One Fun Day

One day this week, we needed to get out! We ran some errands for the store. And then we decided to pick up lunch at Chick-fil-A and take it to our favorite playground for a picnic. I snapped this picture moments before hearing the phrase I have come to dread while out and about. "Mama!! POOP!!!" Usually, that means....RUNNNNN TO THE BATHROOM! Unfortunately, at this playground, the bathroom is a LOOONNNGG run from the picnic tables and playground -- all the way across two soccer fields near the baseball fields. Ask me if I have a potty chair in the van. The answer is "No. Not yet." So we go to plan C. We squat. Or hover, really. This is the second time Cayman has had to go poop at this particular playground. The only differences were that a) Ian was there the first time, b) we didn't have a table laden with food, and c) it was at night the first time, there were no other cars in the parking lot and there definitely was not a group of middle schoolers having PE out in the soccer fields. So. We first decided to hover/squat over a Chick-fil-A bag behind the trashcan. Problem: The wind kept blowing the bag from beneath Cayman's behind. Apparently it's hard for a child to hover and poop when the bag he's supposed to be pooping on is blowing away in the wind. Next idea. We head to the van, open the back (which unfortunately is facing the street), open the bag up really wide, squat over the bag (which thankfully cannot blow away in the van) and take care of business. Meanwhile, Charis has discovered the buttons which open and close the sliding doors in the van, so she's having a good ol' time opening and closing the doors over and over. Wipe and done. Let's go finish our yummy Chick-fil-A sandwich! Mmm....... :(

We called the Beans as we were driving the park and invited them to our picnic. They decided that would be a great idea! (They arrived after our bathroom fiasco.) Cayman and Noakea always have a great time together. Noakea is very imaginative which feeds Cayman's imagination. Today they climbed on board their boat and took sail, feeding sharks and fighting pirates. Or something. They had fun. 

As you can see, Charis' bead collection has
multiplied. Someone gave her a HUGE pink
necklace as a little Halloween present. Woohoo.

That night we went to small group. When we got home, Cayman found some "snake bugs" on the sidewalk leading up to our front door. (Apparently slugs = snake bugs) I remembered from my childhood something about salt and slugs. I couldn't really remember what's supposed to happen when salt is poured on slugs, and what actually happened when we did this didn't spark my memory, so I still don't know what happens when salt is poured on slugs. But today, the kids had fun saying goodbye to the slug fossils on our sidewalk as we left to go on our walk. (Yes, two days later...I'm still waiting to see what's going to happen to the salt encrusted slugs.) I think I have some studying to do before I begin teaching my kids science lessons.... Yikes!

I LOVE that Cayman is holding Charis' hands to keep her from
running away while I head inside to get the salt! :) He is very
protective over his sister (but will turn around and push her
right to the ground minutes later!)

"What's gonna happen, Mom?" "I'm not sure, son. I'm just not sure."

Keep scrolling! There's another post down there! :)