A Novella (Part 2)

Chapter 4: Nice Neighbors

Aren't we lucky to have next door neighbors we like, who also just happen to have two kids nearly the same age as ours? They make dragging the Diego table outdoors worth it!



There's Payton, the girly girl:



And Brooke, who regularly eats sand and is mighty proud of it:



One of the cutest things I'd seen in a while happened last week when Neighbor Shawn started mowing. Elliott looked at him, got an idea and made a beeline for his bubble mower. Patrick caught on soon after. It was A RACE! The boys watched Shawn's every move and turn, but they got serious and starting sprinting around the yard. Shawn was mostly oblivious to the whole thing, which only made the boys' seriousness funnier. Here they are, shortly after self-declaring victory:



There is a downside to these neighbors. When we go over there, Patrick walks around in everyone else's little pink ballet slippers while he pushes the pink bubble mower...




Chapter 5: But We Have Our Own Backyard, Too--with Swiiiiiiiiiiings!
Patrick is nuts. There. I said it.


He and his brother are OBSESSED with swinging. (Thank goondness we planned ahead and built this playset a few summers ago!!!) We have two regular swings and one "baby swing," so you can see how THREE swings often create a problem with TWO kids. (What's the matter? You can't? Each one only wants what his brother has, silly!)


We thought Elliott would take pride in being off the growth charts (not really... I don't think...), but he still BEGS to squeeze into the baby swing.

I think I say this a lot, but this is one of my favs of Big E:

"I do all my own stunts" T-shirt + raspberry popsicle = street cred. (Doesn't Patrick look like he just finished a bar room brawl or fell off the side of a building or something???)

It's fun playing with different angles and things, but sometimes snapping-without-looking is the best way to capture the true Insanity of the Scullys. Exhibit A:

When they actually give the swings a rest, Patrick and Elliott LOVE to water the flowers, "do fireworks" (Elliott thinks the water rushing out of the hose looks like fireworks for the grass) and play (if only for a few moments) in the kiddie pool. Patrick loves to pour water, including pool water down the straw of his ice-water cup:

On the other hand, Elliott has decided he doesn't like to get his swim trunks wet. Hmmmmmm. He'll pry them off and be stark naked until I can run and get dry clothes again. Here he is advertising sunscreen: