4 Park Hoppers
There’s nothing better than a warm Indiana Spring after a bitter Indiana Winter! We are soaking up every hour of sunshine and park hopping. Not the theme park hopping you might be thinking of…the FREE kind!
I think we’ve already hit up five different parks this spring, and there will be several more added to the list by the end of the summer.
The boys are more entertained and independent than ever at our local parks – which makes for one very happy mama! The last couple of years, I was wishing I could grow octopus tentacles to help swing, catch, boost, and herd 4 toddlers at once. What a difference this year!
They are so proud of their accomplishments and how they no longer need my help! {Bittersweet}
There’s no slide off limits or no ladder too difficult to climb for these little dudes.
I also love how they initiate little friendships at the park. Here they were pretending to be at Disney World ordering food at the restaurant next to the monorail with their new pals. Isaac was in the process of ordering a “sugar hot dog”.
The park always receives bonus points if there’s a vehicle big enough for all the brothers to fit inside. These two claimed their spots first.
So how about YOU? Do you hit up your local free park playgrounds in the spring/summer time or do you prefer the backyard instead? Are you park hoppers or are you regulars at a certain park?
Since we have a swingset (one of the old school metal kinds with different kinds of swings, a seesaw and a slide) and we just built a big sandbox next to it for the boys to play in, we usually stick with the backyard. But on occasion we do like to go to a park with friends.
I LOVE the old school ones – especially the teeter totter! =) Good times!
I’m a runner, and my 2 boys go everywhere with me, so usually it has to be within 5 miles or so. Luckily, Salem has many wonderful parks, and we spend many happy hours playing there no matter the weather! Then we run home. 🙂
How old are your boys? That’s awesome that you can work out with them!
Jack is 3, and Jude is 5 months. Before Jude was born, I once calculated that Jack had spent over 1,000 in our jogging stroller. My husband is military, and when he deploys, I run even more than usual. So Jack just got used to waking up, eating and hopping in the stroller. It’s one of my coping strategies for no sleep!
That’s incredible! Way to go, Crystal! I’ve started the Couch 2 5K program, but haven’t finished it yet… =)
Good for you! You’ll never be sorry. Racing is so much fun. I’m not fast — old men, amputees and glaciers regularly pass me — but I get so much satisfaction from running. Just warning you….it can be addicting! When I started running at age 14, I couldn’t even do the high school mile without feeling like I was going to die. Now, I’ve done 2 marathons (one of them pregnant), 2 half-marathons (one of them also pregnant with baby #2), and dozens and dozens of shorter races. Keep us updated on your progress, I’d love to hear about it!
It varies depending on my mood which park we go too. Down here it gets so hot in the summer time we don’t do much outside from about 1pm until 4pm. Since I work part time it usually means backyard in the mornings and parks closer to dinner time.
Sounds like a nice variety of fun!
We do a little of everything!! We have a local park within walking distance (that offers free lunches for the kiddos in the summer!), we meet friends after school (at their school) for some fun at that playground, and we try to hit up the various community parks often to keep things fresh and avoid boredom (and meet up with friends at their favorite parks!) And there is nothing better than staying home and seeing the yard full of balls & toys and watching their imagination and ability to learn the skills of the games!!
Free lunches? Incredible! I think I might move to your neighborhood with that incentive! =)
We love our backyard swingset but we also love to get out and explore! We have several good parks nearby in our lil town but we also love to meet up at parks near friends’ houses for variety! Its still a juggling act for me. The older 2 are fine to navigate a playground themselves…but the 2 year old who THINKS he can do it all…often needs help!
I’ll bet you are enjoying the parks more without all the chaos of trying to be four places at once. Even in our VERY rural county, we have a couple of great parks to play at, and we love starting off the summer with a trip to one!
Let me know next time you go to that park. We’d love to meet you there – with or without the carnival!