Dirty Mouth!

UHG! This kid is into EVERYTHING! I was standing right there, I turn around and he's got a mouthful of dirt from Carlos, the plant in our room! Thank heavens it's Friday because this week has dragged!

Sticky Situation!

After swimming today Otto was beside himself. He cried through lessons and wouldn't stop crying after lessons. He was ANGRY! We tried everything and then finally, Miss Jessica had the magic solution to all the tears and yelling - a sticker!! After the sticker Otto was back to himself and we were able to make it out of the Y and to & through Target - where he got another sticker! Thankful to have a lot of helpers!!

Timmmbbberrrrrr

Today did not disappoint! Our tried and true tree crew was here bright and early to start working on trimming and cutting down. I declared tree felling day a holiday from swim lessons so the boys got to watch all the work. They started out front just trimming some branches here and there and then moved to the back for the main event. Papa tree was trimmed apart until he was just a trunk and then with a big big thud and a loud cheer he fell. As we guessed, there were a lot of big holes running through him and as sad as I was to see him come down all the tree guys assured me it was for the best! A lot of the guys on the crew have been coming here since we moved in and they love getting see the kids and they're awesome to us. They made sure to leave us some stepping stumps for the kids and quite a bit of Hickory & Pecan firewood. The yard looks pretty torn up from the trucks and lifts and little different now that the tree is gone, but not as naked as I was expecting. Now that the trees are trimmed and the weather is on the brink of cooling off we'll be shifting our focus back outside on the repairing and hopefully rehabbing our struggling lawn and adding to the landscaping some.

For the Birds

Since it's officially October which in my mind, at least in Florida, is really fall I put together some quick fall bins. Otto's was just fake leaves with some big beads hidden in them and then the outside big bin is popcorn on one side and birdseed. Lincoln and Otto got a chance to play on their own on the patio before Nora got home, but it dawned on me as all the seeds were falling in the cracks that we were going to have a patio garden if I didn't move it, so back to the kid's natural area of the yard. This one, while messy is a winner - all three kiddos played in it for over an hour, pouring, scooping, funneling, sliding.

I had to get a picture of the kids playing under the tree one last time, because this big papa tree is coming down tomorrow. I love him, but he's sick and hollow and not safe anymore so he needs to come down. We're planning to replace him but still trying to figure out the perfect tree for the shade providing job!

Looted

I can't even with this room! Another weekend and while we tackled other tasks, we pushed this one off again! When it is clean and functional it is used and loved and lived in and then one day it just blows up and sits...and sits...and sits...because I don't feel like fighting the battle for a group clean it up and I know when I clean it up they don't learn anything and argh! So, I'm just going to keep cleaning up around it and returning all the toys that spill all over until we get on the same page and have a clean up party - typically complete with Daniel Tiger music.

Noticing All The Things!

This kid...is getting sooo big! He is becoming more and more independent and curious about the world around him. Lincoln has spent a long time being our noticer but Otto is starting to take over as Lincoln is speeding up a bit having taken his notes in our day to day environment and filed them neatly. Otto on the other hand is just now becoming aware of all the people and things around him. He's understanding routines and steps in processes and he's stopping to watch and explore all the things. So, as part of all this is of course our daily trek from the Y parking lot, up the ramp, through the door, to the desk where he now often hands over the card to be scanned, then watching the treadmills for a moment or 5, wandering down the hall past the kids area, past the weight room where he stands and watches for a bit again then he and Lincoln run down the hall where Otto typically tries to run into the women's locker room once I fetch him a couple times then we head down the hall where they run to see if Ms. Jessica is in her office...if not it's straight into the pool where we stop to get towels - Lincoln carries 2, because he's 2 and Otto carries 1. I'm pretty sure I've said it with all three, I love this age!

Just Layin' Low

Today was a little bit of a lay low hangout day. After swim this morning Otto and Lincoln played and laid while I did a little laundry and some things around the house. This guy is just too cute when he finds a soft spot to lay on the ground. "Night Night" and down he goes with a smile and closed eyes. If only it was really that easy at bedtime!!