Vaught Cousins - Spring Adventures

As part of our normal routine, we usually head to Granny's for a visit at least one day a week. It's a good outing for us, she loves the company, and the kids get to develop a relationship with her that they might not otherwise have. 

Sometimes she pulls out the same old toys for the kids to entertain themselves with, and other days she has something new up her sleeve like these Easter window clings that she gave them last week.

She even found a special treat for Reid - a little walker type toy that used to be my cousin Bailey's that she pulled out of storage and washed up. Though he's baby, you could see his enthusiasm about this "new" toy. Even Hadley's curiosity was peaked, and she climbed in it a few times to try this thing out and figure out how it worked. 

After spending the morning playing together....

Playing dress-up with magnetic dolls

....we had another special surprise.

Cousin Peyton dropped in for an unexpected play date!

My cousin Leslie and her mother both had to work that day, so Granny got the privilege of keeping this sweet girl for a chunk of time that afternoon/evening. As a result, we got to enjoy her too!

The girls started with some fun rollerskating in Granny's kitchen.

I haven't written a whole lot about Peyton on here yet, but she is such a cute and funny little girl. For the longest time, she wanted to wear this one particular princess dress that was getting too small for her ALL THE TIME. She would hardly let them wash it or take it off to put her pjs on. They just had to put clean clothes underneath of it everyday and move on. Now she's a little more flexible, but she still won't take off the crown. (I love preschoolers and their cute quirks!)

Hadley loved skating so much at a birthday party we attended a few weeks ago that she's talked about roller skates ever since. Mom found some at Walmart soon after her interest developed and picked up a pair for her and Caleb for their birthdays. In Hadley's book, I'm not sure she could have gotten anything she like anymore. And, since Caleb wasn't using his, Peyton made good use of them that day.

The fun just escalated from there. Reid had some fun bouncing on a giant ball with Granny and Mommy, while the girls rolled through the house.

We got a little tickled watching how Hadley pulled Peyton by the arm through the house since she is the younger of the two. Usually Hadley is the one tagging along after her brother or being pulled along by her cousin Anabella, but not this time.

Even more amazing was that Peyton followed and let her do it.

To add another level to their skating escapades, Caleb got them started on a game of hide-and-seek. He had all of us stumped at first; we couldn't find him anywhere. That is until I finally spotted him behind the rocking chair and gave the girls some hints.

He tried his best to teach them how to play, but those little ladies had no idea what he was talking about. He would tell them to hide and then run into Granny's room to count. When he came running back down the hall to find them, he'd be exasperated to find them standing right where he left them. Those girls!

My cousins and I loved playing this game at Granny's when we were growing up, so I couldn't help but smile and take a video of this new generation doing the same things we used to. I sent the clip to my family via Facebook, and as expected, most of them had the same nostalgic memories watching the game unfold that I did.

As you can see they certainly had a lot of fun that day. But, last week was actually doubly fun with cousin play dates, because on Friday we came back to Granny's for some QT with the twins, Daniel and Anabella.

Stacey and I are always trying to get the kids together, but it seems like every time we plan something, someone gets sick. We've even gone so far as to say we are going to stop planning and do something impromptu or that it's never happen.

Though I was supposed to go to MOPS and let the kids go to the school  that day, I decided that prioritizing time with family was more important so we skipped it. In all honesty, I think the kids enjoyed it better anyway. It was a beautiful day outside, and we spent a lot of it outdoors playing with balls, wagons, flowers, and even hunting Easter eggs.

They are going to be ready for Easter this year!

Daniel and Anabella weren't the only set of twins at Granny's that day. The two girls had their own little matchy-matchy thing going on. For my sweet girl's birthday, Stacey bought Hadley an outfit similar to one she'd purchased for Anabella. When she knew we'd both be at Granny's on the same day, she suggested the girls wear their outfits. It was pretty cute.

Thoughtful Dan brought matching Spiderman slippers for Caleb, Reid, and himself. Although Reid seemed happy enough with his set (a pair Dan took off his Build-A-Bear), Caleb wanted no part of the slippers. Thankfully, they found a new bonding point. GIANT STICKS! Yep, they are boys. No handing holding or cuddling. Trying to poke each other's eyes out with their "swords" and arguing over who had the best stick was much more fun...well, until Mommy took them away to ensure everyone's safety.

Wagon rides are something everyone enjoys though - a middle ground.

Muscleman Dan

Reid was hanging out with the grown-ups for the most part. Granny helped him do a little Easter egg hunting, but he mostly just watched the fun from her arms.

While Hadley and Caleb are better playmates right now, Dan and Bell enjoy being with Reid too. For one reason, really. They LOVE watching him get a diaper change.

As soon as I got on the floor to change him, Anabella yelled for her brother. "Dan, diaper change! Diaper change!" she exclaimed with excitement, and here came Dan Credle. Hoping with anticipation that he had a poopy one this time, you can see the smiles on their faces in this picture. (They crack me up!)

Reid didn't mind the invasion of privacy either. It amused him that they were so interested in what he was doing. He smiled and cooed happily. 

Then it was time for Reid to get a little cat nap. I'm not sure how he did it despite having four louder cousins in the house, but he was able to rest for a bit while we got through lunch.

And, if you know anything about Granny's, these next pictures will not surprise you. She is always trying to give any one who visits some ice cream. Kids and adults alike, you'll probably get asked multiple times if you want a little bowl of sherbet or some chocolate on a cone.

While adults are prone to decline these frozen treats from here to there, I don't know any preschoolers who would turn one down. That's for sure!

Before we left, the kids went out again for some more time in the sun and picked every last one of Granny's daffodils. When I tried to talk to Caleb about it later, telling him next time we shouldn't pick ALL of Granny's flowers, he responded something like this: "But Mommy, they were just so beautiful. Dan, Anabella, and I couldn't help it...we couldn't stop picking them because they were so beautiful." He told me that is was okay though because it made Granny happy to share her flowers with them.

Granny may not have any flowers left, we might have left a trail of toys behind, and she might still be finding sticky fingerprints left behind by these rascals, but I know she's happy anyway. Nothing makes her happier than being with these babies, especially when she gets them all together.