It felt good and we kept our weekend nice and simple!
We kicked off the weekend with a visit to Sweetwater Farms, one of our favorite local spots where the boys enjoy checking out animals, playing in a giant mulch pit and running around in the grass.
We played at the farm for around 90 minutes before making our way to my friend Lauren’s house to check on their baby chicks while they were out of town.
Whenever we visit Lauren’s house (she’s the mother of Claire, Chase’s BFF) Chase always asks if we can get chickens, too. That’s not in the cards for our family but we’re pretty sure a reptile of some sort is when we move into our new house. We’ve been researching leopard geckos and bearded dragons and Chase is beyond psyched about this idea. (Also, did you know you can rescue leopard geckos, bearded dragons and all different kinds of reptiles!? So cool! We’re hoping to go this route.) I’m sure I’ll ask for more insight into caring for these creatures when we get closer to making this decision but if you have any experience with lizards as pets, please feel free to weigh in!
Lauren also has two bunnies who live in a hutch in her backyard so we checked on them as well before making our way back home for lunch.
(Overalls: WeWoreWhat via RueLaLa / Top: Topshop (but old) / Shoes: Madewell / Clear Crossbody: Amazon / Sunglasses: Sorvino via Amazon)
By the time we made it home, everyone was hungry and inhaled their lunches before we got Rhett and Ryder down for some much-needed naps. Ryder naps two or three times a week but when he naps he naps HARD and slept for around three hours on Saturday. Rhett was up about two hours later and hung out with me until Ryan and Chase made it back from their afternoon fishing adventure.
I then took Chase to a birthday party at a trampoline park and I think this was the first birthday party we’ve attended where the guest list was only boys! The kids all had a blast running a mile a minute and slowed down just long enough for pizza and cake.
Eventually the party came to and end and Chase and I met up with Ryan, Rhett and Ryder at the park in our neighborhood for a few rounds of tag before heading home for our whole evening routine.
(T-shirt: Old Navy / Shorts: Old Navy / Shoes: Natives — aka our absolute favorite summer shoes for the boys! They also hold up for hand-me-downs so all three boys can wear them.)
Sunday
On Sunday morning, the boys seemed content to play around the house for a while so while they entertained themselves with Picasso Tiles and cars, Ryan and I did some laundry and other household chores.
Our main activity for the day kicked off in the mid-morning and we drove to Dan Nicholas Park, a giant park that’s home to a campground, several playgrounds, a train, carousel, nature center and more. We discovered it for the first time a year ago and it totally blew us away. (This post goes into more detail about the park for any locals who might be interested: Rowan Wild + Dan Nicholas Park.)
(Leggings: Lululemon / Crop Tank: Lavento via Amazon / Hat: Nike / Clear Crossbody Bag: Amazon / Shoes: Adidas)
The park is about a 50-minute drive from our house so it’s a little bit of a hike but worth every minute. Ryan and I are hoping to take the boys camping at Dan Nicholas Park in the future because there is so much to do!
We easily spent nearly three hours at the park on Sunday and visited animals…
Rode the train and merry-go-round…
Went gem mining…
Hunted for lizards…
Played on the various playgrounds…
Checked out reptiles in the Nature Center…
And had a picnic lunch and left! This park is such a gem and Ryan and I left saying we need to visit more often!
By the time we made it home, Rhett was in need of a nap and we all had some chill time at home before Ryan took the big kids fishing while Rhett continued sleeping and I got some work done.
We rounded out our weekend by grilling out and curling up on the couch for movie night (well, kind of, I mean someone is always on the floor with an oh-so-busy Rhett). Once everyone was settled in bed, Ryan and I hung out for a bit before reading and falling asleep, too.
Now I’m off to get this Monday rocking! Annemarie is coming to help with Rhett this morning and I’m looking forward to some uninterrupted work time at a local coffee shop until I have to scoop Ryder up from preschool around lunchtime. I hope you all have a great week!
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Just curious what was the pick for family movie night?
Octonauts — the boys’ fav!
When Ryder does nap, does it make it harder for him to fall asleep at night? My 3.5 year old also naps just a few days a week, but when she does, its for 2-3 hours. And then she has the hardest time going to bed on time, which can be a problem because she shares a room with her 5 year old sister, who does not nap and is very much tired at bedtime.
YESSSSS! And we have the same issue. Chase is ready for bed at like 7:30 but on Ryder’s nap days he wants to party until 9 p.m. I feel like he’s so close to dropping his nap altogether so we’re just riding it out for a bit but we are totalllly are in the same boat!
Can you share Rhetts sleep schedule? Such as wake time, nap time, bed time, etc….my daughter is a couple of months behind him and only taking 1 hour naps. Trying to see if I should make a schedule adjustment
My son’s teacher has a bearded dragon and they LOVE him!! His name is Captain Jack and his personality is so great! I bet your boys would love one 🙂
How you do so much 😁 Julie is beyond my compression!! You and the hubs have endless energy!!! So amazing 👏 with 3 boys!!! They inherited your vibes & energy also!!!
My nephew got a gecko when he was in kindergarten. He is heading off to college in the fall and my sister-in-law is giving him to her coworker for her little boy. I’m not sure how long they live but Rudy has been a part of their family for a long time!
We had a fire-bellied newt (and a tree frog and a ball python) when I was growing up. The newt was pretty low maintenance outside of having to clean the cage; he ate pelleted food, which was much better than the live crickets for the frog or the live mice for the snake!