family biking @ da park

So, our plan was to go camping this weekend as a family. Well,... that didn't quite happen. We were all packed up and ready to go, and i was running last minute errands with the kids before heading out to set up camp. That's when i started feeling twinges of what ended up being one of the most NASTY stomach virus' i've ever gotten. We headed home and i had Darien watch the kids while i started,.. err,... praying to the porcelain god. 3 hours later, I finally bailed out and called marke home from work because i was so bad off.

So, we didn't go camping, but we set up A and D in the backyard with a tent for the night, and had a little campfire to do smores and hotdogs on. Not quite what our original plan was, but fun nonetheless.

To make up for our lack of family camping, we packed all the bikes and bigwheels in the van this afternoon and did some family biking at the park instead. M & D took some playing cards and played a little 'War' in the shade while taking a break. D has REALLY gotten into playing cards lately,... but ya gotta watch him as he tends to slip cards into his pockets to use for later.


C played quite a bit on the playground; i've realized lately that i don't take these younger 2 kids to the park anywhere NEAR as often as i took the first 2. I've just gotten a lot more busy driving around to activities, lessons, and scouts in the afternoon and evening, so the morning trip to the park has gotten the shaft. I'll have to see if i can't resurrect it though, now that we're heading into fall,... or maybe switch it into a walk through our back woods, or a trip to toddler time at the library.


I had gone out and bought C a little big-wheel all to herself - she LOVED the princess pattern, and she and E raced each other all over the park paths. They were both pretty cut-throat in their competitiveness. Interesting to see in a 2 and 4 year old.



The leaves have started their changing, although with the weather, it's been a little less color and more just withering off the tree. It's been a drier autumn than normal. Still fun for pics though, and i actually managed to get one of the older 2 being somewhat nice to one another. (a nice change from the standard cats-n-dogs behavior ;-)



There's a little creek running by the bike path around the park. Most of it has dried up, but there was still enough there for the kids to play around and goof off with. Or to show-off with, in Darien's case.