Using the Yard

After all of our hard work on our yard, we are able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labor during this long-awaited summer. Like most of the country, we've had a cold, sometimes freezing spring, and summer has been taking its sweet time about arriving. We'll get a couple days of 80-degree heat only to have the grey clouds return and shower us with raindrops and leave a chill in the air. Even Independence Day was patchy--we wore jackets during the Groeners' barbecue! But before I delve into a post about the holiday weekend, here I am catching up on some of the fun we've been having outdoors.
On the day his Nonna left town last weekend, Alton was sporting his "I Love Nonna" t-shirt, and needed some sandbox TLC to console himself after her departure.

Lots of scooping and dumping with his shovel.

The bucket is full now!

Another evening, we were basking in mid-afternoon sunshine and decided that it was perfect weather to grill our dinner outside and eat on the patio tables. While Mommy was getting everything ready, Daddy kept Alton busy away from the hot grill by (what else?) starting up a photo session. Here Alton poses for a hydration shot...

but then he turns the tables on Andy and asks to take a photograph himself! If you click on the picture below, you can see it larger and view the reflection in Andy's sunglasses: Andy is supporting the camera body with his hands, and Alton's little face is behind the viewfinder and pressing the shutter button!

He spies through a different viewfinder: his periscope!

He loves the bench next to the sandbox and treats it like his new secret hideout. He stands there, has his snack there, requests Mommy and Daddy to take a load off there, etc.

A quick pose on the stepladder...

and it's time for dinner! He gives an enthusiastic thumbs-up to Mommy, who is bringing out plates and the rest of the food.

Alton sits be-bibbed and patiently awaiting his meal. Tonight we grilled salmon on the bbq, roasted some potatoes with fresh rosemary from the garden (in the oven), and enjoyed big fresh heads of broccoli from our CSA.

Happy (hungry!) little guy, demolishing his food. (Note that the salmon is already gone. Me want meat!)

We also played backyard host to a family potluck for our toddler playgroup. Nearly 20 parents and 10 children gathered in our yard for a close-knit gathering and inaugural playtime with friends on the playset and other yard toys. Below, Alton (center) hangs out with two buddies at his water table.

Much of the party was spent like this: two or three kids on top of the fort, two or three in the sandbox, two or three at the water table, two or three roaming around eating potato chips. Insert parents as necessary.

Alton demonstrates successful chip-eating technique for the par-tay.

We love having our little cousin friend in the same playgroup as us! Here *P shows you where she spent most of the party: in the sandbox. She was elated with the play structure and happy to see the water table, but could not get enough of the sandbox!

The 3 and Under crew take a break for dinner.

Alton was such a sweetheart about having all his friends over. He didn't mind sharing all of his wealth of fun toys with the crowd, but occasionally seemed to require a little bit of privacy from the overwhelming legion of kiddos. He absconds to his favorite spot underneath the playset on the sandbox bench.

For a little while he even went inside to drive his Tonka dump truck around.

Toward the end of the night, he got some one-on-one time with his little buddies.

Adorable cousin bookend shot. Andy was beaming from all the compliments he received from the other parents on the play structure he built. As for compliments from the kids...the proof is in the pudding! They loved the playset and never stopped having fun on it!

Whew, that's a lot of fun! Alton, how are you doing?