Family Reunion

Jason and I have decided to reunite the ants from our ant farm to their long last family in the anthill outside our back door. This is not true. I needed a grand story to go with the boring title so I made that up. This post is really about the family reunion we attended over the weekend with Jason's side of the family. But don't you think the ant story is much less boring to introduce a bonafide family reunion? I'm all about interesting titles.

Story of the trip:

We went to the park all day Saturday in Parma, where Jason's mom's side of the family is from. On the way to the park, Dawson was being impatient because it was really hot out and we had all the windows down and he just wanted out to play. So Jason turned Dawson's playtime CD on for him which was playing the song "There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o". We pulled up to a stop sign in a 2 lane highway and Jason cranks the volume up and pimps out at the steering wheel while a young couple in a convertible beside us stared at us.

This is the song, but not the situation.

At the Park:

I had the brilliant idea of caging all the cousin toddlers in a pak-n-play for a photo op

.

Yeah. I couldn't even bribe Lydia with a cookie to get her stay with the 2 boys...

In the left corner we have Owen. (applause) In the right corner we have Dawson. (applause)

Who will take the first shot? Oh wait! They're moving in for the HUG!

Actually, right after this picture was taken, the adults all removed themselves from that tent area and within in 2 minutes we heard crying and screaming coming from the pak-n-play. Sure enough, Owen and Dawson were going at it. Fists flying, slapping. It was a crime scene.

We calmed them down and I pretended there was somthing interesting for them to look at on the ground. Maybe a giraffe. Or a bowl of jelly beans.

Baby Julius was caught by the paparazzi.

 

Of course, at all picnics what you really care about is the food. Am I right? Uncle Gil (who happens to be the funniest. uncle. ever.) Was offering up a plate of snacks to those of us who were starving.

 

Our choice: junk food, or fiber enriched snack "sticks"...

He was also the one that decided to offer Dawson a ladel in order to get him to eat his breakfast.

While we waited for the food to grill, the kids played with water balloons.

Look at Owen's innocent face. "No, I'm not doing anything".

While they were bombing each other with water balloons I decided to honor my friend Steph by trying my hand at a jumping picture. So I called Brianna, Kelsey and Kirsten over. Here was their fist attempt:

 

A bit homeschoolish don't you think?

After I lectured them on the value of risk taking, being adventurous and using all their college savings to go shopping I got this:

I should consider lecturing full time.

Then we were CORN-HOLING.

 

 

The game wasn't quite challenging enough for us, so we put Lydia in the way for an extra 10 points.

Off to the lake to swim. Dawson was not happy to swim in this water and I'm thinking it's because he couldn't see the bottom. Since he's used to a pool, it took him a good time of clutching on to us, whining and overall fear before getting used to the water.  

Then we couldn't get him out.

Before the day was through, the girls broke out some silly string. I thought it would be funny for Brianna to spray Dawson. Dawson didn't think it was funny.

And just how well does a toddler sleep after a full day at the park?

Pretty good I'd say.

The following day he was still so wiped out that he actually fell asleep on my lap!

And now for the car ride home.

I was trying to keep Dawson entertained. I really wanted to get video of him singing but he wasn't cooperating...

Finally... he came through for me.

But the closer we got to home, he could no longer hide his true feelings: