Hop!

Well, we don't get the high score for Easter creativity this year, but I figure we've got many years ahead to spend egg dying, hunting, and Easter Bunny/Basket-ing.  Unfortunately, we had some less than spring-like weather the day before Easter, and the planned outdoor activities went by the wayside.  Luckily, though, the CoMO mall came through as always as a poor weather indoor destination.  

They had a little Spring Fest going on with face painting (LONG line), crafts, a dj spinning the under 8's favorite tunes, hula hoops, etc.  We hung out for a good while and Max won a couple of mini rubber ducks and showed off his awesome new hat (and I don't mean the bunny visor!) from the cutest baby store ever.

As always, a few pictures to share!

Tons of Trucks

Last week MP2 and I went to what may have been the hallmark event of spring (even though it was one of the few not-spring-like days we've had recently) - Tons of Trucks.  The Parks and Recreation Department puts on this event each spring.  They have nearly every single kind of truck/tractor/etc that you can imagine, and they are all parked in a giant parking lot at a large park - available to climb in and on and around.

It was a zoo of kids, all clambering to be in the driver's seat (preferably also honking the horn).  Waiting our turn was tough, but we managed.  And we got to see so many fun trucks!

An armored police car:

A firetruck (!):

An old army jeep thing that was super high off the ground:

A bobcat:

An ATV:

A tractor (with many interesting levers):

Some kind of digger/tractor:

You get the idea.  Needless to say, MP2 could have stayed for hours, but it was getting close to dinnertime.  We had a very tearful goodbye, but a fun time while we were there.

On the Road Again...and Again

March found us heading down the highway, and back, and forth, and...well, you get it.  We made two trips to Nashville over the month - the first for MP's (mostly) annual half-marathon tradition running the Tom King and the second for Spring Break.  Man, I have said it before and I will say it again...we are awfully lucky to have a good traveler on our hands.  MP2 does such a great job on these long trips.  Me?  Not so much...  Believe it or not, when push comes to shove I am really just a homebody at heart.  That said, we love spending time with Nana, Papa and all our Nashville friends, so the trips are worth it.  Let's just suffice to say come May when we're settled back home, I will not miss this drive one teensy bit.

Here's MP2 using chopsticks (with a little assistance) for the first time!  Pei Wei rice was about the best thing he ever tasted, really, who doesn't love themselves some fried rice???

Giving Nana a "big, big" smile at the park.

Playing at the park near Nana and Papa's house.  We were lucky to have such great weather for both trips.

Giving MP a high five around mile three.  The course is an out and back, so we got to see him three times during the race (out, back and at the finish).

MP still going strong!

After the finish.  I love comparing MP2 to himself a year ago - check him out at Tom King last year.  Man, he is a big boy now!

There's a huge steam engine train in Nashville's Centennial Park (one of our favorites), and MP2 loved checking it out (almost as much as he loves the bed of gravel on which it sits).

Back in CoMO and back in our normal routine at a Monday swim.  Love that smile.

After nap playing upstairs.

After a couple of weeks at home, we were on the road again.  This time MP had a fantastic idea to leave early in the day and head to the zoo in St. Louis.  Pros: it's free, they have a train, they have lots of animals (which MP2 would LOVE), and it would tire MP2 out.  Cons: it's a zoo and zoos make me very sad.  The "pros" won this time.  So, we set off and spent a couple of hours at the zoo.

Here are MPs riding the train

Here is MP2 trying to break into one of the cages.

"Don't feed me to the lions, Daddy!"

Checking out the bears.

Happy MP2.  Never mind those animals as long as my kiddo is happy, right?  ;-)

In a rare treat, MP2 gets lovie in public, considering it was about three hours past his normal nap time by the time we finished lunch at maybe one of our new very favorite places ever.  (Thank you facebook for letting me see that my friends recently ate at this restaurant, otherwise we'd have never found it!) Please let me have occasion to go here again soon!!

Back in Nashville, we got to see the bunnies at Phillips Toy Mart.  MP2 practically wanted to climb into the bunny pen with the little furry friends.  I think the clerks may have frowned upon this behavior.  So we held back.

Several trips to Dragon Park in Nashville over the week, and discovery of the sand box.  This is my worst nightmare - so, so messy!  (and so, so fun)

All in all March was good to us, and one more tick mark off the calendar as we inch towards May.  Actually, we are not inching at all - I practically feel like we are moving tomorrow!  All joking aside, we are also really going to miss CoMO.  It's been a great place to live these last three years.  But I will save the nostalgia for another day.