A Day at the Pool

Nothing pumps Elliott up post-nap like this announcement: "It's Pool Day!"


Patrick really gets into it, too! (...Even though he likes to frequently get out, warm up in his towel and then get right back in again...)


What can I say? This kid loves water!


Look out. Power struggle at the sprinkler.

It was soooo worth knocking that little kid out of my way...

Meanwhile, Patrick displayed his frustrations on the other end of the sharky pool.

But they're just lovey, dovey brothers in the end!

A Day at the Park

Thanks to our neighbor Amy, we found a great park that's just about a five-minute drive from home. And, because I could, I interrupted everyone's fun to snap these blasted photos.

Here, my boys, almost all of whom are looking at the camera!


Look! Shapes within shapes! What cool photo frames!


Well, Patrick thought it was cool at least...


Flipping a three-year-old head-over-heels is all you need to do to see little kid joy like this:

Although he's nearly 15 months, Patrick is still a little apprehensive.

Good ole mulch! Who needs toys or playgrounds or swings or trails or other kids? Why, there are a whole bunch of tiny sticks here! Awesome.

Forget Laundry! The Fair's in Town!

Last night we went to the Ohio State Fair! Here's Junior Trooper (see the badge??) Elliott on horseback. Alright, it was a pony. And it was walking in a small circular path of sawdust. But it was kind of like he was patroling the fairgrounds. Kind of.


Product Placement Patrick here was too little for such a big assignment, so he hung out in the stroller.


Here's Elliott (the pale one with some unknown tan kid), screaming his head off on the giant bee ride. Tan Kid was apparently unimpressed.


Wow! I get to ride the stroller?? It's my favorite!

No tickets required to get drenched in the fairground sprinklers. (Megan, where does this sewer water come from?? Don't think about it, don't think about it...)

Ah, ice cream from the dairy barn! (Butter cow photos unavailable at press time.) Here's take 1 of Patrick nursing our shared ice cream cone like it was a bottle. If we alternated licks, he'd cry out each time I lifted the cone toward my mouth. It was impossible to tell if he was yelling, "Ma!" or "MINE!" but I'm guessing it was the latter.

That dreamy, drugged, I-looooooove-this-cone look

Happy as a clam with a strawberry ice cream cone

If you didn't know, clams love to wear ice cream as much as they love to eat it!

I laughed so hard at my two boys making love to their ice cream cones. As Pete was snapping these photos, I looked around and realized everyone at the surrounding benches was enjoying the messy show, too. What performers!

And You Thought Laundry Was Boring!

Oh sure, the boys have spent weekends of fun with their Grammy and Grandpa, and Nonna and PopPop. And Mama and Dad enjoyed a weekend away in Niagara Falls/Canadian wine country. Oh, and Mama's celebrating a birthday on this very day.

But yesterday, OH yesterday! Elliott and Patrick discovered the joy and wonder of collapsible laundry baskets! Behold the joy! (And, if you're reading this from inside your Children's Services cubicle, please be assured this was a voluntary activity with close parental supervision.)

No minors were harmed during the creation of this blog post. In addition, most child labor laws were observed. Then again, they do produce the bulk of the laundry... I'm just saying...