365 Update

It had been a while since I uploaded photos to my 365 Project. And, looking back here, it's been a month since I've shared 365 Photos with you. Some of these you've seen before. Some, not so much.

January 17

January 18

January 20

January 21

January 22

January 23

January 25

January 26

January 27

January 28

January 29

January 30

January 31

February 1

February 2

February 3

February 4

February 5

February 6

February 7

February 9

February 10

February 12

February 14

February 15

February 17

February 18

February 19

February 20

Big

Dear Dexter,

Today was spring. For a day. Today was a day where we could do things we haven't done since, oh, November or so. Go to the playground. Play on your swing set all afternoon. Today was a day when I was faced, abruptly, with the fact that you are so very big. Today, when we pulled up to the stop light by the playground and you said "swimming" because that's also the stop light by the gym and the pool. Today, when we pulled in to the playground parking lot and you immediately signed "swing." Today, when we climbed on the playground equipment and you walked up and down the stairs instead of climbing. Today, when you went down the curly slide on your butt instead of your belly. Today, when you stepped over the railroad tie with no assistance needed. Today, when you saw yourself in the security camera at the grocery store for the first time and were delighted, then hid from yourself so you could jump out and scare you. Today, when you climbed up the ladder to your swing set all by yourself for the very first time. Today, when you ate an entire fillet of fish WITH YOUR FORK, and then ate about seventeen bowls of cottage cheese. Oh, today. Today you were big.

And yet, today you climbed in to my lap for a snuggle instead of just climbing over my lap to reach your cars. Today you came over to give me a big hug in your room, and offered me a kiss. Today you fell off your slide and needed me to kiss your owie to make it better. Today when I swinging next to you, you kept reaching over to me. I thought you wanted to hold my hand. No, you said. That wasn't what you wanted. And then you leaned over a bit further and kissed my arm. And right there my heart melted in to eleventy-billion pieces of strawberry jello.

I love watching you be big. I love watching you grow up. I love seeing you off playing and inventing new fun games all by yourself.

But, oh, please don't get too big. Too fast. Please don't lose that "I just need a kiss and a snuggle" attitude any time soon. You're the perfect combination of big and baby right now. I know, some day soon, you'll run out the door with nary a "bye-bye." You'll be embarrassed to give your old mom a kiss. So days like today. Today when you are so big, and yet still so small. Today is a day I need to remember. Nicely done, today.

I love you.

Mama

Outside

Oh thank heaven for temperatures of 67!

Spring has popped up for two days to tease us mercilessly, remind us what we have to look forward to. And then it shall disappear, wagging its tongue at us because, really, it's only February. I hear it disappearing right this instant, as the wind gusts at 30 mph, blowing spring back to where it came from.

But oh, how we enjoyed these two days. We spent so much time outside. We trashed some brand new hiking boots. We did a lot of laundry. We splashed. We ran. We walked. We rode. We climbed. We slid. We swung. And we. Are. TIRED.

Buddy is sleeping at my feet right now. He was so tired at lunch yesterday that he went over in the corner of the family room and took a nap, instead of taking up his usual position in the dining room, at the edge of the kitchen, waiting with baited breath for a cheerio to fall on the ground.

Dex has been napping well, and falling asleep quickly at night. Like, falling asleep within an hour. Unheard of. I'm not sure what we're going to do tomorrow to achieve such results. We might have to go swimming.

So, here's seven billion photos of our outside playing, plus a video. Be jealous, silly New Yorkers, of our nice brown grass...

Yep, THAT brown grass. Right back there.

We're not quite to tree climbing yet. But Dex thinks it's quite an accomplishment to duck under branches.

Check me out, Mama! I am under a tree!

Dexter the Dictator says "Buh-HEE, NO!" No, Buddy, you're not allowed to go in that yard...

You're supposed to stay in OUR yard, Buh-HEE

I think this is our first wagon ride since the time I unwisely took Dex down the road to see Santa in December. It was cold. It was windy. Santa never came. And we sent John running home to get the car. Yesterday's wagon ride was much more pleasant.

We ate cookies and boo baa-baas at the picnic table today for snack. Awesome.

We walked three times this week. Which I think might be more than we walked in December and January combined.

Buddy came along, ready to greet every single dog that walked down the road. Which was quite a few. Days like today we notice that hey! We DO have neighbors!

Dex falls down on purpose, hoping Buddy will come get him...

Every morning and every evening we see this - HUGE flock of some terrible invasive kind of bird, flying over our house. The flock is so big it goes from horizon to horizon. It's wild.

The boys check out the sunset. It was a good one.

Laundry. Oxi-Clean. We're friends this week.

Nice work, spring tease. Nicely done.

The yellow light deal is to keep him from running wild after dinner and before bed. It's fairly hysterical to watch.

We're gonna miss you, spring. A lot.