The great outdoors

With nicer weather finally upon us (I am choosing to believe that today's rain is an anomaly), the kids have been enjoying more time in the great outdoors.  I have no problem turning the big boys out to play, but the Littles inevitably follow and they need constant supervision.  So, for now, I'm spending part of most afternoons sitting in a lawn chair in the shade of a tree, watching the kids play in the cul-de-sac.

There is lots of climbing in trees, sometimes as a group, and sometimes as a solitary venture.  I'm sure the high branches offer the best reading spots.

Sometimes someone brings out a paper airplane book and the neighbor boys (both of whom are eight and named Tyler) join my kids for some airplane folding fun.  This pack of boys also likes the sand box and the swings in the back yard.  One of them tends to cause a lot of trouble, but we are working on that.

One day I pulled out a new box of sidewalk chalk so the Littles could color on the driveway.  It turned out that they weren't interested in art at all...but Zach and Tyler were!  The colored 2/3 of the driveway.

Gavin is always delighted to play with our neighbor, Jonah.  Because Jonah likes to ride his bike, Gavin has developed an interest in his.  Gavin's bike is a bit big for him, but he is learning to manage it pretty well! Gavin likes to run around with the bigger boys, too.

Lexi is usually my little sidekick, although she can be found riding her scooter and chasing big kids, too.  She is in a bit of a clumsy phase, which, coupled with her utter refusal to wear shoes most of the time, leads to lots of boo-boos and Band-Aids.

I wish that my time in the lawn chair offered a chance to read or write or talk on the phone, but I mostly act as the neighborhood Behavior Enforcement Officer, since other parents don't come out to watch their kids.   I don't love the responsibility, but I really do love the lilac trees and the green leaves and grass springing up all around the neighborhood.

I am just itching to plant flowers and cultivate our lawn now that our sprinklers are fixed.  Maybe I should recruit all the boys in the neighborhood to help me plant a flower garden.