Mountain Mamma

 A couple of weeks ago we went as a family to Shenandoah National Park for a long cabin weekend.  Kerstin rented the cabin though the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, and we had been looking forward to taking the boys on their first "camping" trip.  No toilets-- just an outhouse and a nearby spring for hot water.  We were roughin' it.

Kerstin and I drove out there with the little ones since Mattias & Magnus had to work.  Our first order of business was to make a fire-- just to show the boys that we could!  We had a rough start with the damp logs we had available, but our persistence paid off.  The guys arrived shortly thereafter.

 Kids naturally love the outdoors and never seem to mind the lack of technology and gadgets.  Who needs an iPad when you're dad is pulling you around on a bumpy road in a wagon?
 

They even loved peeing into the grass.  The dirt on their faces was proof of how much fun they were having.

 The cabin itself was rustic and small but had everything you need to stay warm and cozy.  We had excellent views of the Shenandoah Valley, that both Gus & Linus could appreciate.

 There were plenty of rocks to climb and flowers to admire.

 We took the boys on several hikes and in our down time played guitar.

 Magnus hanging out with Magnus.

 

Linus got to take part in lots of food prep and water filtration.  He gathered sticks to start the fire, and loved following the men as they gathered and chopped logs for firewood.

 Pathetic Gus stayed close to the fireplace at all times.

In the end we were dirty, stinky, and tired.  Some of us got bitten by ticks!  It took a lot of planning and preparation, but giving the boys early exposure to the outdoors was well worth it.

Egg Rollin'

Yesterday we hosted a "Better than the White House's" Egg Roll and potluck.  The boys got all fancy, us parents stuffed a bunch of plastic eggs full of treats, and each family brought a mouthwatering dish to share.  I feel like every time we get together we eat like it's Christmas dinner.  The table was set, and Magnus (in his 3-piece outfit) was pumped.

 We (us grown ups) decided it would be best to eat dinner, therefore giving the kids incentive to eat fast and finish, before doing the hunt.

 The playgroup's getting so big that we had to break the hunt into 2 groups this year.  The toddlers got a 1 minute head start on the preschoolers.

 The big kids were a lot faster, therefore very difficult to photograph in the evening sun.  Mattias managed to catch a few in action.

 In the end all the kids were happy, and not a single tear was shed (not by me, or by my mini-me).

 The biggest winner?  Guster.  For his 8th birthday he got to chew on the ham bone after I carved all the meat off.  He tried to come inside when temperatures got chilly, but when we gave him the choice to give up his ham bone and come inside, he chose to stay outside.  No survival skills whatsoever.

 This morning we treated the boys to an outing to Cabin John Regional Park, where they operate a miniature train and have an awesome playground.

 

They even have a darling railway station where the kids wait, with tickets in hand, for the conductor to call "All aboard!"

 I can't think of many situations where $1.75 can buy you 15 minutes of awe and excitement.

 It was a gorgeous day spent in nature, making all of us feel like the king of the mountain.

 Until the boys crashed from all their sugar highs.  But that's another blogpost...

Peaking

You might think "peaking" refers to the full bloom of the cherry blossoms here in DC, but what I'm really referring to is our kids' ability to drive us insane.  The amount of refereeing, groaning, and eye rolling between Mattias and I has been epic, and is in part due to Magnus' teething and Linus' "blossoming" personality.  It's times like these that we need a pleasant distraction.

With all the warm weather the cherry blossoms peaked a full week early this year.  And we continued our tradition of visiting the Tidal Basin mid-week to avoid the masses.

It was foggy and cool, and we took a nice long stroll along the Potomac to get the the monuments. 

 

Obligatory family photo

And making our way back to the car by way of the FDR Memorial.

When the boys aren't fighting or getting into trouble (like busting into my cookie stash, below) they can be incredibly sweet.  I may be wrong in thinking that this is the peak of their craziness, but I can only hope that the Brothers Karlsson dynamic only gets better.