Cousins in mid-May

Another high energy cousin visit has come and gone. Elisabeth, Hannah, and Vivian inadvertently picked the rainiest weekend we've had in ages for their trip to MN, but somehow the kiddos managed to play outside at our house,  watch E and O play soccer at Veteran's field, play on the equipment at the park by the swimming pool and at Gorman Park, ride bikes and scooters on the Bunker Lane cul-de-sac, climb a tree at the North Elementary playground, and play four seasons of sports on the Gustavus football field without getting wet. It was all in the timing.

I realize there isn't much of a need for my blog posts after a cousin visit anymore. With all the shared photos floating in the Cloud for family members to look at and add to, the Cloud is the best way to see the Big Picture, so to speak. My blog entries are a condensed version only. It's nearly impossible to choose representative photos to tell the story of the sweetness, craziness, noise, and fun of a cousin visit, but here are a few. Thanks to all the family photographers for their contributions!

Shopping at the Kindergarten Plant Sale at South ELC on Friday morning. 

Owen, Ethan, and their friend Grace were on duty.

Friday afternoon visit to McKinley Elementary Leadership Day in Otown 

Miles showed us his project, then introduced us to Mrs. Nelson 

and to friends in his class.

 Heavy backpacks for first and second graders!

Veteran's Park

Saturday morning soccer time

Post-soccer playtime with all the cousins, sunny side up...

...and upside-down

 Gorman Park

 Taking time out to rest. Really? These two??

 Best buddy cousins

Gustavus football field: time for football, baseball, soccer, running

 Let the games begin

Batter up!

Hit it, Westy!

Soccer star

 The line-up

The skins

  Running the tunnel

It can be lonely out there

Bunker Lane: supper, birthdays, bikes, scooters, stomp-rockets, balloons, sparklers, and skateboards

The cousin biker gang rides again

Ethan and Mommy, looking sweet

Owen, with a birthday gift from Westy and Miles

Hannah, having a quiet moment with Ira

Surfer dudes

Birthday presents are fun!

Owen lends Vivi a hand in blowing up a gigantic balloon

Rocket launcher guy

How many adults and kids does it take to remove 

stuck rockets and balloons from a tree?

 

Can Uncle Charlie light 5 sparklers all at once?

He might need some assistance after all, and protection from the wind

Hurray for sparklers!

 A sparkler skeptic!

Who says you have to be there to be there? Uncle Evan showed up 

on FaceTime from Washington, DC, to share in the fun.

North Elementary playground

Trees are made for climbing

Who's next?

Finding worms? Building ant hills? Writing secret messages in the dirt?

Church Street 

Busy getting ready to eat

Charlie, about his guac: "It's all in the presentation." 

I'd say the taste matched the appearance--muy bueno!

                                   STEM time: Making a lawn mower

Hog-pile on Auntie Beesie

 

This is the only selfie I'm going to include this time, partly because I've never liked the word "selfie", and partly because it seems to be the only one I can find. Does that mean the rest of the pics are selfless, I wonder?

I hope this little video plays for you. It was a highlight of the weekend. 
Owen is the only cousin so far who can do this. Listen carefully. A neck fart. He's the champ!