We had a ton of fun in Arkansas. With four kids ages 5 and under, we had to plan our fun around nap and meal times. No one has fun when a baby or preschooler is hungry or tired. We were still able to fit in some fun activities with the kids though!
One of our days there we took the kids bowling! It was Ben’s first trip to a bowling alley. To be honest we weren’t sure how it would go. We went in the middle of the day, and school was still in session while we were there. I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be too crowded. The bowling alley we go to there has a huge video game section, plus some go karts and other activities. Bowling, video games, and a baby? Yeah, we didn’t know how that would go. But the other kids love bowling, as does Pat’s family in general. We decided to try it out, keeping in mind we might have to leave quickly if Ben was overwhelmed by it all. Well we worried over nothing. He loved it! Granted he didn’t actually bowl, but Ben loved watching his cousins bowl and seeing the action all around the place. He also loved taking a personal tour of the place with Grampa while Pat and I played some games with the other kids.
Charlotte, Joe, Ella, Pat, and Aunt Lindsay all bowled. Gramma, Grampa, and I handled entertaining the kids while they weren’t bowling and lunch. We had to avoid nap times so we did go during lunch. Ben was probably so open to bowling because to him it was just eating. 😉 Joe really surprised me with his bowling skills! He even beat Pat! All the kids did really well. True they got to use bumpers and a ramp thingy to help them out. Still, Pat was outbowled by a 3 year old. Hehe.
Ben and Charlotte at bowling
The scores: Charlotte, Joe, Ella, Lindsay, Pat. 🙂
Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Chris have a great park in their neighborhood. So one day we took the kids there to run around a bit. Pat and I had a blast playing with Ben, and playing with his cousins. It’s so fun to just let loose and run around! We played tag, climbed on the jungle gyms, went down the slides, and played on the swings. It was a hot day, so we took a couple of breaks in the gazebo to play tea party and re-hydrate.
Ben had so much fun!
The girls with Grampa
Ben loves the swings
Joe and Charlotte climbing
Ella going for a ride
Daddy helping Ben play
Mommy’s turn to help!
Playing with Charlotte
Teaching Ben to climb
Joe!
Water break in the gazebo
After playing in the hot sun, we headed home to cool off and relax. That night Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Chris both had to work. This turned out to be lucky for me because we got to watch Frozen! Yes, I understand that I am an adult, but I was so excited to finally see it! I did enjoy the movie, and I think it was even better because I got to share it with my wonderful nieces and nephew.
We had so much fun. You can see more pictures of the cousins together here. Next up is splash pad fun!