The Struggle is Real + Fall Park Bucket List

I considered titling this “how to wrangle two children” but then I realized you would be expecting tips, and I have none, clearly. It was a miracle I managed to hold both of these children at the same time. Especially when one of the children is a toddler who has mastered the art of running very quickly and squirming like a pro.

The weather finally dropped the last couple of days and it finally feels like October! In addition to all the cute fall layers, it means extra time outside. We’ve been layering up for family walks every evening after dinner and it is easily Lincoln’s favorite thing (and I found the perfect fall layering tee – keep reading for details).

We live in a quiet neighborhood with a handful of houses, a handful of condos, and plenty of inlets and grass. It’s fortunate because I’m not quite up to hauling both children (and all the diapers + milk + snacks + wipes + spare clothes + strollers + carseats) to a park on the regular but it is so nice to be able to let Lincoln run around outside now that it is finally under 85 degrees during the day. Right now he is incredibly excited about saying the words for things as he notices them, and insists that you repeat the word after he does to confirm you understood

I now understand why moms are so much better at translating for their children than anyone else. I feel like I’ve learned another language entirely 😉

I’ve been on the hunt for no-prep things we can do outside besides point out every cloud “clo!” and bird “bi!” in the sky and I thought I’d share our Fall park bucket list (and way more pictures, and the perfect fall layering tee) :

1. Nature Scavenger Hunt: Lincoln loves to pick up and name everything he can find (including cigarette butts :/ ) so we’ll make it a game by letting him cross each item off a list once we’ve found it.

2.  Running Games: I can’t wait to teach him red light/green light and (maybe in another year) Mother May I. Something to do that also gets all his energy out? Win.

3. Picnic: A peanut butter and jelly sandwich tastes almost gourmet on a blanket in the park, doesn’t it?

4. Cloud Gazing: A few times Lincoln has laid down on the grass, of his own accord, and pointed up at the “clo”s so I think he would love this. We’ve been working on shapes for a few months now and he would get a kick out of finding them up in the sky.


5. Bring the Ball: Most of the time the only thing that accompanies us out is the stroller so we’ll be working on our soccer + baseball skills this autumn.


6. Feed the Ducks: Our local park has a pond with plenty of ducks (or “quack quacks,” according to Linc) and I think they would be much more grateful recipients of the heels of bread than anyone living in our house.


7. Shape Hunt: I found this game online and love the idea of looking for shapes on a playground or in everyday objects. Right now Lincoln loves the book, “Shapes are Everywhere” so this would be a fun extension of his reading.

What else would you add? Here are a few more pictures from our evening:

^Poor baby girl — both of her cold weather clothing options were in the wash when we went to head out the door (I should probably order her some clothes…) so she rocked a blanket scarf better than anyone I know for our walk.

^I, on the other hand, have found my PERFECT fall layering tee. You know when you want a shirt under a button-down or a sweater but most options are too bulky? This cream number from Cuddl Duds is the perfect length, super soft, and really light weight (it is also a tad sheer so I’m wearing something under it here but only because it wasn’t quite cold enough to layer it under the sweaters I’m planning on wearing with it all fall). It comes in a couple different colors and they also carry it in a v-neck but be sure to order from the “softwear line” because they do carry other long-sleeved solid crew neck tops that aren’t the same.

^confession: to get him to hold my hand (and not run away) I said “let’s play ring around the rosie” so here he is, all ready to sit down at the end of the song before I’ve even started

^Adelaide’s face here has me wondering what she thinks about being the baby in this family — all I can say is her first year is far more lively with an older brother than Lincoln’s ever was.

^bedhead game is strong with this one

^Being their mother is even better than this glorious fall weather