Busy weekend!

Despite colds running rampant through our house, we still packed as much as we could into this weekend. With the cooler weather today (love it!), it feels like summer is quickly coming to a close. That being said, we decided to take advantage. It started on Thursday when we had a final "coach's meeting" and had the people Dave coached with over. We had a great time, and were up until well past midnight. Thankfully, it just so happened that I had no meetings (NO MEETINGS!!) on Friday, so I took the day off. I was going to hang out at a friend's pool with the kids, but then Dave also decided he could take the day off. That never happens! So instead, headed to Noah's Ark for the day. I didn't bring my camera, but took some off my phone... of course, none in the water! The Bigs (including Max) went with Dave on all the rides, while I stayed with Ava. I will be sad when she is big enough to go on the rides... Maybe I can supervise from the bottom?

We got home pretty late on Friday, and scheduled for Saturday was my work picnic at the zoo. Usually we go right away when it opens, but because of the late night Thursday, the waterpark on Friday, the late night Friday and the colds, I let everyone sleep in. Nolan had baseball tryouts, so Dave took him there and I headed to the zoo with the others. We got there at about 11:40, got all of our tickets and headed out to the train, the carousel and the dinosaurs. Ava really wanted to see the lions so we took in the big cat house and then back to the company picnic grounds. They really do a good job... food, cotton candy, sno cones, drinks of all sorts, ice cream, nachos, crafts for the kids, cookie decorating, popcorn/carmel corn, you name it. You really don't have to even go out into the zoo. The cotton candy they can make in animal shapes. Of course Max got the elephant head!

Then today (Sunday), we headed to church and school supply shopping. Yikses! It always sounds like a good idea, and then reality sets in. Four kids, in Wal-Mart, in an aisle with a million other school supply shoppers. Ava, who wants everythink in the aisle and, barring that, wants to push the cart. Max, who has no idea how to sit still or not karate chop everything in his wake. Abby and Nolan bringing me items every two seconds, "Is this 3/4"?", "I can't find wide-ruled!", "What does this mean, 2 red?" And of course, it's not all in one aisle. You also need dixie cups, kleenex and Ziploc bags in one aisle, band-aids in the other, hand sanitizer in yet another. And then the check-out. Despite not needing backpacks, pencils, some glue sticks, erasers, pencil boxes and other odds and ends I rescued from last year, it still cost $200!!! And Max and Ava were minimal. I can only imagine when they all need all supplies, every year. Wow.

We made it home fine, and have been relaxing with the cool breeze all afternoon. Ahhhh. If fall means cool weather and nice breezes, I say bring it on.