to do before Dan arrives! And, unfortunately it isn't just the living room that looks like this!

Here's some of the other random events that we have survived while he was gone:

1. There was a mystery smell in the kitchen. I sanitized the sink, I changed the garbage, I removed the children... and then I found the rotten potatoes! YUCK!
2. Ryan has been searching for Dan for 5 days straight! It is so sad. He asks for Daddy when he wakes up. He looks all over for him saying his name. He points to trucks while we're out sure he has found his Daddy. But, no Daddy. Poor kid!
3. I got stung by a bee this morning while driving to the science museum! Luckily I'm still not allergic and I did not crash the car!
4. We went to the library. DO NOT GO TO THE LIBRARY ALONE WITH TWO BOYS!! Oh my!!
5. I must have thrown towels in the hamper before they were completely dry. Ugh, stinky!! Luckily my homemade laundry detergent works really well!
6. First thing Saturday morning we went to a local mall to see the Reptile Guy. And I discovered that I can no longer sit on a hard floor for longer than 15 minutes! Ouch!
7. Ryan just woke up from his nap and I'm TIRED. Do they really need dinner and a bath tonight??
8. And, lastly, I haven't gone to the grocery store yet...