A Fun Filled Rainy Day at Eckert’s!

with love from the St. Louis Dad familyToday turned out to be an awesome day. Forget the fact that it’s day light savings time and I just lost an hour of sleep. “Spring ahead!” they say… I say ba-humbug to DST. I must also mention that it was raining all morning causing us to be late to Eckert’s. Fast cars and wet roads might be manageable, but with two kids in the back ready for egg hunting. We needed to take it easy on the roads. Things quickly turned around once we arrived in Belleville, Illinois at Eckert’s Farm. It was still sprinkling when we were checking into Eckert’s Easter Egg-Citement event. We figured we completely missed out on the egg-hunt but were surprised to hear that we could participate in the 11 a.m. hunt. Apparently the rain was really coming down during the 10 a.m. hunt, so I guess we kinda got lucky.

IMG_3704Since it was still slightly raining we went over to Eckert’s store to check out the activities that were setup for the kids, but first we had to stop by and see the cutest baby animals ever. Abby and Alex got to see some baby ducklings, baby chicks, and some bunnies! Abby had a little more courage than Alex and sort of held them. Alex really didn’t want them near him, but he liked looking. My wife was asking for one of each. I don’t think we have the room.

After we played with the animals we headed on over to the Eckert’s store. The first thing we noticed was that there were not one but THREE different Easter bunnies there. Two white and one grey. They were taking pictures with all of the kids in a few different areas of the store.

IMG_3644The first station we stopped at had these awesome little balls of soil that kids could plant a bean seed and take home to watch grow. My daughter was very excited to plant her bean. I’m not sure she realizes that it’s a vegetable and not a flower. There was also a station where you could color your own lunch bag. These were sort of like your normal brown lunch bags but a lot cooler. They have a nice seam and a picture that kids can color. Definitely kept my kids busy for 10 minutes.

There was also face painting and cookie icing. You can also check out the store and pick up some goodies to take home, like some delicious apple butter. Mmmm, apple butter, more about that later.

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We had to make a visit with the Easter Bunny. My daughter Abby impresses me more each day and ran right up to him and gave him a hug and got a picture. Alex really didn’t want anything to do with the bunny, so mommy had to get in the picture too. My wife wanted me to mention that her hair was crazy because of the rain. I can agree, it was a little crazy looking. Sorry!

IMG_3713By now it had stopped raining completely and it was time to get ready for the next round of egg hunting. We scurried on over to the designated egg hunting grounds and waited for the countdown to begin. The rules were pretty simple. They have three sections marked off for three separate age groups. 0-2, 3-5, and 6-something. My oldest is five so I don’t remember what the next age group was. Each kid was limited to finding 12 eggs each so it would be fair for everyone. Abby gave me the Robert Deniro look when I told her this but she was a good sport and only grabbed twelve eggs. After the hunt we decided to grab a bite to eat at Eckert’s Restaurant but first the kids needed a little cleaning up from their muddy egg-cursion.

IMG_3656Back at the car we changed the kid’s clothes into something a little less muddy and wet, and a little more clean and dry. It’s always a good idea to pack an extra outfit for your kids if they are known to get dirty. Abby wasn’t as bad as Alex. He is like a magnet to muddy puddles. Abby likes them too but she can show control when mom and dad say no. Alex is just showing off and having a good time. I can’t blame him. I would be doing the same thing.

IMG_3686After cleanup we headed on over to the restaurant. I had never been to Eckert’s before so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect in terms of menu items. I thought it was very cool that there was a little corner for kids to play with some toys while we waited for a table. The wait wasn’t long at all and we were seated and got our order in the kitchen in no time. You get a nice supply of these tasty biscuits and apple butter. The apple butter is so delicious, you really don’t even need the biscuit. Definitely pick some up if you’re there.

Our meal was very tasty and neither child made a fuss about eating all of their food. Which is a really good thing for us. All of that fun really worked up an appetite. After we finished eating it was time to load up the kids and head back home. Alex fell asleep in the car and Abby serenaded us with her best rendition of Justin Beiber’s Sorry.

Does Eckert’s Easter Egg-Citement Event sound like a fun time to you? Believe me, if we had this much fun while it was rainy and wet, imagine how awesome it would be if it was sunny! Get your tickets today!

Eckert’s provided St. Louis Dad with complimentary Easter Egg-Citement tickets and a gift card for the Eckert’s Country Store and Restaurant in exchange for an honest review and social media postings about the event. Follow Eckert’s on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Wanna see a video of some of what we did today? Watch below! Music by St. Louis Dad / Missouri Mobile Productions.

Happy Birthday Number Two!

12801402_10201526796889983_7165334671491759278_nMy second child had his second birthday today. Little Alex is the bravest two year old I have ever met. His courage spills out into everything he does and it’s awesome and nerve wrecking at the same time.

I am happy as any parent would be that their child is growing up but it does make me sad a little as well. I know this little dare devil that gives kisses and hugs will one day become a little man and kisses and hugs will be gross and only given to mom and grandma.

His two year milestone is my wife and I’s time to move Alex from his crib to a toddler bed. For his birthday we got him a Disney Cars toddler bed. His crib mattress fits in it perfectly and he was very excited to go to bed in it. We will see how time progresses and if he stays in bed.

Mommy and Daddy wish you a Happy Birthday little Alex. Enjoy your day and I hope you had a lot of fun at your party. Me and your mom thought it turned out well and are so thankful for everyone who came to the party and those who wished they could be there but couldn’t make it.

We wish you many more years of happiness as you grow into the great person we know you will become.

Eckert’s Easter Egg-Citement Event!

STLDAD-bunnyEckert’s has another great event setup for Easter this year. Their Easter Egg-Citement event is a family fun event filled with activities for your family to enjoy. We are planning on taking the kids to do some egg hunting, face painting, see some baby animals and more this year.

Every year we go out and take the kids out on some egg hunts around town and we haven’t been to Eckert’s to participate in their egg hunt, so we’re pretty excited to check it out. We also put on our own hunt with everyone in our family. My wife and I filled around 300 eggs last year and I am sure we will fill even more this year. We are excited about the event at Eckert’s this year and are hoping for some beautiful weather. Be sure to check back for a follow up post after the event. You can follow St. Louis Dad on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to stay up to date about what’s going on in my world. Don’t forget to follow Eckert’s on Facebook and Twitter to stay current on all on the awesome stuff happening there.

The Easter Egg-Citement event does require tickets. Order your tickets online and save 50% March 12 & 13 with coupon code: Easter2016 – Get yours today!