Mother's Day Weekend

I had a special Mother's Day weekend, one of my favorites yet.  We woke up Saturday morning in our hotel in Des Moines, rested, happy, and a bit relieved after a wonderful wedding day for Taylor and Kate.  The kids got in one more hour at the pool, we said goodbye to our families, and our own little family of four packed up the Highlander and headed for downtown, hopeful to wander around the Des Moines Farmers Market for awhile before heading home.

The weather was beautiful again, and we soon realized that it looked like most of Des Moines had similar Farmer's Market plans.  After spending most of the previous day corralling kids, we decided to skip the crowds and find our own adventure where the kids could be a bit more free.  We ended up exploring the Des Moines Sculpture Park and letting the kids run like the wind on the large green space.  It felt good to take in the morning, let the kids roam, and see some pretty neat art while we were at it.

Mila had to go potty and we soon found ourselves in the nearby Fighting Burrito.  Because we had our hearts set on tacos at the Farmer's Market, we decided to call this a sign and order burritos to go.  Without a blanket, wet wipes, or any plans for a picnic in the park, we found a place across the street that seemed perfect for an impromptu lunch in the sun.  We sat with our toes in a little canal that reached across two city blocks, and soon enjoyed our own little splash pad. 

After lunch, we decided it was time to head back to Cedar Falls, for we had some big plans for our afternoon.  The kids have been saving their pennies for a trampoline since January and this weekend and its summer-like weather gave us the perfect opportunity to set it up.  Beau and I worked together and it took about an hour or so to get it assembled.  And it took all of about five minutes to realized this might be our best kid purchase yet. 

We stayed on our new toy for pretty much the rest of the night.  We ordered pizza and ate it on the trampoline, took turns showing off our best moves, and Beau mastered a front flip.  Since our weekend prior involved lots of hard work landscaping and planting, this seemed like the best reward for our labors.  And tomorrow's agenda included much more of the same!

Sunday morning, I woke up to whispers in the kitchen.  I was soon greeted with all the smiles and Mother's Day hugs, as well as my favorite blueberry donut and an iced coffee from Dunkin, some orchids and a tie dyed rose picked out by Cruz, and a few adorable handmade gifts from my sweet little givers.  Beau attempted to be creative and spell out "MOM" in chocolate syrup on my plate, but soon realized he should have used a flat plate.  Thanks to Cruz's wonderful teacher, I read an impressive essay Cruz wrote about me, and marveled at his drawing and the hard work he put in.  Then we listened to a little Edward Sharpe and got ready for church.

After church, we headed straight for one of my favorite alleyways. :)  My husband knows me well and planned a little family photoshoot, thanks to the tripod and timer button.  It took all of about ten minutes to snap some new pictures of our family, and we soon celebrated with a trip to the new Singlespeed for lunch.  

This place is incredible!  What a wonderful addition to the Cedar Valley!  The long, cafeteria-style dining reminded us of our visit to Surly, but the addition of the kid zone right next to the dining area made every parent/beer drinking dream come true!  We dined on shrimp tacos and chicken and waffles, and walked off the calories along the river where we admired all the revitalizing of this area of Waterloo.  It reminded us of where we hung out the previous day in Des Moines and made us excited for lots more exploring this summer.  

After playing restaurant on the dry splash pad, and performing in Cruz's narration of The Tortoise and the Hare on the amphitheater stage, we headed home for an afternoon in the sun (and on the trampoline).  It was hot and called for swimsuits, sprinkers, beach towels, and sun tea.  We didn't do a thing all afternoon and it was glorious!  Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa stopped by to end our night and we grilled burgers and ate ice cream. 

I feel like a broken record when I say these passing holidays are my favorites, but I really do feel like they keep getting better.  The older I get and the longer I do this motherhood thing, it seems the more comfortable I get in it, and the more comfortable I am in my own skin as well.  These days, with lots of sunshine and no plans other than adventuring and exploring with this tribe of mine, they are my favorite days.  I love them with every piece of my heart and feel so thankful to be their mom.  Even when they are attempting to soak me on the trampoline. ;)

Oops...got herself. ;)