But I will tell you one thing. Melting snow is just ugly. No it really is. However, I am thankful because it was beginning to look like we lived on some glacier, and now it looks like we live on mud with dead grass. And another thing while I am on a roll. I took down the outside holiday decorations today. It makes me laugh out loud to think that I still had them up this long. And no I don't have some giant Santa or my house covered in lights on all open surfaces, just a garland and a snowman, but still, that is no excuse. What is an excuse is the frigid temperatures that we were having for a bit. You know I am not going outside to take out Christmas Lights in that. The 11 o'clock news would say, 'Woman frozen to front porch while attempting to take down her Christmas lights at the end of January,' and there would be my kids, crying, 'we told Daddy not to make her do it....' Kidding. But in all honesty, that man doesn't do Christmas Lights, Clark Griswald, he is not. And as much as I complain about him not doing the outside lights, I really think he is doing himself a favor. I can see myself out there on the front lawn, 'Really? You really think that looks good? Seriously? Colored lights are super tacky. That is way crooked. No, no, nope, you are not lining the walkway with Elves that light up!' And I would all sprawl myself across the walkway so he couldn't do it. He would then banish me inside to only have me hanging out the windows screaming, 'You are wasting your time, I am just going to take them all down and do it my way tomorrow anyway!' I am that anal. So in due respect the one that puts them up, takes them down. I am so sorry neighbors and this association we are in, but I just couldn't do it, and that will just have to do.
As you can see, and as I am sure you did see if you live near us or in like Hawaii or some place totally awesome like that, the weather did promote a clean up if you will. I did open the windows and air the joint out. And we did go on walks.
Tell me why I subject myself to them? Really. Because we get on the scooters, in the stroller, dog on leash, set location, and you just know that on the way back you will have children presenting themselves as physically dying. It's just 1/4 of a mile, but on the return flight, without fail, scooters are strewn across the path, children throw themselves to the ground rolling around in agony like I just ran them over. But this time I tell them. 'You quit, I keep on going, you want to go to the path, then we are going to the path, just keep in mind that we are coming back from the path too.' Fully aware that these children are going to lose it, oh about half way on the way back. 'We promise Mommy, we will come all the way back.' Then they see me hooking Stan up to the leash...'No! No! Don't bring him, he gets all tangled up, stops and pees on everything.' I tell them, 'Stanley needs the fresh air too, this is what he is doing, that is just animal cruelty to leave him behind. This is what dogs do, they go on walks.'
So we are off, not 2 minutes into it and Stanley has wrapped himself around the stroller 6 times and is lifting his leg to pee on it. 'Told ya Mommy...' Just to prove them wrong I say, 'No it's my fault I was walking and got in circles and got Stan all wrapped up, and gave him a lot to drink before we left and he just as to pee,' while giving him a sharp tug on the leash. Off again. Racing through puddles, into mud, into slush, oh but the laughter is just wonderful...maybe we will make it back.
Spoke too soon. 'No wait up Kendall, my shoes are too slippery to go fast, this is terrible, I can't keep up, she is leaving me!!!!!!!!!!!' Like she is going to a bus stop and heading west and it ain't waitin for him. She is literally 500 feet in front of us. I tell him to snap together, like I said, Mommy leaves people behind on this walk, buck up. Ethan also has this thing about sharing the sidewalk with other people. He needs his own space in all directions, so if someone is coming the other way, he can't just go right or left and keep moving. He has to stop, pick up the scooter or bike, move it off of the trail about 10 feet and stand there next to it until the person gets to the point to where he stopped and had gone past him at least 50 feet. I have tried to guide him through this, gave him the whole, just move over, you can both have enough room. We practice with Kendall, and as she is coming he screams, 'No!!!!!!! She is going to run into me and break my arm!!!!!' And he pushes the thing his riding violently out of the way and does a dive roll onto the grass.
Kendall pointing out a super fast motorcycle to E...he loves superfast motorcycles...he will never ever ride one.
We finally reach the path and they need to take a break. It's that serious. So we sit down on the path, get out the water bottles, because Kendall packed them for our walk around the corner, and we sit. When I think the time is appropriate we attempt to head back. Kendall is racing ahead, Ethan is telling me that he thinks he hurt his 'really big leg muscles,' and can't ride the scooter. I tell him that I will put the scooter in the stroller basket but that he is to walk, and that if his sister has any objections and wants to get off her scooter too, then he is to get back on his, and ride it home, there is not enough room and sanity for 2 scooters. 'Ok Mom, but look at Kendall, she is having so much fun.' 
We get to a point in the walk where there is a sort of water underpass thing and Ethan stops to look at it. 'It's like a giant river!!' Really it is a creek, with a trickle. I tell him that it is just from all the snow melting from the warm weather and that it is flowing all together to go to the water basin so that the houses don't flood. I point to the water basin, so on and so forth. Kendall comes speeding back to us. 'What is going on.' The professor starts in, 'Well Kendall, this big river is from the snow melting, and it goes under the road into that basket over there, and sits there for the ducks to swim in. And if we didn't have that basket over there our houses would float away.' Nicely put.
Surprisingly turning 5 also means that you can ride your scooter 1/4 of a mile. Could be that it was the first time of the season, and the fresh air took over her salty brain activity and she was joyful and obedient. I am hoping its turning 5. We will see in about 30 minutes when we head out again.
I love this shot and laugh out loud everytime. She thought she was going to run into the stroller she was 'going so so fast!'
I hope that you enjoyed your Friday, windows opened or closed. I tell you what, who couldn't enjoy it with the Nugget looking all cute. You really didn't need a hat, but I mean come on, look at him in that hat.
Wants to know if Mama wants a snack...a little boy after my heart.
Attempt at a group photo during our 'rest,' did not go over too well now that the Nugget is mobile. He doesn't really get the whole sit still thing anymore, and thus shall be the next 20 years.
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