The Great Outdoors

The task of baby (or toddler) proofing your house is a daunting one. Not only do you have a lot of decisions to make about what you want your kid to be able to explore and what is definitely off-limits to him (if we keep the bathroom door shut, will he ever really be able to get in the cabinets under the sink?? Oops, that is a yes.), but babyproofing can also prove to put a dent in your checking account. Our most expensive babyproofing job to date was to fence-in the back yard. Yes, we have two small dogs, and yes, we live in alligator country, but it wasn't until Avery started darting off towards the wetlands behind our house that we decided a fence was an absolute must (sorry dogs, you are pretty low on the priority list around here). While we have had our fence since June, we haven't been able to play in the backyard very much because of the unbearably hot and humid summer. And now that it is finally cooling off a bit (because 88 degrees is a much more reasonable temperature to play outside in), we still can't utilize the beautiful fenced-in backyard because of the fire ants that have decided to set up camp in many places in our yard. After I discovered the ants the hard way (let's just say that my chance of becoming a foot model is officially over), we have been banned to the front yard until Phil sends the ants an eviction notice and a bill for rent for the past 3 months. This means that from 6 to 7pm every night, you can find Avery running incessantly up and down the sidewalk on our street, hollering at the top of his lungs and socializing with our neighbors, while Phil and I are lumbering behind sweating our butts off and cursing our decision to live in the south. But hey, whatever helps him sleep past 7am is fine with me.

Avery shares his train while he takes a stab at riding a tricycle...legs need to be a little bit longer, bud.

One night, Avery insisted on dragging his pool float up and down the sidewalk. Yes, he occasionally would stop to rest...while sitting in the float.
Rain rocks. It's free and entertains your child for an endless period of time. Sidenote: many people are going to get wet.