the successful adventure

The other day I was reunited with these two ragamuffins.

I took them on a Big Adventure to a garden planted in the middle of the woods called, hold on to your hats because this is really creative, Garden in the the Woods. I am pleased to report that this adventure was much more successful than last years failure of an adventure.  

Every adventure has some bumps, and one of this years bumps was the same as last year. I was once again forced to pull over on the side of the road to give my very well rehearsed and oft-spoken "just because she does something to you DOES NOT mean you should do something back to her" speech. Molly obviously didn't pay much attention to the speech because not three seconds after I was done talking, she said, "When did you learn to drive?" I'm so glad she takes everything I teach her to heart.

After we arrived at the garden (we didn't get lost or have turn around once!), we ate our lunch then began our explorating. Here they are discovering frogs, turtles, and snakes. 

Molly had a very love/hate relationship towards the snake. She would peer over the side of the lily pond, stare at the snake, then turn around and start wiggling her body while making all sorts of girly shrieks and screams. Zachary quickly tired of this behavior and told her in a very exasperated voice, "Molly, if you don't want to see the snake, then PLEASE STEP ASIDE." 

It took us five tries to get this picture. I think it's pretty cute.

Their cooperation and nice smiles in the above picture were rewarded by making silly faces for as pictures as they wanted. Sometimes they are so easy to please.

Soon after this picture things got a little bumpy. Molly suddenly decided to act as if she hadn't had water in 400 years and she would just die if she didn't get any right away. And her feet were so tired, and she wanted to go home, and why did we leave the water in the car? And then she saw a chipmunk and was perfectly fine. Sometimes I get the feeling she's just a little dramatic.

When we got home, my Uncle Brian asked Molly and Zachary if I was still a good babysitter. After pondering for a moment, they replied that yes, I was just as good as always- maybe even better- and they were overjoyed to have spent the day with me. They didn't exactly say it in such a dignified manner (there was a lot of poking and giggling and stuffed animal twirling going on), but I'm sure they meant it from the bottom of their hearts. :)