inked

since it has pretty hot (for here), i decided that the kids and i would just have a relaxing morning at home today. we started with a trip to the park before it got too hot for it to be fun.

we have been working with madelyn on riding her tricycle and scooter because she has close to no interest in them. she practices on the sidewalk in front of the house and has been making real progress. she has even been asking to ride them to the park. we have been a little hesitant because there is a pretty good hill on our way to the park and we weren't sure she could make it.

today when she suggested that she ride her scooter to the park i said, "yes". she actually made it three houses down but started to complain about her leg hurting as soon as we started up the steeper part of the hill. let's just say that the rest of our trip to the park was made up of crying, 'breaks', walking the scooter, dragging the scooter, and "i want my daddy" (because daddy would just carry it for her and probably carry her too). i told her that we could rest for a little bit and then keep going, but she chose to 'ride' her scooter. once we got within view of the park she perked right up because there were other kids there. we had fun for a while and then headed home because both kids were pretty red faced and it was time for mason's nap. the trip home was filled with everything the trip there was except she added actually carrying her scooter. i am proud to say that she got it there and back under her own power.

(i took this picture because mason had both feet up relaxing in the wagon on the walk home like he was sunning himself poolside and madelyn was sweating and crying carrying her scooter. mason took one of his feet down when i stopped to take the picture.)

after some quick water refreshment, i put mason down for his nap and madelyn and i headed out to cool off in the pool (well, i just got splashed). then back in for lunch and getting everything ready for the start of my workday.

mason went back down for another nap and madelyn and i headed down to the office. she spent time drawing and tracing her hand on a pad of paper. she was giving me each master piece after it was complete. when i went up to get mason from his nap she came up after me and said that she had put the drawings up high so mason couldn't get them. once i was done nursing mason i headed back down to see just what she meant. she had licked (i am guessing) the paper so that it would stick to the wood and glass of the french doors to the office. i have no idea how she knew to do that!

i guess the paper got a little boring because she drew "mommy, daddy, mason, and baby madelyn" on her arm (they/we are just heads with faces).

and then while watching the movie cars during my meeting she colored in her belly button. she did a pretty neat job so i didn't notice at first and when i asked her about it she had no idea what i was talking about.madelyn and mason were such good buddies today too. madelyn even called out from the playroom that "mommy! me and mason are playing together!" while i was making dinner.

i was trying to get a picture of mason's gap in his teeth today, but i think you can see it in this picture if you click to enlarge it. matt agrees with me by the way about the gap. his two front teeth are definitely spacing like he is going to keep a gap.

this picture is of him happily shaking a toy (one of his favorite activities) after dinner. note the messy hair from him styling it during dinner. mason just has a thing for rubbing his hair with his food. love.