A truly awesome weekend

Our weekend started on Thursday (which, coincidentally, is when my students always talk about the weekend beginning. Ah, to be young again.) when we officially rang in Harry's birthday.

With breakfast cake!

I bought 2 cakes because they both looked delicious

Cooper's calling card

We played with Harry's roller blades, basketball hoop, and archery set for a while

Harry's class had a roller blade unit in gym, and they all took it very seriously, as did Harry, obvs.

He wore his crown all day, even to our Olive Garden lunch, and delighted in strangers wishing him Happy Birthday. A large group of Red Hat Society ladies on their way to a matinee sang at lunch.

Cooper is SO BIG

And so proud of his trick

Harry is also so big

Jack will eat anything he can dip

Ben joined the kids in a tiny sundae

Jack has tween hair

On Friday, we skipped town and headed to Pekin. One of my oldest friends has a little girl right around Jack's age, and we attended her 4th birthday. The kids had a blast-- a children's singer and a make-your-own-visor table, not to mention delicious food and the best park in town. I took not a single party picture because I am dumb and had too much fun talking and marveling at cute kiddies. I was trying to explain to Harry that my friend Katie and I have been BFF since we were his age and it would be like if he still knows a kindergarten friend 30 years from now (28 years, actually), but he couldn't quite comprehend the awesomeness. Sometimes I can't either. 

I did get a couple pictures at the park, and Ben took one on the lagoon paddle boats.

He also took this of the sun setting over the lagoon:

 Ben paddling 85 pounds of kid in a boat

Swinging

I love these swings that circle the lagoon. When I die, I want a swing with my name on it at this park-- I have always LOVED them

On the way home from Pekin (it was a quick trip because we are going back on Friday), we stopped in Rockford for lunch at Steak n Shake, which is my favorite restaurant ever from when I was a kid. I ordered a lime freeze without looking at the menu, and they don't even make those anymore, but the kid waiter didn't have the heart to tell me, so he made me one by squeezing fresh limes in a milkshake. Delicious, and what a sweet kid!

Speaking of sweet kids

 Yesterday on our way home, I suggested out of the blue that we GO CAMPING IN A TENT. 

WTF, right?

Ben wasted no time calling a campground he fondly remembered from childhood, and we headed to Target to buy, um, everything.  Camping for the first time?  Is not cheap.

And maybe this is all the beer talking, but it was so! much! fun!  (Some kid did poop all over the water park, which kind of put a damper on things, but we recovered)

Obligatory

 Almost squeezing Cooper to death because I told him not to drop the baby

 Ah, the dirty, dirty Wisconsin Dells

 They were extra super jazzed about this park because they love to watch Yogi Bear every time it's on HBO

 Jack was Boo Boo, natch

 On the way to the nasty campground bathroom

 Um, Santa?  IDK.

 Pringles!  I bought them in the creepy camp store because I have not had Pringles in 10 years.

He is still such a little dough ball

This tent claimed to be an instant tent, and it totally was!  H and J loved it!

 As did Coop, who is still SO BIG.  Also, if you are camping with a mobile baby, BRING A PACK N PLAY.  I had the Ergo, which was awesome, but it would have been great to have someplace to stash him away from the fire.

We also brought our weather radio, which was super helpful in alerting us to the tornado watch and impending line of severe storms.  We broke camp and went home to not sleep in a tent during a thunderstorm.  Baby steps.

Luckily, we got Ben and outdoor fireplace for Father's Day, so we could commence camping where we left off.

Tired

 And with s'mores!!

 Harry and Jack slept all night in the tent

 In the family room.

Camping was super fun, and I cannot wait to do it again.  If you are thinking that's out of character, I realized that I have 3 boys, and I just need to suck it up.  Also, I think one night at a a time is enough for me, and I would prefer to go a little earlier or later in the year-- when the nights are chilly, and walking around with a bay strapped to my person is a little less stifling.

Today, we plan to round out Father's Day with a trip to a dirty kiddie amusement park, so get excited for the wrap up!