We had a really fun Easter this year because we were lucky enough to have guests visiting! Auntie Kenzie had spring break so Nanna and Kenzie drove out and stayed for a whole week. It was bliss. We played hard and had an awesome time.
The morning that they were driving in, the boys and I went to an Easter egg hunt at a nearby community. It was incredible driving up and seeing several huge fields completely covered in Easter eggs. They said they "hid" 12,000 total. There were fields lined by cones and designated for different age groups. We waited at the younger age field for the horn to blow and tried to get a few good pictures.
Unsuccessfully.
Poor Finn is still getting used to walking on uneven terrain. When he's on grass or gravel or bark at a playground his little body tenses up and it looks like he's walking on nails for how uncomfortable he is.
Tate, anxiously waiting for permission to cross the line of cones. The crowd was pretty thin when we arrived but as it got closer to 10 the crowd grew until we pretty much lined the entire park. They blew the horn, we "ran" as quickly as we could and gathered just a few before they were all gone. It was fun to watch dads carry their kids to the middle to get there before anyone else. Parents who had strategies of how to "win" the egg hunt. That's just not me. It is, however, Glenn. And I know that's just how he would have been if he had been able to make it. Whispering to Tate before it began, "Okay, Tate, this is what we're going to do...." I love my honey. As it was, we had a really fun time and the boys were so happy. It was fast. At 10 exactly they blew the horn, by 10:03 we were walking to the car. Awesome. We will definitely be back next year.
Mom and Kenz got here Saturday night and watched the boys while Glenn and I went to a movie. It was so great to not have to worry in the least about the boys while we were away. I like my baby sitter, but she's not my mom and sister, ya know?
The Easter bunny came with some fun loot this year. Finn was pretty excited when he realized that the eggs contained candy and spent the rest of the day carrying them around, grunting to people to open them for him and then carrying the candy around grunting for people to open that for him too.
The Easter bunny at Glenn's house when he was growing up always left little piles of bunny poop around the house. This year, he pooped all over our house too. It looked pretty gross. Tate noticed it and said it looked like bunny poop. Glenn walked over and threw some in his mouth and exclaimed how yummy it tasted. So Tate tried some and said, "This is candy! The Easter Bunny poops candy!"
He spent the rest of the day telling people about it. I'm sure he told his primary teachers too, "The Easter Bunny just pooped all over my house and I ate some, but the Easter bunny just poops candy!" We did have to make sure to clarify, that we can only eat the Easter Bunny's poop, as we have access to lots of real bunny poop, and we do not eat that.
Finn decided to try a little too.
His favorite treat of the day were jelly beans. He couldn't get enough.
This year the Easter Bunny brought some special Easter eggs just for our Star Wars loving boy. Darth Vader shaped Easter eggs. They were a huge hit.
Tate was assigned to give the scripture in primary that day and we had worked with him all week. He had it memorized perfectly, but we weren't sure if he would be ornery about getting up in front of the primary to say it. The week before the primary was supposed to sing in sacrament meeting and we spent the first part of the meeting trying to convince him that he should go up with them. Finally, Glenn just agreed to go up with him and he agreed to go up. So we weren't sure what to expect this time. I went up to the front of the room with him and when it was his turn he didn't ask for help, he just walked up to the microphone and started saying his scripture. The primary president asked him to wait for a minute while she shushed everyone, and he said, "Oh, wait a second. I didn't know that." Then when she told him to start again, he did. Just a small accomplishment, I know, but I was just thrilled for him and he was so proud of himself too. It was like passing Go in the parenting game and getting a huge pay day. Well done Tate.
We spent much of the week lounging and watching movies,
going shopping (one afternoon we even sent Kenzie to Charming Charlie by herself and she came back 4 hours later with 2 pair of earrings. So glad she can drive so we didn't have to wait around for her on that one!), eating out, making yummy treats, and watching the kids play. It was a pretty chill visit with a couple of big outings.
One morning we went to the Science museum. Tate was so excited to show Nanna and Kenzie his museum. He always gets a map and "plans" our visit by looking at the pictures and deciding which exhibits (a great word with a lisp) he wants to visit.
Finn was pretty chill being stuck in the stroller. He's going through the rough transition from 2 naps to 1. Some days he still needs a morning nap and will let you know, loudly, if you try to make him skip it. Some days he does fine with one, but if you don't get him down early enough then he'll fall asleep in the car and refuse to go back to sleep at home. Tricky.
We saw Dinosaurs, the outer space exhibit, mummies, and the kids' discovery zone which is always a favorite. Lots of hands-on stuff to explore and figure out. Kenzie liked it too.
Could we resist trying on different tails? No, we could not.
One day we went to a park after Glenn went home. It was pretty chilly for most of the week but warmed up a bit towards the end.
Kenzie wandered around playing photographer, which was actually nice, because I could just play with the boys and knew that she was documenting it all. Wish she was around to follow us while we play more often!
Poor Finny was a little grumpers last week because he had a bit of a cold. He did allow us to snuggle him just a bit more than usual, so we'll take it.
We went swimming at the Y one morning and I forgot to bring my camera. My cousin, Brady came and we all had a great time swimming in the really fun pool. It had slides, a lazy river, and a huge, shallow pool for kids. Tate is usually a bit hesitant of the water at the beginning of swimming season, but he wanted to use his buzz lightyear goggles this time and once he got them on his face and realized how cool it was to see under water, he spent the next hour diving under the water, then jumping up when he needed a breath, then diving back down again. We could figure out how to get them to fit right so he kept having to empty the "aquariums" in his goggles, but he never freaked out or stopped swimming. It was great!
Finn took a little more warming up. He loves the water, he just couldn't stand that he couldn't do the whole swimming thing BY HIMSELF! He was constantly trying to squirm out of the arms of whoever was holding him. He wanted zero help, and he didn't learn that when we let him go, he sunk under the water and that was undesirable. Everything pretty much made him mad. Which was kinda funny. Brady could usually cheer him up. He loves Brady. Who doesn't?
On our last day together Glenn decided to take the morning off, of course. He can't miss out on ALL the fun! We went for our morning walk/jog, then headed to the zoo. When we got there and started driving around the entire zoo and eventually about a mile away and still couldn't find a spot, we bailed on the zoo. It was such a nice day and would have been nice to be outside, but we did not want to fight that crowd. So we headed to the Children's Museum instead. Lindsay Banks met us there and hung out with us for a couple of hours. We always like playing with Lindsay and are glad she'll join us on our kiddo outings once in a while!
It had been a while since we'd visited the Children's Museum and a lot of exhibits were moved around or changed completely. It was fun to explore it again, and this time with family! The first level is a huge fire truck and a bunch of fire house things to play in and on.
One of our favorites is a rocket making and launching exhibit. Tate usually just gathers rockets that have been shot and discarded on the side of the exhibit and shoots them with the launcher over and over again. He's never had any interest in designing and making his own from all the supplies on the tables. He just wants to use the launchers! Glenn, on the other hand,
Was very interested in making the best rocket possible. He very carefully designed the body and the fins and placement of fins and, while I was doing other things with the boys when the actual test launches occurred, mom, linds, and Kenz tell me his second attempt was very successful.
In the next room they had a new exhibit that sends plastic balls up a tube using vacuums. The balls then roll on a track on the ceiling and down the wall on the other side, then we had to build a track down some stairs to get the balls back to the opening of the vacuum to start their ride again. Tate loved it and Finn was happy to get to play with some balls. The kid could throw balls all day long.
The last room we went in was probably the favorite...and the messiest. The bubble exhibit is just so cool. They have bubble blowing machines on the ceiling, filling bubbles with smoke. When they're big enough the machine drops them and the kids (and Kenzie) get to pop them and see the smoke woosh out. So fun.
There were a few different ways to make BIG bubbles.
And even put yourself in a bubble room.
Finny got in on a bit of the smoke bubble action, but he was pretty grouchy and tired by this time.
Tate could have stayed there all day.
Thanks for a great spring break Nanna and Kenzie. We had so much fun! Come again any time! Tomorrow maybe?
Why in the world would we break his heart like that? So so cruel. 
