Field Day

Due to lots of rain, Field Day had to be moved inside at Old Union.  The kids didn't seem to mind one bit.  Ryland's favorite activity was the blowing baseball inflatable.  I think he was liking the response from the line of boys watching him cream the ball over and over.  He would then go the back of the line to wait for another turn, all while giggling when his friends couldn't hit the ball. 

Reed and Ridley got in on the action too.  They chased bean bags that were launched off the foot stomper.

Even though it was disappointing not to play at the stadium, these Dragons made the best of a fun day at school.

Build-O-Rama Round 2

It's Wednesday, and it is time to build.  Today, Ryland and Reed built houses.  They decided to connect them with a tree bridge, so they could visit one another.  I asked if they were planning on living like this when they grew up, and Ryland informed me that they were planning on living with me.

Reed was a typical camera hog, and he wanted to pose for multiple pictures.  He cracks me up, because he will pose and then want to look at the pictures of himself.  

Couch potatoes

The heat has been a real bummer this summer. It has been constantly over 100F with no rain for well over a month. We spend a ton of afternoons playing inside, because it is just too darn hot to play outside. I know Ryland loves playing out in the yard, and I don't worry about him too much because he drinks a lot of water when he is outside. I worry more about Reed.

We decided to watch a movie and snack on popcorn this afternoon. I found Hanny Manny on Fios on demand, and we all hung out on the sofa for an hour. We talked and giggled throughout the movie, but Ryland can tell you what every single tool on the show is called. Hammer, screwdriver, tape measure, etc. I think the remodeling of our home has made a little impact.

Afternoon fun

One of our new favorite places to play is Reed's room. Ryland is drawn to Reed's basket of baby toys and loves to empty the basket in the floor. I told him that he can play with Reed's toys, but he has to show Reed how to play with them. Ryland is really great about showing the toys to Reed and telling him what they are. I ran to grab the camera and capture the fun moment. I know it looks like just a bunch of toys on the floor, but the boys are all there.
When Ryland saw the camera, he decided it was time to play photographer. He started snapping a few shots. This is the floor shot of Reed, Cooper, and some toys.

The toy basket, camera strap, and part of a soft animal book.

I asked him to take some pictures of me and baby Reed.

Mommy and Reed posing for a photo.

Mommy reading Reed a book.

Mommy showing Reed a rattle.

Thanks Ryland for snapping some great shots. You proved that I really do exist, at least partially.

Tree house

Our play group met at a church in north Ft. Worth to play in their indoor tree house. The church has a large open area about 2 or 3 stories tall that has a huge play area. It is shaped like a massive tree house with places to climb and slides to get back down. It was a little over Ryland's ability to climb without assistance, so he played in the younger kiddo area most of the morning.

I think this little tractor had something to do with the liking of the little play area. It was about 85 degrees in this room, but Ryland was having a blast "working".

Building a blanket fort

What tops off the perfect family Friday night? A blanket fort, of course. John Chris mentioned building a fort a couple weeks back, but with everything that has been going on we just haven't found the time. After swimming, grilling, and playing, we all gathered blankets, sheets, and pillows in the upstairs den. Ryland thought the sofa with no pillows was pretty cool, and he was convinced that it was now a trampoline.

Dad started draping the sheets for the roof of the fort, while Ryland played peek a boo.

Explanation for this picture. Ryland loves any kind of cord, cable, wire, etc. We keep extra computer cables, phone chargers, and so on in a basket in the entertainment center. Ryland has found this basket of fun and loves to empty the basket and walk around with one of the cables. So odd, and I promise the child has toys. He just thinks the cables are more fun. We only let him play with them while he is with us, and I plan on hiding the basket.

Fort building was a success. Ryland is one happy little boy that can't stop giggling.

Playgroup at Jump Zone

Our weekly play group was held at Jump Zone today. Ryland and I had a blast.

They have a Sesame Street inflatable for kids that are under 3, and moms MUST jump with their children. I have to admit I was pretty pumped!

Ryland having a blast!

After Ryland got bored with the small inflatable, he decided he would wonder over to the big kid area. I couldn't resist. He really wanted to go on a big one, so we did. We laughed and giggled as we slid down the slide.

A ride on the see saw finished off the fun. I don't think Ryland will even make it home before he falls asleep. We are sure to come back and play another day. We love Jump Zone!

Hiding

Ryland has really started to play hide and seek these days. He figured out my crappy childproofing on the entertainment cabinet, and he loves to try to get in it.

I play along with his hiding even though I can still clearly see him, and I shout boo when he opens the cabinet.

When I loaded these pictures and went back through them, this started to look a little like a peep show. Where are his pants?

BOUNCE

It's Friday, and that means it is time to BOUNCE at the library. Ryland and I had a fun time playing with the toys and visiting with our friends.

Better watch out! These two are pretty silly when they get together.

Once again my Blackberry camera can't keep up with Ryland's fast speed. He is a blur.

I signed Ryland up for the summer reading program at the library. We check out a few books each week and turn in our tickets to win prizes. All Ryland really wanted was their balloon. They have a cute little room set up for the program, and the theme is Piggy related thus the "Oink 4bks" license plate above. It is very cute and has been fun.

Fireplace fun

Ryland loves to follow Cooper around house. One of Cooper's favorite places to relax in on the fireplace hearth. It is now one of Ryland's favorite places to climb.

Knocking blocks on the glass.

Whew! That was fun! Ryland takes a break to have a cup of yummy milk.

Joining the circus

I finally caught the little monkey in action this morning. He is all about climbing these days.

I don't think this is illustrated in the alphabet train owners' manual. In fact I am pretty sure it says to sit. Oh well. You have live a little. Ryland likes to stand on the train and put blocks in the engine.
Ringling Bros will be calling soon.

Still

Ryland is still loving the pool. It hasn't seen any water or outside yet, and it is already a huge hit.

Fun in the frog pool

I picked up this inflatable splash pool for Ryland, so he could play in a little water without getting in the pool. I couldn't even get it blown up before he was jumping and laying on it. I think he will love it on a hot day because it has a little bit of shade. We will see.