WARNING: Another long post
Fortunately, Ben was able to come with us on an outing to Pullen Park. Although I'm pretty sure Skyler was kidnapped and Darth Vader took his place. Ella may have also been replaced by Princess Leia...
It's amazing what you can accomplish when you have someone you think is really cool around. Since the kids adore Preston, we asked him if he could possibly help Skyler get over his fear of carousels. Skyler will only ever ride on the benches but those were roped off -- a perfect opportunity to help him. He started on the outside where the horses don't go up and down. Thanks to Preston, Skyler loved it!
And let's be honest, there may or may not have been ice cream bribery also involved.
Ella and Thad also had their first rides! Thad was not a fan in the beginning and cried for the first half. But he turned it around and was fine for the rest of it.
Ella on the other hand was in heaven! She kept blowing my mom kisses and yelling, "I love you Nanni! I'm on a horse-meow-meow!" (She was riding a cat)
May I point out that Ella's cat had a dead bird in its mouth???
We ate a picnic lunch. The kids were more than happy to steal my parents' "fire chips" aka nacho cheese doritos.
We decided to have another go on the carousel and this time Skyler went on a moving horse!
It was Thad's first time playing in sand. He loved it and by the time we were done all I could think about was vacuuming his head.
Ella is still really scared of slides but we learned while Becca and Preston were here that Thad has zero fear of them, to the point where it makes me a little concerned. :)
By the end of our time at the park it was an hour past naptime and Thad was getting frustrated which usually results in a throw-yourself-backwards-on-the-floor-and-scream tantrum. Unfortunately for him I was standing right behind him when he started trying to throw himself backwards and the poor guy kept getting stuck in my legs every time he tried. Fortunately we caught it on camera. It really was quite comical.
Post-naptime Thad cuddles are one of the yummiest treats on the planet. At one point he had a chip in his hand and he was still so tired that he looked at it and chose to hug/cuddle Becca instead of eating it.
Ella and Lily played Pretty Pretty Princess with Preston and Ben. That was one entertaining game to watch.
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The four of us went to go see Cinderella and it was fantastic! Lily thought it was cool that Cinderella's name was Ella and that the actress's name was Lily. (Thanks for bringing that up, Lizzie!) I forsee many a girl's night out in the future. :)
Lily gave Preston a horsey ride after he had given his fair share of rides to them.
Ella loves showing people her "ballets."
"Napping"
One little known fact about Thad is that he is addicted to water. He doesn't really like any other drinks and when he saw Becca's water bottle, he fell in love and got really upset whenever someone else took a drink out of it.
I will miss them. The kids already do. We are just crossing our fingers and toes that all works out and that they will move to NC in a year when Preston is possibly done with dental school. I don't care if they live across the street or a few hours away, but I want them (and their little baby) here!
No pressure Becca and Preston.
(Except, of course, that's a lie.)
Highlights of the visit:
- When Ben and Skyler both got sick and my dad and Preston were there to give blessings. Skyler was instantly healed and Ben felt better afterwards. It was a cool, cool thing to have three members of the family in one place available to give blessings. Skyler loved being able to have a choice as to who blessed him.
- Getting a babysitter to watch the kids so that the adults could go on a triple date. We went out to dinner and then to Mom and Dad's for a killer game night and Goodberry's. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
- Watching Ella transform from super-shy to lovey-dovey in just a week. Ella really hates people she doesn't know, but a few days in she was constantly saying, "Becca, I love you!
