Spray Play

Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous Spring day and after our morning hike we pulled out the garden hose to water the plants in the backyard. It wasn't out five minutes before Mac confiscated it and turned it on his little sister the second that Ryan and I weren't looking. I heard screams and knew immediately what happened, but I wasn't expecting Mim's reaction to being sprayed in the face with freezing cold water. If there ever were a set of photos that completely sums up the relationship between these two nuts, it would be these. Mac is relishing in dishing out the abuse and Mim is loving every single second of it and coming back again and again for more. Their friendship has come such a long way over the last year and it's simultaneously heart-wrenching, heart-warming and heart-breaking to watch them interact with each other. They're finally getting to an age where they can talk and play together, which usually ends up in tears and screaming, but has so many lovely moments in between when he's being a sweetheart and helping her with something or she's being a goofball to make him laugh. Most days are still rough, but we're getting there...I think...I hope. 

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...

Maybe.

Train on the Brain

I freely admit that there's a lot I don't understand about kids...even my own. I've been a parent for (one month shy of) four years now and I can't begin to tell you how much I learn daily about the things my children love, like and seriously dislike. I know Mac loves soft clothes, AC/DC and sunglasses. Mim loves owls, Wreck-It-Ralph and slides. But there's also so much more that I don't understand about children. One being every single kid's obsession with trains. What is it about a train that makes a child lose their mind with excitement and awe?! Why do kids love trains so much? 

When I think of trains these days, I think of an outdated old-fashioned mode of transportation. Honestly, before I had kids, I probably hadn't even thought about trains for years...other than the occasional glory days memory of drinking wine on a train through Europe with my law school friends or cussing at a train under my breath when I was stopped at the railroad tracks on my way to work, late as usual. But it seems like every child, boy or girl, from birth is programmed with an intense obsession with trains that I absolutely do not understand. From train tables to train shows (Chuggington, Thomas, Dinosaur Train, etc.) to train events (Polar Express) and train propaganda all over town, I feel like the train industry is possibly making more money from this crazy toddler train obsession than from actual train transportation stuff. Forget being a doctor, my kids want to be a train conductor! (Medical industry - seriously, you could take some pointers from the railroad industry's toddler marketing campaign.)  

My children are no exception to the train brainwashing that's going on. They love trains and have bought (hook, line and sinker) into the whole "trains are AMAZING" mindset from birth. "Choo choo" was one of their first words (both kids), they love train shows, they are obsessed with their train table(s) and the sound of a train whistle will send them into absolute wild frenzy! I do not get it. I've been trying to get Mac to tell me some things about trains that might hopefully help me understand why he loves them so much, and here's what he had to say...

Me: Why do you like trains so much?
Mac: They're really big and super loud. Bigger and louder than my daddy!
Me: Yes, they are big and loud, but airplanes are faster than trains.
Mac: Airplanes are really far away and don't carry coal. And they don't have a whistle.
Me: Well, that's true. Do you like coal?
Mac: No.
Me: Do you like loud whistles?
Mac: No.
Me: Ok, then why do you like trains?
Mac: I just told you!!!
Me: Alright!

Me: Mimmy, do you like trains?
Mim: Trains!!!!
Me: Do you like trains?
Mim: Chooo chooo!!!
Me: Do you like trains?
Mim: Ok!
Me: Do you like trains?
Mim: Snack?

Are your kids obsessed with trains?

WHY?!!!

Elephant Rocks State Park

Yesterday we packed the kids up and headed down to Elephant Rocks State Park outside Graniteville, Missouri for some hiking and exploring. Elephant Rocks is a park comprised of giant granite boulders that stand end-to-end like a chain of circus elephants (according to the website). There are paved trails that go around the biggest formation (which make it really easy for kids), but plenty of off-the-beaten path trails, as well as tons of rocks to climb on, up, over and through. 

The park is about 90 minutes away from St. Louis, so it's a bit of a drive, but the kids did great in the car (for once) and Ryan and I had a chance to write down our massive pre-vacation to do list on the drive. We packed a lunch and our raincoats and planned to spend a few hours in the woods, hiking, climbing and exploring. We made it about halfway around the one-mile Braille trail when it started to pour on us. We high-tailed it back to the car, completely drenched, but laughing. We stripped off our wet clothes and ate our PB&Js in the car while we dried out. Once the rain let up, we changed into some dry clothes and headed back out to explore. 

The rocks in the park were really cool - there were so many neat formations with little tunnels, crevices, caves and gaps. There were overlooks at the top of the rocks and little ponds and boulder mazes off the main trails. Mac loved climbing on the rocks, jumping off everything and blazing the trail as fast as he could. Mim, on the other hand, picked flowers and took her sweet time exploring every little thing. These two seriously couldn't be more different. Occasionally, we'd make Mac stop and come back to see something particularly cool, like different types of moss growing on the rocks, snails and slugs we found, mushrooms and even some cacti! I've never seen a wild cactus in Missouri, so that was pretty exciting for me too. 

The rocks were mostly covered in moss this time of year and the rain made them slick in places. While it didn't stop Mac (or even slow him down), I'd love to come back over the summer when the rocks are dry, warm and pink. There's plenty to explore in this park - we didn't make it to the old railroad engine house or the abandoned quarry on the property, which would be fun to do next time. The park's located in the heart of the Missouri iron and granite mining area and we passed tons of mines, quarries and excavation sites on the drive down. 

Even though it was a bit of a drive just for a hike, we had a lot of fun at Elephant Rocks. Our cell phones didn't get any service in the area, so we weren't able to look for treasure, but we hiked and explored for about three hours before heading back home and they did great. Mim got a bit tired and crabby towards the end and immediately fell asleep in the car, which made for a very quiet ride back to the city. There are plenty of picnic tables and even a playground, so next time we know there's lot to do. Mac talked about how much fun he had on the giant rocks all night, so I'm sure we'll be back soon. 

What did you do this weekend?