The Great (BIG) Outdoors

Fellow Arizonans know that there are MANY days of the year where it is simply too hot to be outside for any long period of time. However, this time of year, we haven't quite reached that too-hot-ness yet. In fact, the weather right now, on the last few days of March and early April are actually quite beautiful. Especially at about 4:30 in the afternoon...So perfect in fact, that I almost feel like I'd be doing the babies a disservice if I DIDN'T take them outside. So up until Brian spread cow crap (okay, fertilizer) in the backyard, I had gotten into the routine of having our late afternoon snack and then spreading the blanket out in the grass, with their picnic table, a few toys and of course, the babies. :)

And they just play.

They play by themselves.

They play with their brother(s) and sister.

They play with their mommy.

And all the while, I sit back and marvel at how BIG they're getting. When did they become so independent? When did they actually learn toy preferences and how to crawl? When did they learn how to walk around the picnic table?

It was becoming one of my favorite times of the day (until we were banned from the yard, which, don't misunderstand....I'm THRILLED at the thought that our grass might become green again!) It's just a fun time to sit back and watch. They're so different and yet, in many ways, they're so similar.

Colton just wants to explore. He wants to figure out where all the toys are and how to get all the way around the table even if it means his bare toes have to walk on crunchy grass. He loves to catch and throw any ball to you, and he's good at it! And, he pretty much just wants to take whatever anyone else has. Oh well...whad'ya gonna do?

Ethan, on the other hand is still a minimalist crawler. I don't know if he just feels overshadowed by Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum and therefore is content to just sit idly by and watch them. That seems to be the case, though it fits his M.O. He's done everything last, just on his own time, and I'm perfectly okay with that. I will say that it is hard not to want to compare all three, but I put myself back in my teacher shoes and I tell myself the same thing I have told MANY a parent over the years...do not compare one child to the other. They are different people. They will likely do things differently their whole lives. Just because one child was reading at age 3 does not mean that the one who is just barely showing an interest at age 5 is any less intelligent. They're just different and that is OKAY. But Ethan is darn funny. That kid has a sense of humor. If you stick your tongue out at him and blow raspberries, he laughs and does it right back. It is so funny! And things that spin are Ethan's best friends. Toys with spinners, cars with wheels that spin, you name it. He will become consumed with these. The funniest part though, and it's really funnier in person, is that he spins things not with his whole hand, but always with his middle finger. He's so darn dainty about it, you can't help but laugh!

Hunter is just looking for trouble and she usually finds it when she follows Colton. She still does her low crawl and though she has now successfully done a normal high crawl, she still greatly prefers the low crawl. So again, whad'ya gonna do? She gets from point A to point B- and FAST! She is the funniest little girl. She loves to play peek-a-boo (still) and totally gets our sense of humor. She knows when she's being funny and loves it when she gets a funny reaction. On that same note however, she has become increasingly sensitive to others "mocking" or "laughing at" her. She immediately wrinkles her face, lowers her head and then cries. It's really quite sad, and yet, at the same time I just find it fascinating that she would have picked up on this so young. Either way, she is a love bug. She is a clapper and a dancer!

In fact, while we're outside playing, I always put on the CD player with some upbeat popular tunes (LaBamba, Celebration Time, Shake your Booty, ) etc. and all three babies bounce to the beat! They are SO much FUN! So anyhoo, enough of my ramblings. Here are some pictures of our big outdoor adventures.

Watching them interact with one another is priceless..

Brothers

We live right near the Air Force Base so helicopters and planes are always flying over. Hunter was noticing a Blackhawk...Brian would be so proud.

Ethan Bear

They're all watching Piper run around the yard. How they love that dog...

I believe this is Brian at age 1. For real. There's no mistaking this is his son.

Today, she's content to play alone with her school bus.

So everyone will stop worrying, i FINALLY put new "Hunter Olivia" letters on her helmet tonight!

Bubba.

Big Foot Colton

Peek-a-BOO!

So Ethan has been blowing raspberries for months now, but Colton never has. In fact, because the muscles in his upper lip were basically sewn together, I wasn't even sure he COULD wrinkle that lip, because we'd never seen it. Until this day. I don't know what prompted it, but all of a sudden he started wrinkling up his lip and nose and making the funniest face ever. I grabbed the camera, but didn't really get the funniest shot I wanted....

Here goes...

working up to it...
And there it is!

Oh how cute! He's holding on to his little sister...

No no. He's obsessed with the button on her sleeve. See where's he touching it?

BUSTED!

Look at that. He's already been busted and even that didn't stop him from trying to BITE the button!!

What a cornball. And she just let him.

And Sweet little Ethan just sat by and watched.... :)

Those are our adventures in the BIG outdoors.

And that's 2 down, 28 to go!