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I got an email from my mom telling me about this cool FREE event that was hosted by the Iowa DNR and the Izaac Walton League. It turned out to be a lot of fun for all of us. We started at the SOAR tent and learned about falcons and other birds being rehabilitated in the area. We have seen presentations from them previously. How fun to be this close to a kestrel falcon.
The kids got to make bird feeders out of plastic bottles.
Checking out a BIG teepee.
Taking a turn at axe throwing....not my favorite part of the day but I played along. Who puts an axe to throw in the hands of a 7 year old?
Sticks are fun!
It was time for them to release two of the kestrels that had been rehabilitated. This was cool to watch as they flew off to freedom.
Last stop was the archery range. Paul really enjoyed this so we might actually take him to an indoor archery range to practice his skills.
Lillie tried it as well but needed some help from daddy.
It was a beautiful sunny day and pretty warm for a fall day. It is so nice to have such great opportunities for free events that teach the kids a little something while they are having fun. Glad we could swing down for a few hours today!
We had a low key day to celebrate Korean Thanksgiving this year. We spent time at an Iowa DNR event after a morning of Korean meal prep. Getting things prepped up early helps make the actual dinner making so much easier. Tonight's menu was seaweed soup with tofu, bulgogi with rice and gimbap. We were planning to have s'mores for dessert (I know not at all Korean in nature) but people's behavior got a little dicey after dinner. I am so glad my kids love Korean food and I am even gladder that I can make the dishes they like so much.
We headed outside for some pictures in their brand new hanboks. Paul wants to continue the tradition that his foster mom started and we have secured the next 2 sizes of hanbok for him in the exact same color pattern of the hanbok that she sent home with him. Lillie's hanbok was hand picked by her foster mom and given to us a few weeks ago. It is a very nice one and she even bought a very sweet headband to go along with it. We completely forgot to grab the beautiful hanbok purse that she bought for her as well. I think the kids look great!
And we always have to end with the silly version.
This Korean holiday is really meant to be celebrated with friends and family but we enjoyed our quiet holiday together. Next year we will have three little people to wrangle into hanboks and to convince to smile and stand nicely together. Sounds tricky....and I can't wait.
Sometimes it is fun to just pick a park and go play. And that is just what we did! Jason was camping so it was just mom and the kids this weekend - plenty of time for fun. We headed to a relatively new park that is all about inclusion for kids regardless of physical ability. It is a really amazing park with lots of fun new things for the kids. We will definitely be back!
Lillie loved trying the balance beam.
And the roller slide. SOOOO fun.
Climbing high....
Paul has such great arm strength - he is fabulous on monkey bars and he loved this spinning thing to test his ability to hold on while spinning wildly!
She is queen of the mountain!
Another roller slide but this one was flat and you push yourself along with the curved bars. This was a big hit.
Showing off the muscles.....he loves those monkey bars.
Goofballs on the slide.
Time together is such a blessing.
The kids picked Pizza Ranch for dinner and then we played outside for a bit longer before heading to bed. It was a good day.
Lillie's bottom front teeth have been wiggly for weeks and Saturday was the day that they finally came out! Leave it to Lillie to lose not one but two teeth for her first visit from the Tooth Fairy.
This is how we started the morning - with a full set of teeth and a big grin.
We hung out for the morning and while we were having lunch it was quite clear that those teeth needed to come out. There was a lot of tears and screaming but ultimately I got those buggers out! Her first smile without her teeth.
Making goofy moose ears and a big smile.
We headed to the park for the afternoon and then ran some errands. Paul had some money left on a gift card and wanted to use it on a new Lego set which left Lillie feeling left out. I told her that since we were pretty sure the Tooth Fairy would bring her $20 for her first tooth, she could buy something too if she wanted to spend her money. And so she picked a horse....and she is loving this horse!
Before bed we got her Tooth Fairy pillow out and put her teeth in the pocket. She was pretty excited to see what happened next.
Hanging it on the outside of the door so the Tooth Fairy didn't disturb her when she arrived. Sometimes I am brilliant.
Someone was pretty excited to fish out a $20 bill and a $1 gold coin for her first and second teeth. She wasn't quite as excited when she had to give me the $20 since she had spent it the day before.....I think she didn't totally understand that transaction.
All in all it was a pretty exciting weekend for Miss Lillie. This was a bit younger than I would prefer to be celebrating this milestone but the dentist assures us that girls lose teeth before boys and this is not a big deal. So now we have a jack 'o' lantern faced girl just in time for Halloween!
In our ongoing quest to kick this jet lag to the curb, we decided to relish this beautiful day and pick some apples. Our favorite pumpkin patch is also an apple orchard. There are a lot of fun activities for the kids and surprisingly it wasn't all that busy today. We didn't even tell the kids where we were going - we just got in the car and went.
These kids are getting SO big!
Even the Potty Barn is nicely landscaped. Is that a moose or a reindeer?!
The kids love the big slide - grab a potato sack and slide down the hill!
Racing back to the top of the hill for another ride.
New this year was an apple slingshot....we bought a bucket of rotten apples and had some fun aiming at the targets. I am proud to report that I hit one and earned a free apple....the guy said I was the only one to hit a target all day! Lillie really had to put her weight into it....she worked hard.
Ready, aim, fire!
We headed to the jumping pillow.....one of the kids favorites every year. Lillie is so much better at jumping this year and didn't spend as much time on her back or bottom trying to get back up.
It was all smiles from the big guy.
Checking out the kids hay maze.
A little pedal tractor....check!
They have really worked hard on the landscape this year and it shows. Such a beautiful farm.
We grabbed a bite to eat and then kids took a quick turn on the slide in the eating area.
Corn pool was next....whoever decided that filling a huge area with dried corn kernels would be fun is a GENIUS. They would have stayed there for hours if we let them. Jumping, flopping, burying each other.....it is all so much fun.
Nice when they are happy to be together.
We snagged a ride on the hayrack to go out and pick our apples.
Heading for the jonagolds.....one of my faves.
It is hard work picking apples......STRETCH!
There is my goofball!
Such a perfect day to spend a few hours in the fresh air and sun.....a tad on the breezy side but we can't really complain as the temps were pretty perfect. Who knows if we will make it back for pumpkins this year or if maybe Gram and Pa will bring the kids while we are in Korea. Glad we snuck in an apple picking visit this year!
