Playgroup pics & Zoo trip

I just thought I would post some pics of what a typical playgroup is like. It tends to be somewhat chaotic with 12..going on 13 kids...but, it is always a good time.  To try to keep all the kids together is quite an experience.

Sometimes we require the buddy system, sometimes we all hold hands, sometimes we require the "big" kids to hold on to strollers, sometimes we form trains. We try to get creative to keep them from just thinking we are nagging them. Its much harder to lose 8 kids in a row holding hands than one running off ahead of the pack.

Here are some pics of a playgroup day at the mall before Easter. We happened upon the Easter bunny which was a thrill for all kids except Kinley who was terrified of the bunny with the big head and sat it out with Maverick's bear, Max. She said Max was a little scared so she needed to hold him away from the Easter bunny.

I mean look how excited Arabella and Parker are...where is Kinley???

There is a tiny play area (that's really pretty boring) and this tiny carousel at the mall. But, they don't care...they just like to all be together. When there are only 3 seats, everyone else just piles on and stands and sits around the seats and we do it over and over until everyone has had a turn to sit down. Time to go...

 

For Kinley's birthday Pops and Gram gave her, Ben and I Ft. Worth Zoo memberships! We already had a date set to go with playgroup and we were so excited to use them. The weather was beautiful. I am excited for sunny, spring days. The weather has been so all over the place lately...it will be nice for a few days and then a cold front will come back through and we are in sweaters and scarves again. But, we hit the zoo on a good day.

 

It is always fun to try to get group pics on playgroup outings. It is never successful...but, we give it a good try. Love Linds trying to get Mav in there...

We really loved this elephant because it was missing a tooth. Apparently before they brought it to the zoo one of its tusks was broken in half and the elephant dentist had to pull it just like Kinley had hers pulled.

We had to have a photo op with a big toothless grin.

Apparently, I had never been to the "play area" at the zoo. It was like a whole new world to my kids. I don't know how we missed it before!

these boys are too much...

We have lots of fun playgroup outings planned over the next couple months. We will probably be outside a lot before the summer gets too hot and we have our fill of indoor play areas!  

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays

I don't know what it is about March and April...but, it is birthday central for us. We started out with Mom's, Maverick's, Ella's and McKenzie's birthdays and of course Kinley's..but, we had really only just begun. AG and Kinley have birthdays 1 day apart and this year we flip-flopped actual birthdays and birthday parties...so, AG's real birthday was the day of Kinley's party and AG's party was on Kinleys's real birthday. So we loved getting to celebrate double both days. Here are some pics from AG's party at Leapin Lizards. It was so fun!

Later that same day we went to celebrate Alyssa's birthday at Jump for Fun where a lot of Kinley's class was...

Then Ben had a birthday a couple days later. Kinley helped me make a cake dressed as a ballerina bunny and was so helpful.

Then Ben and I went on a double date with my parents and had so much fun. And Mendy, Alex and Pops came to babysit the kids. We missed Cheryl who had an emergency trip to St. Louis but, liked celebrating Ben.

The next weekend we celebrated Grady, my precious godson, who turned 2. Kristy did an amazing job with the construction theme and it was so fun playing with trucks in the sand and being with family.

Five minutes away and an outfit change later (for Kinley), we went to celebrate Guiliana. She turned 2 also and her party was at a park in Keller like 5 minutes from Grady's party. It worked out perfect and was such a fun day!

Oh my Maddi...you are too cute!

We just love celebrating all the birthdays of our friends and family.