Backyard Fun

I'll admit before Hunter's birthday he had esentially no outside toys. Our backyard was the least cool on the block...or the city...maybe even the metroplex.

Post-2nd year birthday, the outside play options are endless.

Grandee and Poppy got Hunter this awesome swing set for his birthday...

Hunter loves sliding the most right now......but I think once I get some sand for the sand pit area underneath and a toddler swing to replace one of the big swings, he'll love it even more. And if not, James will force him to play on it everyday anyway since it took him FIVE DAYS to put it together. We're all really excited and thankful to have it, except could someone explain this to me...

The advertisement calls this a chalkboard. Yes it does. And the picture on the box? Yeah. It has an actual chalk board on it. What? Um...excuse me Toys R Us, what kind of rip off is that? Hunter doesn't seem too upset at this point, so I'll refrain from recruiting Laura to write a letter to the company letting them know exactly how false that advertising is.

Hunter also has tons of bubbles and sidewalk chalk and balls outside now...all of which he adores and would play with all day if his mom could tolerate being outside that long. Tonight he chose the sidewalk chalk first...

When I asked what he was drawing he promptly said, "Elmo."I don't know about y'all, but I totally see the resemblance. My child did not, however, and grew very upset that his picture did not turn out like Elmo. So he handed me the chalk - he hasn't yet discovered that art isn't one of my fine points - and told me to draw Elmo. Here's what he got...I really can't see much of a difference between that and his attempt, but he was really excited and clearly recognized my stick figure as the best Elmo ever drawn.

We also moved some of his older toys outside since there was so much more room out there...

...well that and those wheels cause much less harm to my floors when they are outside. Hunter was having so much fun that we took the truck to the front where we realized that he'd probably be better off with a Big Wheel. BUT do y'all remember this?He's finally enjoying that truck, so why would I go out now and replace it...even if his legs are painfully long to be riding on it?Right after this picture was taken, Hunter looked sternly at me, pointed to my camera and exclaimed, "ALL DONE!" So the picture taking stopped for the evening, but I can't leave y'all without a picture of my favorite backyard toy......the Jump-o-lene! No, it's not a swimming pool. It's a toddler trampoline! Now if I weighed 30 pounds, I'd totally be tearing it up on that thing every day.

Y'all come over and play sometime! We are sooo the coolest - and most fun - family in town!