learning from Daddy

Toddlers have a lot to learn from their Daddies. Particularly the art of juggling...

change of plans

Some days I love our decision to hire a cleaning service on an every other month scheme. Yesterday morning was not one of them. They were scheduled to come right after Jonathan's afternoon nap so we could pack up and head out to the botanical gardens to get out of their way. But when we got back from our morning errands hot, hungry, tired, and cranky their van was in our driveway and they were already cleaning. 20 minutes before nap-time was not the plan. I felt guilty for being annoyed that there were people in my house cleaning it for me. But annoyed I was. I had been counting on a quick lunch, an early nap for the cranky kiddo, and a minute of quiet to calm my killer headache. I took a deep breath, counted to 5, and reworked my plan for the immediate future.

We needed lunch. We needed to get out of the house. We didn't need fast food. The only option that sprang to mind was the stroller so I grabbed some peanut butter and a few slices of watermelon and we headed to the park for an impromptu picnic lunch. Jonathan thought it was great fun to be able to get up and run around between bites and the dog got more than his usual share of Jonathan's lunch. Jonathan rallied while at the park and the dog didn't die of heat exhaustion. I even had fun. Plus I had the treat of coming home to a freshly cleaned house. I guess there is something to be said for being flexible and going with the flow.

beach

The key to surviving this miserable hot is to stay wet. We can see the outdoor pool from our front yard and Jonathan has started yelling "pool" every time we go outside. But the pool is closed on Wednesdays, so this week we took a mid-week adventure to the beach. Jonathan still isn't sure about the sand. He will move handfuls back and forth from the beach, his bucket, and his shovel. But then gets upset that he can't get it off of his hands. He was completely entertained with his reorganization of the sand and watching the waves that I had a nice chance to relax in my beach chair too!

The beach was exactly what we needed today.

slide

Jonathan's playground repertoire continues to expanded beyond sitting in the swing and commenting about the "balls" (sweet gum tree seed pods) he sees on the ground and every car that passes by. Our latest development is going up and down the slide completely by himself. (though he will not come down unless he can see me at the bottom)