We spent the day

OUTSIDE today! I got up the energy (hahaha) to rake leaves around the playset so we can go out there without sitting in the wet leaves-- well the kids that sit anyway :) I got about 5 trashcans full of leaves before lunch. That was a lot of work!

Then lunch, naps, and back outside. This time I filled 1 2 cans with leaves and weeds from the front gardens and K helped by picking up the last of the oranges from the tree and putting the weeds I'd pulled into the can. He got gardening gloves for his birthday and was happy to put them to use (as was I!).

The little ones played, E went to the store with Daddy in the morning then played on a blanket with M in the afternoon. M still isn't so sure about putting his hands down in the grass or dirt, but when I took K on a short bike ride (B walked with us... we went THAT fast... LOL), M decided he didn't want to be left behind and crawled through the planter and toward where we were walking in the road (no traffic, dead end road ;) ). Of course Mike was right there washing the vans (yay!) so he grabbed him and put him back up by the blanket and wagon. Too funny how kids can get over something if they REALLY want to. Got him to crawl in the grass!!

Now I'm exhausted. Mike's in the jacuzzi because it needed to run anyway and he figured why waste it... I would have joined him but it's a no-no for me right now. So I'm about to pull out my book and settle in to bed in my PJ's at 9pm. I'm SO glad Mike was home today. It's nice to spend a day as a family, outside, enjoying one another and also getting things done. Out of the last 5 days Mike has been home only 1 evening and one other evening he came home for an hour then back up to work. Have I mentioned how glad I am that Mike has only 1 more meeting of his classes at school and then has the next week OFF and then only 1 class at a time from here on out? SO glad he'll be home more!!