Outside

After a brutally hot summer we are finally enjoying some comfortable temperatures for playing outside here in Maryland. Lately we've been going to at least one of the parks in our neighborhood every day. Last week Don and I took everyone for a walk in the late afternoon, only to be caught in an intense downpour. The rain stopped as soon as we turned around to head home, but a perfect rainbow made the sogginess worthwhile.

Today we went out after lunch - not our usual time slot but it proved to be the best weather of the day, and everyone had fun in the warm sunshine.

Amy has gained a lot of confidence on the playground. She is now an expert climber and hanger, and LOVES swinging. Still won't go down the slide though.

William has been getting in on the action recently, and he does quite well in the baby swing, with a blanket to keep him from flopping forward. He loves it! (That doesn't look like a happy face in the picture below, but trust me, it was.)

When he'd had enough of swinging it was back to the stroller to watch the wind rustle the leaves for a bit...

Then a nap snuck up on him, and I finally got a picture of the pinkie-sucking. This is the best, as far as I'm concerned. Amy never sucked her thumb or found a lovey or anything, so I'm delighting in W's self-soothing abilities. And he's just so stinkin' cute when he does it...

Incidentally, these are all cell-phone pictures. I do NOT have a fancy phone or fancy camera "apps," but the phone is always there and I'm just starting to remember that I can use it to capture some of these spontaneous, out-of-the-house moments that make up so much of our days. Expect more of this genre!