We have been trying to get outside for as much time as we can.  We had an especially beautiful day to enjoy yesterday before the rain rolled in by evening.  The weather has become comfortable outside, no longer the unbearable heat that summer brought where it felt oppressive on a good day and as if hell had arrived on the front step on other days. But instead these days are the waning days of summer giving way to fall.  On days like this I could stay for hours outside if I had my way.

These early September days are truly the last days of shorts.  Or I should write the last day for weather where shorts is appropriate.  Knowing my children someone will still attempt shorts on a 20 degree or colder day and I will have to explain how those are not going to work for the great outdoors.  My child will look at me as if I am a crazy person, because what could I possibly know?  I only have decades of experience on them!

Instead pretty soon we will be bundled up in layers and layers to keep warm.  In fact, this morning before dawn when I woke for a brief time to move the baby so she could have her next meal it was cooler than the day before.  The crispness of fall was all around us.  I thought about how the colors change then and how I cannot wait to get out and take some more pictures with my camera (can’t believe it’s been two years since I got it).  And more indoor ones too, catching the moments of life.  I have been seriously slacking on using it and I love using it.

Lately my iPhone camera has been used with increasing frequency because it’s so unbelievably easy to pull out and capture a moment with. If I had it with the other kids I am sure I’d have billions of photos of each of them versus only millions.  It amazes me how much technology has changed from when we had our first.  Camera phones I don’t think were even widely available then, if at all.  After all back then we walked up hill both ways, in snow, barefoot, and carrying sacks of boulders to just take a picture with a regular film camera. That we would then have get developed!  Oh, how times have changed.

But I do love learning about how to take photos, not just with my iPhone (which I do love to snap away with), but my big beautiful camera that I have a goal to really focus more on developing a better skill there.  I am so impressed and inspired by the many talented photographers, both professionals and amateurs, out there to grow more in this area. Maybe I will even be motivated to properly set the time/date stamp for it.  What? I have been busy, still!

Yesterday we were all out in the backyard after dinner.  Hanging out and chillaxin’ as a family.  Kicking back.

When Mr. G & Mamacita decided to race around the double-decker play set. While they were racing Mamacita decided to cut and dunk under the slide to get the invisible finish line first.

Mr. G shouted, “You can NOT do that!! You can’t cut!! That is cheatin’!!”

Mamacita, without missing a beat, said “So. That isn’t cheatin’ it’s winning. I am winning. I am a winner.”

Apparently she has gone to the Charlie Sheen school of playground games.

She was on a mission. Looking for a four leaf clover. Apparently our yard has become over-run with them. And I mean OVER-RUN as in the clovers 7,657,839 and humans 0.

Once she had success she had to show it off. It had four leaves!! Four, that’s right FOUR!! I got to hear that a lot. As in every 5 seconds, she was pretty pleased with herself. And her in mind she has won clover lottery.

Creativity abounds.
Mr. G took some old packing material from a box downstairs & used it for his piano.  He was in the zone.  D-man came up later to sing with him.  I think the song went something like “NaNa, NeNe, Yah, Yah, Yah!!”

It’s amazing to see how creative the kids are and how they can make anything into something fun.  They are always ready to see the world through new eyes.  Chairs become a plane, a rigged blanket a tent in the middle of their Safari adventure & packing material is gateway to music.

I can’t wait to see what else they come up with!

Hey, whatcha doin’?

I’m spinnin’ with a yo-yo, that’s what.

Why are you spinning?

‘Cause I like to spin. That’s why I’m spinning.

Well, I guess that makes sense then.

I once tried to spin to see if I could figure out what there was in the spinning. What keys does it hold?

I didn’t like it though. It made me feel too dizzy. I also felt like I was going to lose my lunch after.

I guess I will never crack the spinning code. I’m a spinning failure.

Shhh…don’t talk.  We’re in the bubble wrap zone.  Nothing else matters, only getting the bubbles.  MUST.GET.THE.BUBBLES.

Select the pieces carefully.  Every piece should be inspected.

Put each piece together with precision care.  Snap, pop & crooked all work.

And make sure to get some cheap labor, the kind of labor that can be bought by a cookie.  Little brothers make great labor.

Problem is the barely 2 crowd of little brothers also make great train destroyers.  Maybe when building a train stick to the over 2 crowd as cheap labor or make sure they aren’t drinking on the job.

Mamacita when playing with the garbage truck saw a mini-van. D-man goes old school and sees (wait for it!) a garbage truck, complete with hat for safety.  I must say seeing him take this truck around the floor going “Vroom, Vroom.” in his little voice is pretty adorable.  Only downside is when he gets upset about something not working he may, just may, chuck the truck across the room.  A feat that can cause people to go running in all directions, that Bobby Knight display is decidedly less adorable than “Vroom, Vroom.”

When you are the only girl in a house full of brothers you have to improvise.

You learn to look at things differently.

You learn to have more imagination.

It’s really all in a day’s play.

A garbage truck becomes your van & your family is off on an adventure.

But before you know it your little brother will attempt to put the baby inside the garbage truck.

Which means you’ll rescue your doll family and fly away.

See, when you’re the only girl you have to improvise.

Being fast on your feet is part of being the sister.

Gotta teach those boys a thing or two.

I’m sure everyone wakes up to games of Ground Ball well underway.   A game that includes the use of a football being moved around the room with a soup ladle.  It involves tackling with one finger, shouting touchdown when no one has scored, & a requirement of changing into snow boots part way through the game.   I don’t get it but give it a few weeks and it will be all the rage with those wild & crazy college kids.