Parks and Regurgitation

Saturday afternoon we took the kids to Sunrise Park in Hudsonville. It's kind of small and tucked away, so it's usually not very busy at all. While we were there a few other kids came and went, but it was pretty nice. Lucy is able to climb just about anything (even holding on to her orange kitty the entire time) without making us worry about whether she'll fall off. Last year was a bit different in that respect. Henry hung out on a blanket and tried to eat wood chips, and rode in a bucket swing for the first time. He was smiling and giggling (although not in the photo). It is so important for our sanity to get Lucy out of the house more, and let her burn off some energy!
Ron brought along the Rebel Xt to play around and take photos. I took a few with my big camera too, but it gave me a chance to be IN a couple pictures for a change. He has art background and is probably going to be a pretty good photographer if he can just learn all the technical sides of the camera. I'm excited about the idea of not always being the one taking photos. Although I love it very much, I feel like we have tens of thousands of pictures and I'm in three of them. Anyway, I had him shooting in manual because I think it will help him learn how ISO, aperture, and shutter speed all affect each other, and when it comes to this kind of stuff he is a quick learner. He got a nice one of me and Henry - usually I look like a goober in photos, but I actually like myself in this one!

Yesterday my mom, Lucy, Henry, and I went to Holland to Dutch Village... Lucy got a new, bigger pair of wooden shoes for Tulip Time (although no name burned on them this year, because from now on her shoes are going to be passed down. Sorry Henry). Last year we went on April 25 and it was chilly and cloudy and windy... she got a pair, and then proceeded to "klomp" around in them at home. She looks so young when I look back at those photos! Again this year it was less than perfect spring weather. It was cold and a little rainy. She still had a good time though, and got an ice cream cone at Dutch Village. Henry got a little Dutch hat to wear, but we're skipping the shoes for him until next spring when he can walk in them.

When we got to my parents' house Lucy threw up. Yuck - Let me tell you, I'm not used to this aspect of parenthood at all! She's been an unusually healthy child so I've been pretty lucky. She was okay the rest of the time we were there, but when we went home she acted really tired and subdued, and went to be at 5:00PM! She got up around 10:00, and got sick a couple more times. Poor girl! It wasn't a long night or anything, but she did end up climbing into our bed around 5:00 AM. She had gotten up and went to the fridge for a Capri Sun. We have to figure out what to do about this issue... she is just helping herself to whatever, whenever. A Capri Sun (Roarin' Waters... so it's not even juice, or sugary), isn't a bad thing in itself. It's the fact that she'll drink all of them if we aren't there to stop her. She didn't get to drink it, but I gave it to her later in the morning, trying to get her to take her time and drink slowly. Hmmm. Today she seems to be feeling better, but doesn't have much of an appetite. She's been laying on the couch with a blanket watching cartoons, so that's pretty nice. It's rainy, it's Monday, I'd say that sounds like a lovely way to spend the morning.