This past Saturday morning I packed the boys and some food and we headed out to The Arboretum (http://www.maycenter.com/)at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. Our plan was to meet up with our dear friend, Kris, and her dainty daughters, Katie and Chloe. When you have boys, little girls look . . . dainty. Lucky for Kris and I, Precious Auntie Lisa offered up another set of adult arms.
I met Kris in college and our friendship has developed over the past (gulp) 10 years. Kris became a stay-at-home-mom when she had Katie. Kris' decision to be a stay-at-home-mom has really benefited my entire family. Kris has taken care of Eric for the better part of a year while I worked. There are so few people I would leave my kids with - Kris is at the top of my list. She is organized and disciplined when it comes to keeping the kids on a schedule, but best of all, she is FUN. Kris' house is Eric's home-away-from-home. Kris hadn't seen Eric since he started Pre-school in June so it was a nice little reunion.
There are a million spots to explore at Rancho San Rafael. There are rolling, grassy hills and gazebos galore. Kyle loves the bridges. There is a playground with bonafide jungle gyms, but we tend to stick to the arboretum and walking paths, particularily when it is hot outside because the gardens offer a ton of shade. There is a dog park and a museum. Tons of stuff to explore when you have little ones.The boys took off at a fast clip with dainty Katie following behind and refusing to pick up the pace.
We searched for flowers and pinecones and paused to watch some critters.
Kyle found a nice picnic spot and we set up camp.
The kids and adults were happy to sit down in the shade and have a mid-morning snack. I brought some Trader Joe's Hummus and cut some whole wheat pitas into wedges just right for dipping. We also had carrots, blueberries and strawberries. Everything was devoured. I suppose it could be because of my chose profession, but I absolutely love to watch kids eat. There's something about their innocent little bodies eating fresh fruits and veggies that makes me smile. The other great thing about kids eating fruits and veggies is that the colors seem to offer great photo oportunities. I am totally into taking pictures these days - side effect of scrapbooking. I focused a ton on Katie and Chloe. I never get to scrapbook girl pages so I was clicking away and plotting a way to use bling and flowers in a Katie/Chloe layout.
After the picnic and a quick game of duck-duck-goose, we found a little stage where Katie and Chloe were eager and willing to stand and perform. Kris, Lisa and I made up a happy audience exposed to some very sweet melodies.
We made a pit-stop at a cool little waterfall (complete with lilypads) on our way back to the cars. Great spot for pictures but by this time my little subjects were ready to head out.
With gas prices being what they are, I highly encourage you to schedule an old fasioned picnic at a local park. This outing was much more fun and less expensive than our family night at the movies!
In health,
Yo
