Jun 26
Everyone,
So this week’s question of the week at the Multiples and More site is about backyards.
What transformation did your backyard undergo once you had your kids?
The short answer to this is: nothing. Really.
Why you ask?
We have no back yard. We have a deck. It’s not a very large deck. There’s a shed out there, and our air conditioner. We store things on it (the deck, not the air conditioner). It’s the dog’s domain.
Here, I found a very old picture.
Okay, Pirate is out in the snow. Yes, in his jammies. And Butterfly is shoveling. Yes, also in her jammies. I think she actually has boots on though because her jammies have no feet. Then there’s Professor looking on. Do you see how far open my sliding glass door goes?
Yes, that’s as far as it opens. True story. Mostly because we have a dog door stuck in there. Notice it on the left. And it is through that dog door that the kids got out that day to play in the snow. I was in the shower at the time. I suppose I should be grateful that it’s fenced, the snow was not bad, and they could come in whenever they wanted!
So yeah, that’s our backyard. And the only thing that has changed since we’ve had kids is that instead of the shed holding nothing, the shed is full of trikes and bikes and wagons.
It’s a good change.
Safire
Safireoutside house, questions
Mar 17
Everyone,
With weather in the upper 60s today, I figured we were all due for some serious outdoor play. So once we got Sister and Daddy off to work, and I cleaned up the deck (we have no yard, where else do you think the dog does her business?), we went out to play! The boys ran laps around our tiny little back yard. They opened the shed and begged me to get their bikes out. Or the wagon. Or something! They helped me sweep up the leaves that collected in the corners. They asked me at least 80 times what I was doing.
I was pruning our blueberry bushes. One is looking great! The other…well, it’s a sad little stick in a pot. BUT it is still green on the inside and hopefully a little water and sunshine will do it good. The plants spent the winter right up next to the house to keep the roots from freezing in the pots. Seems to have worked!
They ate lunch outside. Why do they eat twice as much outside as they do in? Food does taste better outside.
They both cried big tears when I brought them inside for naps.
When Sister came home from school, we went right outside and played! Well, Butterfly did. I wasn’t allowing the boys to go out because I needed to make dinner. Those boys need supervision. Butterfly happily decorated our sidewalks.
We spent an hour outside. They ran races. They threw rocks. They fought the tree. They dug in the dirt. The firemen and the ambulance was called to our street. We got an up close look at both the vehicles. A toddler boy’s dream! I talked to Butterfly about fire safety. She had a fire drill at school today and so I said we would have a fire drill at home sometime soon.
Juice came home. The kids ran around while Juice and I sat on our front step and talked. We were visited by our UPS man and he is the best guy.
Sadly, with all the outdoor play, I burned dinner. But it was somewhat salvageable. They ate a ton and dinner and are currently sleeping like, well, babies. Colds and all.
Tomorrow’s temperature is going to be in the mid 70s. What should we do?
Safire
PS- My mom got tickets to the Easter Egg Roll this year!! We are going!
SafireEaster Egg Roll 2011, outside Easter Egg Roll, outside
May 04
Everyone,
This morning was horrible. The kids were NOT listening, not being good, and trying to break things again. The boys had 4 or 5 time outs before 9am. I wanted to put them back into their beds and just call it a day after they put all their cereal in the dog water and then smeared it all over the walls.
There was no mommy time this morning. Meaning I didn’t get my exercise in for the day. I barely got into the shower when I heard screaming from the other side of the door. I actually like the screaming because then I know where they are. They are standing right outside the door, unhappy, but not getting into mischief.
Trouble makers.
When I had a moment to look at my email, I saw my friends from church were meeting at a park to play. I wrestled all three kids into clothes (Butterfly didn’t want to go. She was having “too much fun at hooommme!”) and shoved them in the car with water and snacks.
We stayed at the park for almost 3 hours. Butterfly cried when we got in the car to leave. She really wanted to go back to that park and play with her new friends. We had chicken nuggets for lunch with a friend. Butterfly spent most of the boys’ nap time outside running in the front yard with Soot. Then dinner. After, we spent another hour outside.
They stopped ruining the house. They stopped driving me crazy. They picked me wild flowers and discovered ants. Butterfly tried to climb trees and ran back and forth with Soot. It’s so much less stressful outside.
It would be good to remember sunscreen for me though. My nose is burned.
Safire
Safireoutside, play parks, time outs
Apr 06
Everyone,
The past few days have been absolutely beautiful outside. We’ve been spending as much of our days outside as we possibly can. I know the heat and humidity is going to show up. So we may as well play while we can!
The kids love it. They all have that sun kissed look and are sleeping like rocks through the night. We have been using those bubbles, the sidewalk chalk and exploring the beautiful spring items that come clutched in little kid paws. It’s also opened up a huge rush of vocabulary for Professor.
Flower!
Bee!
Leaf!
Airplane!
Rock!
Throw!
Turn!
Water!
Bike!
The boys get into a lot less trouble outside. They throw rocks in the road. They follow each other around and say “Weee!” They bring me little treasures. They sit next to me on the step and do everything that I do. It’s very cute.
Butterfly is wrapped up in her own little world and makes up elaborate games inside her head. Today she was Bolt and drug poor Soot around. She also made Soot sick, tried to give her medicine of grass and twigs, tried to do Soot’s hair with flowers, had Soot stand in the ‘snow’ and pretended that Soot was cold. I love having a dog for her.
Pirate is my instigator and loves to go out into the road, try to throw rocks at my car, and wants to jump off the steps. He also wants to pick all my flowers and do whatever Butterfly is doing. Busy boy!
Sometimes I take my computer out with me. Sometimes I just sit and watch them play and be amazed by them. Sometimes I carry them inside kicking and screaming because it’s nap time.
Today, we went out right after breakfast, came inside for a drink, went back out, had lunch outside, came in screaming for naps, and went back out after dinner for a walk with Daddy. I’d say that’s 80% of the day outside. I hope to continue to do that with them all week long.
Safire
PS- I won a year’s worth of web hosting from Twenty70Hosting! I spent several hours and emails back and forth to the owner about getting my brand new blog up and running. Seriously, if you’re looking for web hosting, go with these gals. They have been great. New blog reveal is getting closer!
Safireoutside, Professor talks
Jan 16
Everyone,
I’ve been working hard on the kids’ year videos. You know, pictures and movies set to music. I just finished Butterfly’s 3 year old video yesterday (yay!) and I realized that I have NO movies of her in it. Time to save up for a flip camera.
Juice went on a cleaning spree today. He vacuumed upstairs and down and decluttered our bedroom. I helped him with that one. It took us over 2 hours, 4 trips to the attic, and one really big bag of garbage but the floor is now decluttered. Next job, all the flat surfaces in there!
We finally pulled out all of our Little People that we put away to get ready for Christmas. I think the Christmas toys have been incorporated enough that we have the room for the rest of it. The kids are acting like it’s Christmas all over again. Love it!
My parents got the boys some little door frames for Christmas and Juice has built them a little house area. It’s so cute to see them ask each other to come in and cook and clean in there. Not so cute, the shoving out of the house. This is why we have two. Thanks Mom and Dad!
We all spent some much needed time at the park above our house this afternoon. It was 50 degrees today and none of us had coats on. We did have to drag Pirate into the house kicking and screaming though. That kid sure does love being outside!
Safire
Safirecleaning, daily stuff, outside, toys
