Arrival in Banner Elk
We drove to Banner Elk to hitch our mates Nick and Carrie and their three children at Carrie’s dad and mom’ mountain home. I first met Carrie on the one and solely Stroller Strides class I attended with Chase when he was a child and he or she attended the category together with her daughter, Lilly. I joke that I made my pal and left and that single class was properly price it for me as a result of Carrie has been considered one of my very favourite folks for nearly 9 years now. We really feel like we hit the “household jackpot” with their crew as a result of the children all love one another and our husbands are good mates and every thing simply works so seamlessly once we’re all collectively. Ya know with the standard child chaos sprinkled within the combine due to course that’s all the time there when you’ve got six children below one roof!
We arrived within the mountains because the solar was setting and after digging into burgers and do-it-yourself ice cream, we sang “Completely satisfied Birthday” to Tommy, their center son who turned seven years outdated on Thursday. Carrie and I then obtained Rhett and their youngest son to mattress earlier than becoming a member of the dads and the massive children to observe the recap of the Olympics by the fireplace on the again porch. It was so cozy and an awesome kickoff to our mountain weekend!
Friday + Saturday
Friday morning was a type of cozy, misty mountain mornings.
For the reason that climate was a bit of dreary, we eased into the morning with espresso and pancakes and the children entertained themselves with craft tasks and laser tag earlier than pulling on their rainboots and exploring outdoors.
The mountain home the place we stayed backs up onto a creek which is heaven for the boys, as they fortunately spent hours exploring and in search of salamanders throughout our time in Banner Elk.
Most of Friday was a bit of dreary however that didn’t cease our crew and we had enjoyable taking the children to a bit of playground for extra playtime and exploring.
The spotlight of Chase’s day on Friday befell proper earlier than dinner when he obtained to hitch Lilly and Tommy for his first ziplining expertise at Hawksnest simply outdoors of Boone. (Ryder opted out once we confirmed him a ziplinging video and stated, “Possibly I’ll do it once I’m seven.”)
Chase stated it was completely superior and now I’m itching to go along with him, too! (Carrie and I stayed again with the youthful boys.)
Our Friday night time wrapped up with s’mores by the fireplace and a bit of extra of the Olympics!
Child Olympics
The Olympics have been really an enormous theme of our weekend, as we put collectively “Child Olympics” as a method to have a good time Tommy’s birthday on Saturday. We brainstormed 8 occasions for the children to take part in all through the day and our Child Olympics included the next video games:
- Tennis ball impediment course: Stability a tennis ball on a spoon and make it round an impediment course with out the ball falling off.
- Distance rocket launch: Soar on a Stomp Rocket and attempt to get it to launch farther than a chosen level
- Distance toy truck roll: Roll a toy down the driveway so far as doable and previous a chosen level
- Candle blow lung capability problem: Blow out as many tea lights as doable in a single breath
- Marshmallow problem: Stuff as many giant marshmallows in your mouth as doable (Ryder shocked us with 7!!)
- Oreo Cup of Doom: Roll an Oreo down a board and into considered one of a sequence of cups stuffed with totally different liquids/condiments and eat it irrespective of which one it lands in. (This one had us laughing so arduous!! Chase swore his Oreo that landed within the ketchup cup was really actually scrumptious however I gag simply fascinated with it!)
The children dubbed themselves Staff Mountain USA and all labored collectively to earn factors, striving to get to a cumulative 150 factors. (We designed the Child Olympics this method to keep away from tears from a number of the youthful children.) It labored properly as a result of they have been all rooting for one another and fewer distressed once they didn’t “win” sure occasions. They’d a blast and we had a lot enjoyable watching them!
After our closing Child Olympics occasion was full, we had a bit of downtime on the home to calm down for a bit earlier than making our method to an out of doors live performance the place we listened to stay music, performed tetherball and mini golf with the children and dug into pizza.
Finally we made it again to the home, obtained the children in mattress and frolicked for a bit earlier than calling it an evening ourselves.
Sunday handed by in a blur of fresh up on the home whereas the children performed and explored after which we arrived again residence within the early afternoon which left us sufficient time to make it to the pool and perform a little grocery buying earlier than mattress time.
As for the week forward it’s again to high school week in our home… type of. Chase begins college on Wednesday and Ryder has a staggered begin state of affairs occurring the place I’ll be a part of him for an hour on Wednesday after which he’ll formally start kindergarten the next Monday. (Rhett doesn’t return till after Labor Day.) In the present day must be a enjoyable day although as we have now the school-wide again to high school ice cream social tonight on the massive children’ college. I’m excited for Ryder to see his classroom and meet his trainer for the primary time tonight and I can inform Chase is thrilled to have the ability to assist present Ryder the ropes as they’ll be in the identical college once more for the primary time in three years!
I hope you all have an exquisite week and I hope to see ya again right here on Wednesday!
