Palisades Park with the new backpack

About a month ago, I did something I have never done before. But it turned out so well, I look forward to more of it soon.

(Disclaimer:I realize no one loves to look at pictures of my kids as much as Husband and I do, so while this is another Palisades Park post, it's different from the last one I posted. But in my defense, if I spent all my time with cats, I'm sure I'd talk about them and take a lot of pictures of them too. Then you could call me Crazy Cat Christy)

Anyway, since we started hiking, Daughter has been talking about wanting/needing a back pack for hiking. (We always carry one with a diaper for Son, lots of water, snacks, camera, id. typical things that's good to have while hiking) So, she thinks she needs one to carry all of her hiking stuff. She finally found a Dora one at Target that we couldn't say no to, mainly because of her extreme excitement and its price. Soon after she was ready to go hiking.

OK, that's great. But we bought the back pack on a Sunday and only hike on the weekends when Husband is home from work.

hmmm. I am a grown woman. Surely, if I can't handle taking two toddlers into the woods and making sure everyone makes it out alive then I have bigger problems than I thought. I can do this. So, I promised an afternoon hike. And it really was fabulous.

Daughter carried her backpack which held two sippy cups, 4 oranges, Wet Ones and paper towels. She loved it!

photo op at the gazebo before we started.

Son is so excited. It's almost like he's on Santa's lap all over again!

he's still a super jumper

"Mommy, I found this branch. It's from a tree."

reading one of the flip signs that identify the trees on the Tree Trail. She says they say pretty much the same thing, "this tree has bark and leaves and berries."

The backpack slowed Daughter down, so to keep them closer together and easier to monitor I suggested hand holding. Lots of hand holding. I may have even screamed, "HOLD HIS HAND."

Now, this is the place where I'd put any playground pictures that I was posting. But well, they all looked the same as last time's playground pictures. So, instead here's some pictures of my kids playing in a sprinkler for the first time ever. The area around the playgrounds have been recently sodded so they are watered nightly. And of course, the timer goes off and the water turns on right as we were walking to the car.

Son loved it.

And Daughter did too.

And because I am a semi-prepared seasoned Mom-Of-Toddlers, extra clothes are almost always in the car. play away.