Being Outside

It is getting harder and harder to compete with the Spring sunshine. My kids are spending more and more time outside everyday.  It is getting very difficult to bring them inside to do any school work. They especially enjoy the days we head out to the park but are just as content to stay home and play in the yard or just go for a bike ride in the cul-de-sac. I think they just want to be outside getting plenty of sun.

I don't blame them. Why would you want to be stuck inside when the weather is so perfect. Why do math drills when you could be coasting down a hill on your bike or swinging on the monkey bars.

On our many rides and walks around the block the kids have been looking at all the spring flowers that are popping up everywhere. They are watching as the trees sprout their green leaves on branches that just the day before looked bare.

We had to make a trip to the dollar store to buy sidewalk chalk which is always one of my kids favorites. They have been busy drawing all over the driveway. There are a few racetracks as well as a very tall Indiana Jones mixed in with the Hopscotch and other markings.
For the last several days my kids have been excited as I have taught them what they call "old time games". I have shown them how to play hopscotch. Not just how to draw the hopscotch board on the sidewalk, but to really play it by throwing a pebble onto the numbers and skipping those numbers with the rock on it. We also brought out a jump rope and I turned it for them as they tried to jump in and get a few jumps. I have also taught them a few basketball hoop games like "pig" or "horse", and poison.

Molly of course can't be left out of the fun. She hears the laughter/ and often fighting coming from outside and feels she has to join her siblings. They left the door open one day and she quickly crawled to the door and then took a dive onto the doormat. She has a nice rug burn on her face after that fall. But we are trying to teach her how to turn around and go down the stairs backward. It is going to take some time. She loved the little car that I pulled out of the back. She was thrilled to be pushed around by the big kids.  I just had to remind them to not go too fast. These boys can't seem to do anything slowly, it always has to be at full speed.  Sophie is very good about watching Molly as she crawls around getting very chalky.  Molly is all grins while she is out playing with the kids.

So much for doing school. We are itching to be out in the sun. Sophie has already told me she can't wait until we get to go to the beach again. I guess they are ready for Summer to be here already too.