May 2017: Adventures in Iowa

We live right next to a huge sports complex--50 something various fields. A good part of it is little league fields, at least the parts that are used the most. It has two playgrounds and two ponds with bridges also and some great paths. The ponds are filled with ducks and fish so there is a lot of duck poo. :/

The library is on the other side of the complex and still within walking distance. The library has puzzle and coloring tables, a lego table, and a train table. The children's section is pretty great and the librarians are awesome. We are there for at least an hour, three times a week. 

The pool is there too and is an aquatic center with some kid slides and shallow water. Ted just loves to walk around in the water, but Claire goes down all the slides and now floats with her floatie and has learned to kind of swim with it.

There are tons of parks and playgrounds and ponds and trails and so we are having fun exploring them all.

So here we are in Iowa and we are having fun exploring the city and doing what we can with the toys we have.

This is a mailbox.

She can climb up by herself and get down.

Dad was out of town and so bedtime was all up to me and it took some creativity. I had to be a minimalist and easy going or I would have gone crazy. So here I am talking to my sister on the phone in front of the door in Claire's room and she finally gave in to go to sleep like that.

Iowa has Panera! Oh how I missed it! So we feasted one night when Dad was gone. Ted ate tomato soup!

Ted gaining some confidence climbing. It was a bit chilly our first weeks in Iowa. We had to go buy a sweater for the kids and long pants!

I said it was time to clean up and she started helping! It was the cutest!

This is how Ted drinks--one hand in his shirt.

Nap time one afternoon. Look how he reached out to her.

Merry go round fun.

Dad came back from Nashville orientation and we had so much fun playing with Dad and showing him around all the fun places we explored. This ball was a must-buy as soon as we arrived in Iowa. Claire loves balls.

These are the first flight of stairs leading up to our apartment. We are on the third floor. Three stairs and there are three stairs in the building of which the kids are aware. They love to run down the hall to take a different staircase. I've learned to roll with it, but it makes me so nervous to have to chase them down on who knows what staircase.