Trees

 

We are in the middle of another house project run again, but this time they are all pretty minor.  One of them being the trees in the backyard.  The previous owner planted a trio of crepe myrtles, and we would like to have the extra space to play ball or run.  We have a master plan for the backyard, and it is without 2 of the crepe myrtles.  We plan to add trees on the right side of the yard to make a more secluded courtyard feel.  John Chris was on a roll this afternoon, so he cut them down.  I have to admit I do feel a little exposed, but I know it will look great in the long run.

 

 

The boys loved to help, and they were right in the middle of all the cut branches.  Ryland had his little men climbing all around, and Reed loved helping me clean up. 

 

Sunday

John Chris's parents left today, and as always they were a tremendous help. While visiting this time they cleaned out the gutters, repaired a downspout, repaired exterior light fixtures, caught a salamander, helped with flowers, and several other household chores. Thank you!
Proving that Ryland can throw a fit when it is time for a nap.

One thing that always cheers Ryland up is Cooper. Ryland loves him so much. They love to roll around and wrestle, and Cooper is so patient and kind to Ryland.

Watering the plants

It has been incredibly hot here over the past few days, and our plants are really parched. John Chris has been watering them in the evening in hopes of saving them all. Ryland inched his way over to completely taking over this activity tonight.


Dad's little helper. He thinks he is a big boy, so John Chris finally just gave him the hose.

Ryland listened to Daddy's coaching on where to point the hose and which plants needed a little more water.

Sweeping

Ryland is quite the little helper when it comes to sweeping. He loves to play with the broom and attempt to clean the floors. It takes a little longer when he helps, but it makes him so happy.

Animal visit goes crazy

I will start by saying I should have known better.......

It was pretty outside this afternoon, so I thought we could go for a walk. I put Ryland in his wagon, Cooper on his leash, and grabbed a bag of carrots for the animals. We walked to the front of the community and across the street to see the animals. As soon as Cooper knew where we were going, he started walking a little faster and got out in front of us. He was practically dragging us.

We parked the wagon on the side of the road, and we walked up to the fence. The animals came right over to us. The carrots must have really been tasty to them. We could not feed them quick enough. This was the first time I have let Ryland touch and feed the miniature horses, and he laughed like crazy. Cooper was a bit jealous that the other animals were getting fed, so we had to give him a few carrots.

Everything went just fine until we got ready to head home. I pulled the wagon back to the side of the road and put Ryland inside. My cell phone rang and spooked the horses. Off they went running down the fence. Cooper took off after them, yanking the leash out of my hand. I tried backing the wagon down the hill to grab Cooper, but he would not come to me. He just ran and barked at the horses. Ryland started screaming with excitement! I tried calling Cooper back, but he was uninterested. Come on, I thought to myself. Why did I do this?

About that time a police car pulls up. The officer pulls up and asked if I was OK. I told him yes, and that I was just trying to wrangle a toddler, wagon, and a crazy dog. He called in a "citizen assistance". He parked the car and chased Cooper down for me. He thought it was hilarious. I am thankful he came along, but I was a little embarrassed. Oh well.

Citizen assistance. I will have to remember that one.

Little helper

Ryland is a great little helper, and he likes playing with the dishwasher. I load the dishes, and he unloads. The only problem is that he doesn't wait to run the dishwasher before he starts unloading. Now, the dishes have to be loaded in super speed. At least it is proof that a guy can help with the dishes!

Laundry helpers

Ryland and Cooper are not big laundry helpers! I guess they were bored to naps. Typical boys!