We survived Round 2 of Monday Night Football in the desert!
This being the first 'event' since the swing set was fully installed (sans the shading top, which is put together but not installed because the high winds out here will likely kill it so we are going to see if the barn is shade/wind shield enough without it), everyone was anxious to get outside and try it out. Kids of all ages...11 months to 24 years old enjoyed the new 'playground' as Madison calls it.
Our friends Lake and Autumn called dibs on the glider and Madison happily shared with the brother/sister pairing. She had Miss Claudia to push her high to the sky and the smiles on both their faces are proof this was great fun!
Kennedy was inside with Daddy and the other grown ups, but decided she needed to play with her friends. She doesn't like walking from the back of the house out to the barn. Since the play structure was moved outside, each time we go out to play she stands at the back porch throwing a fit until Mommy picks her up and carries her out. Tonight, Mommy was already at the barn, so Kennedy cried and ran by herself all the way out. We couldn't help but laugh hysterically when Johnny B (the 'big kid' on the swing) pointed out, it's tough to take the tears seriously with all that squeaking.
Kennedy grabbed the one pair (of her 6) of squeakers that is too small. None the less, she musically squeaked between tears on her run out to play.
Even Miss Maya, a few short weeks from her first birthday took a turn on the slide with her Daddy's help.
Mr Thad, the adventuresome Daddy, even helped the shoeless Maya climb the 'rock wall' ladder.
Autumn was definitely the best slider of the group. Though she had a safety catcher (her mom, Starr) on her first ride down, she quickly figured out firmly planting her feet was the key to keeping her bottom clean and free of bruises at the bottom.
The I-can-do-whatever-my-older-friends-and-sister-can-do Kennedy tried to go down without a spotter after watching Autumn, but doesn't quite have the hang of planting her feet, so she sailed off the end of the slide and into the dirt. Luckily Starr was happy to spot from them on as Kennedy insisted 'Mommy not do it- dat wady (aka lady) Sarr do it'!
As the game continued and the clock ticked away, a few of our younger friends went home to bed. The salad, garlic bites, pizza, Matt's special wings, and Lora's amazing homemade chess square dessert were all polished off or put away, both girls were in their skeleton pjs once again, and Madison began conning the adults-one at a time- into reading books to her.
When the game was over and all big and little friends were walking out, we noticed Mr Billy hung around to read
The Witch Who Was Afraid Of Witches to Madison for her second time of the night.
He is an incredibly animated children's book reader, using extra voices for each character. Daddy knew Billy was extremely talented in all his roles at work, but after hearing him read to Madison, they may have to invoke morning circle time in the hangar!
Somehow I don't think engineering and flight manuals would be quite as exciting- even in different voices.
