On Sunday after naps we walked to a park that we generally avoid on summer afternoons because there is no shade. However, that makes it a perfect choice for this time of year--a little warmer and drier than other nearby options. We even ran into another family on the next block who were also on their way there. Their kids are the same ages as ours, but we haven't seen them all winter. Edward had a blast running and chasing with David, who he declared "is my best friend!" Not to diminish, but Edward's "best friend" tends to be whomever he has played with most recently.
Daniel had fun peeking over the edge of the slide and shouting "No tickle!" as John attempted to reach over and administer said tickles as he twisted on down to the bottom.
Edward was very happy to swing and swing, and I finally don't fear that he'll fall off or decide to get down while the swing is at its highest point. Maybe this summer he'll even learn to pump himself.This afternoon it was even warmer and another day of sun had decreased the swamp factor in our backyard. It was still a little squishy, but we put on our old shoes and went out anyway. Every dirty porch toy came out and they were even asking for others that had been put in deeper storage for the winter. We restricted ourselves just to what was already outside and it was sufficient to fill two hours.
Daniel took the toys in this basket outside one by one, scurrying across the back porch like a little squirrel. Then he heaved the basket itself across the porch and out the door. A few minutes later, I heard him grunting and groaning as he lifted the basket, once again full of all the toys, up the two inch step onto the porch. After that, he settled for pushing it across the porch to its final resting place. Not too long after that, he started the whole process over again, carrying the toys out one by one.
Some hoops.
Defense.
Baseball anyone? Daniel learned to stand "on deck" at the tree after one of Ed's first hits sailed within inches of his head. Ed was admonished to wait until no one was standing in front of him. I have no illusions that this will be the last such incident of the season.
Crocus! These poor flowers are hearty enough to be snowed upon, but did not quite stand up to exploring fingers. We tried to practice "looking with our eyes" but at least one flower was decapitated.
If you click on this picture to see a larger version, you can see the tongue-out determination with which Daniel is pushing this load of rocks.Last week, we spent a much cooler afternoon outside in winter jackets riding bikes around the block. It's actually more like two square blocks, which is a pretty good distance if you're still unable to manipulate the pedals on your big wheel, as is Daniel's current lot. Ed was charging ahead on his bike, but patiently waited at mid-block and corner for us to catch up. We encountered some mud along the way, which necessitated changing clothes when we got home. I put on shorts as a way to force myself down to the treadmill after the kids' bedtime. Ed thought that was a great idea, and once Ed was in his shorts, Daniel demanded a pair of his own. These were dug out of storage and then he ran around for a few minutes pulling on them trying to get them to cover his legs. He has also worn short sleeve shirts a few days recently to school and I've seen him try to pull the sleeves down after washing his hands.
Even with the active afternoon, there was still enough energy for this post-dinner activity. Needless to say, they slept soundly that night!
