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pack it in ...

12 August 2013

... let me begin by saying that this morning Sebastian threw a huge fit about the fact that I wouldn't let him take a (wrapped!) tampon to the playground. I held strong while I got dressed in normal clothes but forgot to take off my shoes from my walk/run before we all piled into the car (forgive me, Jenny!) and while I understand if you think athletic shoes + regular clothing might look a little something like this ...


... but when it comes to me it does NOT. No, I always end up looking like a tourist ...


minus the helmet and the chariot and I've never been a lover of the one strap backpacks but ... I've got my whole life ahead of me. I guess.

... but it didn't end up mattering because on the way to the park it started pouring rain ... torrential style. So we turned around and I decided to interstate it home to make it faster but then we hit the most stubborn traffic jam which ... why didn't I think of that? Snail speed traffic at 11:45 on a Monday morning. We lived. It's over.

But ... this weekend? This weekend was glorious. No traffic jams or anysing. It was all productive and doing stuff and very uncharacteristic of the Pattons. When Simon isn't working over the weekend we're usually getting the bleep out of town to see some familiar faces or recovering from a long week of long hours or just .. I don't know what we do but it's usually pretty forgettable - apparently.

I'm tempted to dedicate a five part series to the weekend but I don't hate you that much so settle in for a little siesta while I walk you through it all. All of it. Right now.

After almost three years of parenting Simon and I have finalllllllly figured out that it's really best to get the kids out of the house to do something .. ANYTHING during the day. Usually we just go on a walk to the elementary school playground but we upped our game big time on Friday night ...


"I guess I just don't understand them." - Simon on the harems

We hit up a park (?) full of climbable turtle/snake with egg monstrosities that the kids loved. Loved. There's a very rickety old school playground nearby that they also loved but the real hit was the pedestrian bridge that went over the interstate ... of course. 


... but Julia was quite taken with the snake egg garden even after she'd already seen it twice as well.

Next day? Nature reserve time!!


directly over the kids playgroundy area ... fair enough.

And that was actually documented quite thoroughly on the gram here, here, here, and here so I won't go into detail about that but I thought it was great. However! Simon noticed and commented that it was too bad you could still hear the highway traffic from the reserve but Simon also loves to read placards so .... different strokes. Also .. Simon you are the almond butter to my low sugar jelly and I love you ... all in the goodest fun.

And moving right along to Saturday night formerly known as live ...


Pizza Party!!

Maclaren sent us the mac daddy of all picnic baskets complete with accessories galore including a thermos, stroller blanket (not necessary QUITE yet although this cool August is making me VERY nervous for the fall/winter situation), tote bag that Julia has claimed as her own despite the fact that it comes up to her rib cage in the height department, and one of those awesome bags that keeps dishes warm - Julia also loves that to carry things like a single q-tip around town. Thanks Maclaren!!


Sorry Sime. Every single snap caught you mid chew. 


You know what game the kids love love love to play? Fetch.


And it's awesome. Very little effort for a huge return in the energy burning department.


this was mostly not staged as I had to throw Theo in but occasionally the older kids coexist in harmony for a few hot seconds and it's really really nice.


and for dessert we have one Theodore directly before he pulled the most shameless Janet Jackson I've ever seen which is saying nothing because I missed that blessed event due to the sad fact that I'm a sport unenthusiast mostly.

And I'm not even going to drone on about the fiesta we hosted on Sunday because after using no fewer than 999 baby wipes over the course of six hours to clean the casa we pulled a super lazy and threw out a hot dog bar and some Costco chocolate chip cookies and called it good. Hosts with the mostless. Or something.



Happy dappy Monday to you and yours.

35 comments:

  1. haha, love the tennis shoes = tourist observation. I'm the exact same way. :) And you're totally rockin' the harems.

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  2. omg.
    DIED about the tourist-chic outfit. i'm sure you look nothing like that. but that was hysterical.
    and i have such a love hate relationship with harems, but you make me really love them more.
    you're awesome.

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  3. I'm so glad you had a good weekend! Julia's face over the snake egg garden is priceless! Y'all are great parents :)

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  4. Hey...how did you get that photo of me and my family touring about town. Thank goodness I have burned that pink blouse. Ugh...don't need that reminder. LOL!

    I love the almost not posed photo of the three amigos. So stinkin cute.

    As for the hot dog bar...you go sista! You opened your home and there was hot food. You are golden my friend. I can't wait to read all about it...pretty please??

    ANnyhoo...have a fabo week!!

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  5. Hey, we've been to that weirdo turtle park! We used to live in IL and met the World's Strongest Man in STL at the turtle park. No really, he is the World's Strongest Man -- Brian Shaw. My hubby's childhood best friend and best man at our wedding. He could have probably hoisted one of those turtles over his head, but he didn't want to show off.

    Oh man, I could never wear the harems. That's what skinny pants look like on me -- harems filled with air.

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  6. SO cute! I love the pic of the 3 of them mostly unstaged :). I'm a fan. And a hotdog bar with chocolate chip cookies? Heck, I'd want to come over all the time.

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  7. It's good that they like to play fetch. You'll never need to get a dog! Ha!! And it's cool enough there to wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt? Hot, hot, hot still here.....

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  8. Love those harem pants! Where from?

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    Replies
    1. haha thank you!! From Kohl's ... by J.Lo. I know! But they aren't terrible .. I promise.

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  9. Hey, Shawn and I throw a fiesta every year that basically consists of hot dogs and pulled pork so there's no shame there!

    Also, wet wipes are the BEST way to clean - love them!

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  10. This was all so funny!! And I completely agree that it has taken my husband and I 3 years to realize that taking the kids out of the house is the only was to survive!! Sometime I will just take them all to the mail box...the neighbors mailbox down the street. This might sound like a walk to anyone over 4 feet tall but don't tell my kids that technical term, a walk means so much more.

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  11. You did the over-all thing...Theo looks super cute ;)

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  12. Love the pic of the three kids, especially Theo's overalls! Cute!
    I am looking forward to my husband not being on call this weekend, so much so that I thought today was Friday for a hot second. Wishful thinking!

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  13. great pants, picnic basket, and family!

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  14. The more and more I follow The Camp, I realize I am more of a Simon/Julia hybrid. I love love love bags/carryalls, my hair makes a statement and I have a similar obsession with placards.

    Enough about me, let's chat about those turquoise sandals. Where did they come from?

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  15. Your photog skills are enviable!

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  16. Love that they play fetch!!! And the mostly not staged picture is adorable!

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  17. I have these brown mary jane sketchers that I wear with skirts sometimes for a quick run into town but remember... we live in the boonies by Patton Lake (honestly, that's what it's called). I don't think I've ever seen Julia without her wellies! I guess your shoe slumming inspired her to try something new.

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  18. WHY have I not thought of fetch? Trying it tomorrow!
    Looks like you guys had a great weekend - I'm a little bit jealous. Today we did a park picnic, too. Please don't tell my kids that they missed out on giant monuments and overhead bee hives.

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  19. This is all so fabulous. Julia's faces just crack me up, and I feel that there will be a real connection between Theo and Lucy, we'll see... Love this post!

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  20. Replies
    1. Kohl's ... in the J.Lo section. I had no idea she designed clothing and that it was sold there!

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  21. I should really try out the fetch thing with my kids! And I'm pretty sure my son would love the turtle park almost as much as Julia.

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  22. Oh, I love these pictures! What a fun adventure.

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  23. oh turtle park...loved that strange magical place.

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  24. I was thinking of a different type of harem...

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  25. The photo of your three kids sitting side by side had me:) My parents have so many post surf photos of me and my three siblings, multiple siblings is the best!
    + Theo has the whole cute chubby baby thing down!

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  26. theo is DELISH. and no matter if simon doesn't get the harem. i do.

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  27. OMG! I miss that turtle park soooo much!!! And Forest Park of course :,( Theo is so big!!!

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  28. Ummm the hot dog bar was delicious, and I'll always feel bad when I don't serve hot dogs with pesto from now on.

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  29. We were just visiting this summer in STL and found the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park and another park right on the same road (that I am forgetting the name of) with tons of wild animals (elk, bison, raccoons). My kids are all older, but the Wild Bird Sanctuary is really cool and we got to see all the animals in the park at about 5pm on a hot, summer day. We didn't expect much and were greatly surprised. Just thought if you are looking for places to go, you might enjoy it.

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  30. Um excuse you, Segways are awesome and I find it offensive that you are mocking Segway riders. Ok... maybe it's a little dorky.. OK A LOT DORKY BUT THEY ARE SO FUN.

    Playing fetch sounds like lots of fun, except then my kids would want to throw to me and since P isn't that good of a shot, it ends up being ME playing fetch, no thanks.

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  31. We always have to get out, too. Everyone is happier. I'm afraid of winter, because I can't remember what we did to get out of the house. That, and my kids do better outdoors where they can run free like wild animals. They also love fetch. In fact, my daughter played fetch at the park the other day with another little girl her age... I couldn't tell if her mom was offended or not. I figure, whatever wears them out...

    And I got up this morning at 1:30 to rock our screaming almost 2 year old back to sleep, and we're ~1 week from having a newborn. This has to stop, but I can't help myself.

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  32. You write THE best sponsored posts. Like, usually I think such things are annoying but yours are just as side-splittingly hilarious as the rest of this blog, so whatever. Sponsor away, companies!

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