Yesterday we had a family outing, just the six of us. In an impromptu decision, we packed up the kids and went to a family-oriented farm. It was a bit of a drive, but easy to get to and well worth the trip. The place is clean and well-run, and perfectly geared in every detail toward families with young children (excellent restrooms, tons of outdoor chairs everywhere, hand sanitizer dispensers, free sunscreen, wagon rentals, giant shade canopies). The kids had an absolute blast, between the animals (goats, sheep, calves, donkeys, chickens, etc), the multiple play areas, the spray water park, the go-karts, and our - if I do say so myself - delicious picnic lunch.

There was not a single meltdown, tantrum, or utterance of “I’m bored” or “when are we leaving?” We stayed for over four hours, an amazing feat considering kids were involved. It was with a sense of exhausted satisfaction, as opposed to the usual harried relief, that we dumped the kids back into the minivan at the end of the afternoon.

We even let Edward spend some of his allowance in the gift shop. He bought two highly politcally incorrect toys - a cap gun and a little kitty statue covered in some kind of fur or pseudo-fur, but probably it’s rabbit and I’m not going to be the one to tell him, he’s been wanting a little kitty like that for a long time now, don’t ask me why.

The only hitch was the rentlessness with which Davey went after his sisters’ heads of flowing locks. If they came at all within grabbing range, he grabbed and pulled, wrenching them to the ground like a cowboy pinning a steer. So Dex spent a lot of time with Davey, feeding the baby goats and watching the chickens, while I tagged around after the other kids. Jules stuck with Edward, and Mae was our intrepid explorer, boldly venturing off after free-range sheep or poultry.

Truly, it was the kind of day I have always wish we could have together. I am still glowing from the pure enjoyment of it. Family bliss!