Friday was a gorgeous day around here! The sun was shining and it was a lovely 5o-something degrees. We just had to go out and enjoy it. I unfolded the stroller, dirty and stiff from many months of lack of use while I sensed the excitement building in the air. Porter was jumping up and down, Emma was pointing out the window, and I was practically singing out loud.
Once I got everyone saddled up, we hit the sidewalk. Across the street our neighbors yard was a flurry of activity and loud sounds. One of the huge trees in their front yard was being cut down- all the way to the grass. Emma was fascinated with the man with the chainsaw up in the branches. The loud sound was a little unnerving but she got used to it pretty quickly. We went around the block at an enjoyable pace; it felt good to stretch my legs and soak up the sun.
Back at the house I put Porter in and took Emma out of the stroller. It was her turn to stretch her legs and explore! She was so happy. She practically ran to the end of the driveway. Unfortunately she tripped and took her first spill of the season. The good news is that she landed right in the soft, soggy corner of the yard- aside from her dirty hands she was fine. She seems a bit disturbed by the persistent specks of earthen matter, but once her hands were dry she pushed me away. She went right to the tree on the street's edge and reached for the buds on the trunk. She seemed to like the spongy earth beneath her feet and the feel of the bark on her fingers. And then she was off to the next exciting thing!
She continued down the sidewalk, darting her eyes from left to right, and trying to keep as far from me as possible. Two doors down she stopped to watch the tree cutting action. Then she found a stream of water from the melting snow. you know, the spot- right where the street meets the driveway. I explained about needing to hold my hand to cross the street and all of that, but she only had eyes for the slowly moving water.
She dabbled, splashed and even sat down in it! Now her butt, knee and sleeves were wet and messy. She rubbed rotting leaves between her fingers and picked up tiny pebbles for closer inspection. And then she was off again.
She didn't make it far- just to the sidewalk and the deliciously soggy, messy corner where it meets the grass. I showed her the fun of stomping in a puddle to make it splash. She loved it! She giggled and stomped. Then she bent down and stuck her hand in the mud. She loved squishing the mud between her fingers and then splashing in the watery surface. And then digging down into the mud and then splashing in the watery surface. And then she sat down. Now she was pretty much very dirty and her fingers were very cold. Because of her cold appendages I steered her towards home. It was no easy task getting her back home. She certainly didn't want to stop playing, and she definitely did not like it when I carried her for a few steps.
Back on the ground, she stomped through the largest puddle on the sidewalk (nor her feet were soaked) and headed into our front lawn to explore the shade and shrubs. She was smiling and laughing and trying to run from me. I finally scooped her up to take her inside. Right inside the door, I took her picture (to show Steve how much fun she had) and then took her clothes off down to her diaper and shirt. They were so messy that I soaked them right away.
As I was dressing her upstairs I kept thinking about how curious and messy she got. How much fun she had being a kid. And how much fun I had not worrying about dirty clothes but just being there with Emma while she explored her world. Good, clean fun indeed!
Once I got everyone saddled up, we hit the sidewalk. Across the street our neighbors yard was a flurry of activity and loud sounds. One of the huge trees in their front yard was being cut down- all the way to the grass. Emma was fascinated with the man with the chainsaw up in the branches. The loud sound was a little unnerving but she got used to it pretty quickly. We went around the block at an enjoyable pace; it felt good to stretch my legs and soak up the sun.
Back at the house I put Porter in and took Emma out of the stroller. It was her turn to stretch her legs and explore! She was so happy. She practically ran to the end of the driveway. Unfortunately she tripped and took her first spill of the season. The good news is that she landed right in the soft, soggy corner of the yard- aside from her dirty hands she was fine. She seems a bit disturbed by the persistent specks of earthen matter, but once her hands were dry she pushed me away. She went right to the tree on the street's edge and reached for the buds on the trunk. She seemed to like the spongy earth beneath her feet and the feel of the bark on her fingers. And then she was off to the next exciting thing!
She continued down the sidewalk, darting her eyes from left to right, and trying to keep as far from me as possible. Two doors down she stopped to watch the tree cutting action. Then she found a stream of water from the melting snow. you know, the spot- right where the street meets the driveway. I explained about needing to hold my hand to cross the street and all of that, but she only had eyes for the slowly moving water.
She dabbled, splashed and even sat down in it! Now her butt, knee and sleeves were wet and messy. She rubbed rotting leaves between her fingers and picked up tiny pebbles for closer inspection. And then she was off again.
She didn't make it far- just to the sidewalk and the deliciously soggy, messy corner where it meets the grass. I showed her the fun of stomping in a puddle to make it splash. She loved it! She giggled and stomped. Then she bent down and stuck her hand in the mud. She loved squishing the mud between her fingers and then splashing in the watery surface. And then digging down into the mud and then splashing in the watery surface. And then she sat down. Now she was pretty much very dirty and her fingers were very cold. Because of her cold appendages I steered her towards home. It was no easy task getting her back home. She certainly didn't want to stop playing, and she definitely did not like it when I carried her for a few steps.
Back on the ground, she stomped through the largest puddle on the sidewalk (nor her feet were soaked) and headed into our front lawn to explore the shade and shrubs. She was smiling and laughing and trying to run from me. I finally scooped her up to take her inside. Right inside the door, I took her picture (to show Steve how much fun she had) and then took her clothes off down to her diaper and shirt. They were so messy that I soaked them right away.
As I was dressing her upstairs I kept thinking about how curious and messy she got. How much fun she had being a kid. And how much fun I had not worrying about dirty clothes but just being there with Emma while she explored her world. Good, clean fun indeed!
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