Whats Up Weekend? 4•5•19

Its been a few weeks since I have popped in for my usual Friday Happiness share.  I would jump on and start writing but I was waist deep in a mood and life happened.  Its been a crazy few weeks but I think this fog is lifting and Im the sunshine is coming back!  Literally!  These cold fronts keep rolling in like its still Winter!  Ugh.  I keep telling myself to live each day to the fullest and stop living for the weekend, but considering Im pretty much stuck at home all week, Weekends = Life!  Thats not to say this week wasn't a good one.  It was a great one even.

Today I'm linking up with Lindsay from The Flynnigans, Charlotte from My Pixie Blog and Beth from Coffee until Cocktails.  Every Friday we share all the things that we are happy, grateful and thankful for!  Stop on over and see what everyone else is sharing today! Here is my list for this week!

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Life is messy. Do it anyways!

I have always been "that" mom.  You know the one who not only encourages her kids to do things like climb trees but who climbs trees with them.  We kick up dirt paths and skip rocks.  We have been known to go off trail and make our own way.  Sticks become lightsabers and shoes are almost always optional.  The boys wrestle, climb door frames and do flips off my headboard.  Life with these two is never boring and always messy, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Weekends are where the funs at!  After a week of being cooped up at home, work, and school, we are all ready to get out take it some fresh air.  If the weather is cooperating, our first stop is usually the park.  Now that the boys are older, playgrounds are out and exploring and trails are in.  I love it.  David would much rather shoot some hoops, but knows that a good trek through the woods will wear the boys out too!

My favorite thing to do as a kid was climb trees.  And I loved playing in the rain!  It has always been important to me to let the boys run free.  And I mean run!  I always encourage them to run faster, jump farther and climb higher.  I want them to make memories and let me worry about the mess.

I will be the first to admit, we love screen time in this house. But its just to easy to miss out on the good things in life when there is a screen in front of your face.  That's why we make a point to get them outside as much as possible.  Even if it means one more load of laundry, muddy shoes and dirty hands!  We are always trying to encourage others to get outdoors and go on adventures too!  Where will you go?

A few tips before you head out!

Be Safe
Talk to kids about things that could possibly be harmful or scary.  Things like snakes and other wild animals.  Water safety.  Stranger danger.  It's easy to get excited when you are having fun and wander too far.  Make sure they know to stay close and to be aware of their surroundings.

Get Dirty
Let them jump in the puddles and climb trees.  Stack rocks and pick out walking sticks.  Run around and get sweaty! Messy memories are always so much fun!

Learn Something
Use your time outdoors to talk to them about local plants and wildlife.  Talk about the actual birds and bees.  This is a great time to teach them about our earth and issues like pollution and how it affects the planet.  Don't forget to talk about animal habitats and conservation.  These little lessons will stay with them as they grow older.

Join The Fun  
When is the last time you climbed a tree or skipped a rock across the water?  Speaking of water, moms, get in the pool!  I used to come up with every excuse not to swim.  Mostly I was just afraid of my body in a bathing suit.  But the truth is, the kids don't care what you look like, they just want to see you splash around too.  I'm so glad I got over that because I love the water!

Be Prepared
Plan out for adventure and pack accordingly.  Will you be tromping through the woods?  Bug spray is a must.  If you're headed to the pool or beach, don't forget the sunscreen.  Dress the part too!  Hiking in flip flops is hard.  Just trust me on that!  Another thing you are going to want to have on you is something to clean up any messes.  Our favorites are Kleenex Wet Wipes.

We made a trip to Target our first stop last week before heading out and grabbed a few packages of Kleenex Wet Wipes to get us through this month's adventures.  We got one of each. Gentle Clean, Germ Free and Sensitive.  Each package is only $1.49 and you can FIND THEM ONLINE also. They really are a must and the small packages make them perfect to throw in your purse, gym bag or backpack.  They have no harsh chemicals so they won't leave your hands or face feeling anything other than clean! Grab yourself a few the next time you go to Target.

Being an adult is hard.  When is the last time you let loose and got dirty?  Fresh air and some VitD are good for us.  So get out there!  Go for a walk around your neighborhood or hit the hiking trails at a local park.  Go for a swim.  Spring showers leave behind the best puddles! So when your kids ask to splash in them, say YES,  and join them.  They will love and cherish those messy memories forever!

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Weekend Adventures: The DoSeum

Last weekend, we took the boys to the DoSeum. For you non locals, its our new Children's Museum and it lived up to its name for sure. There is so much to DO there.

This month the DoSeum and the Zoo teamed up and allowed members to swap visits. If you have been around here before you know we spend a lot of time at the San Antonio Zoo so we were really excited about switching it up a little bit this time.  

I knew it was going to be fun. My only worry was that the boys would be to old for a lot of the stuff. Our first stop was The Big Outdoors. The yard was awesome. These two are always trying to climb things. I may or may not have had to beg them to stop trying to scale a Target once because people were looking. So they were in their element here. There is a super cool slide too, but it was being taken over by the "little kids." Are my kids not little any more? What is happening here?

From there we headed into the Spy Academy. I think this was one of their favorite areas. They had a blast and both did great at figuring out some of the clues that were laid out. I lost Anthony for a second when he went undercover with a trench coat and hat. Spy essentials. You know what else spies need? MATH! Their brains got a good workout. The best part was when Alex said "Uh, I think there is someone in the wall!" Then he discovered the secret door! 

David knew this would be my favorite spot as soon as we stepped outside. Bamboo pathways, a tree house, a pond and the coolest reading spot under a huge tree,

Next stop was the Explore Exhibit. We built cities and talked about some of the places we would like to travel to. Global Twister was big hit too!  

We also discovered the musical stairs that took us up to the Innovation Station. The whole upstairs was filled with fun activities. David and Anthony made Robots dance while Alex did a tractor simulator.

But what we really came for was the Little Town. So, years back when Alex was 4 or 5, we went to the old museum that was downtown and he only remembers 2 things about the trip. He got to milk a cow.  It was a statue with udders! And that he got to go grocery shopping with a little cart and everything. And he has been talking about it ever since. So the highlight of the day was ringing up a few orders. Then he was off to check out the bank, trolley, airplane and the rest of the little town. 

There was still so much more to see, and we didn't get to check everything out. But what we did get to we loved. And even though the boys might be growing out of some of the activities, I'm sure we will go back again soon.  

Hey San Antonio! Did you know that the first and third Tuesday of every month is HEB Free Family Night? Admission is free from 5:30 to 7:30pm! Get there early though, because parking can get a little wild!

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