A Beautiful, Fun Summer Day

Occasionally I have moments where I'm taken aback by just how lucky I am, and how amazing it is that I have these two little boys to share my days with. I had one of those moments this afternoon. We had a few errands to run, and after that was done, we stopped at DD and I got a nice, tall iced coffee, and we got a couple of bagels to share. 

For a change of scenery, instead of going to the park, we went to the gazebo across from the town beach and sat there and had our snack. They ran around giggling and screeching, and as I watched them run across the grass, the sun was shining and the sky was blue, and I could see them talking to each other as they ran, and I was completely overcome with gratitude. My life is very full, and I am so, so thankful for that. 

Our morning was pretty full, too. We had our luau playdate, and the weather cooperated wonderfully. It was warm and sunny and dry, and the kids had a blast playing outside and eating all sorts of yummy snacks. 

Gabe tried out the grass skirts before our guests arrived - 

And then I got them both decked out in their Hawaiian clothes - 

I think they looked pretty adorable - as did all the other kids. It was a fun, festive morning, and I'm glad we were able to have the playdate outside. Cleanup after an outdoor playdate is soooo much easier. Who cares about spilled juice and crumbs? It's a feast for the birds and the squirrels! 

As obsessed as Gabe has been with his Thomas the Tank Engine laptop lately, Dante has been slightly obsessed with a little baby toy that someone left at our house months ago at a playdate. Nobody's claimed it yet, so it's just been sitting in a basket in the dining room, and Dante discovered it the other day and has been dragging it around with him everywhere. It plays a little song, and he and Gabe dance to it - it's really goofy. But Dante is always asking for his "baby toy." I'm curious to see how long this lasts. He gets really attached to things, but aside from his yellow blanket, most of the stuff falls out of favor after a while. Hopefully nobody will step up and claim this lost baby toy before Dante is 'done' with it! 

Last night we went outside to play after dinner, and Gabe was playing with his airplane launcher toy that Grammy and Grampy got him, and Dante was sitting at their little picnic table watching him. And every time that Gabe launched the airplane, Dante clapped very politely, and a few times said "great job, Gabe!" It was like Gabe was putting on a little show for him, and he was playing the part of a very appreciative audience. 

Dante is seriously in the terrible twos, though. Lots of screaming and whining and some major defiance. And he's getting even more mischievous, too. 

The other night when I was putting him to bed, I had him all covered up, and he kicked his foot out from under the blanket and said "cover up my foot, Mommy." 

I covered up his foot, and as I turned to walk out of the room, he lifted his leg up so his knee was sticking out of the blanket and said "cover up my knee, Mommy." And yes, he was smirking as he said it.  

I could see where this was going, so I went over and covered him up one last time, and told him that it was bedtime and he needed to go to sleep, and I wasn't going to come back in to keep covering him up. 

He answered, with a mix of resignation and impatience,  "Okaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy!" 

Two, going on sixteen..... 

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[Wes]

Somebody is wrapped around somebody's finger ;-)