We're all about picnics

Lately Tyson's business has been so busy that he hasn't had much time to go grocery shopping or fix dinner. As I'm at work all day, sometimes we just don't have anything in the house to eat. We've started having picnics occasionally to get out of the house and have a simple meal. Afterwards the kids get to run off their excess energy, so it is a win-win situation.

Fireflies

I had our monthly Cub Scout pack meeting tonight. Usually I go by myself but tonight's activity was a picnic dinner at a nearby park, and everyone brought their families. I zipped home from work, packed a dinner in about 5 minutes and loaded everyone into the car. BittyBit spent most of the evening chasing LittleMan and trying to keep him from running off into the woods (she's such a good big sister!).After dinner the Scouts distributed Popsicles to everyone. BittyBit ate hers like she eats everything. Extremely slowly, which meant that most of it dripped down her hand and she was still eating it when we went off with the group to see the world's-most-something-or-other Bur Oak. I don't remember if it was the oldest or the tallest or thickest or whatever, but it was huge.
The kids also ran around catching fireflies. BittyBit had finished her Popsicle by this time but her hands were coated in sugary drips, so I told her not to catch the fireflies with her hands. She was a little disappointed but compliant. Instead she picked up a stick and gently eased it underneath the fireflies when they came close enough. She actually had several that landed on the stick and she was able to observe them closely.

Scarborough Faire

We finally made it back out to Scarborough Faire for the first time since the kids were born. Rex, Teresa, and Brittany joined us and we all had a great time, in spite of the heat. We saw quite a few of the shows and Tyson and the kids got to ride a camel.
The park entrance.
This tree man kind of freaked the kids out. He was on stilts and stood about 9 feet tall.
LittleMan goofing around at the Falcon show.
Part of the parade.
A fairy in the parade.
Waiting in line for the camels.
Camel ride.
Cousins.

Hall bath floor

We've been working on more home improvement projects. On May 9, Tyson and I decided to take up the indoor/outdoor carpet in the hall bath and scrape the paint off of the floor so that we could lay new tile over the floor. BittyBit wanted to help, so we let her go behind us with the trashcan and pick up all of the scraps of paint as we peeled and scraped them off of the tile.
This past week Rex and Tyson cut and installed the travertine tile.

This morning...

BittyBit: Mom, do horses have birthdays?
Me: I suppose they do, but they don't know to keep track of them.
BittyBit: They could have an apple on their birthday because horses can't have cake.

BittyBit: Can ducks fly?
Mom: Yes.
BittyBit: Penguins can fly too...if they are in a helicopter. But they can't fly when they are waddling around on the ground.

"I did it!"

The other day BittyBit came running into our bedroom in the morning and said, "Mom, Dad, he did it!" To which we warily asked what her little brother had done. "Well, I told him, 'just put one foot up, now the other', and he did it, he climbed out of his bed!" Needless to say Tyson and I were not nearly as excited for LittleMan's achievement as his sister was. But we were very proud of her for encouraging her brother and being kind to him. If we can only direct this energy into more productive activities...

Tyson went into LittleMan's room right after this to witness him trying to shove his blanket and toys back into his crib. When he saw Tyson, LittleMan threw both of his hands above his head and shouted, "I did it!"