Jumping and Splashing

I can't count how many times weekly my boys ask if we can go to Monkey Joe's. They love it there. And I, I don't love it there. It's always busy and always loud and I'm always exhausted by the time we leave. 

But, I love that my boys love it and that they jump hard and run hard and play hard. And, if I'm being honest, I love that Micah is now big enough to manage all obstacles by himself. Until Annalyse starts waddling around, I'm free from wedging myself into inflated tunnels and enduring slide burns on my elbows.

I've trained my boys well in the fine art of buying what's on sale or what we have a coupon for. When I told the boys we were headed to Monkey Joe's, Grady Lee looked at Micah and matter of factly said, "Mom must have found a coupon in the paper on Sunday and now we get to finally do something fun!"

Public places like this keep me on high alert because I never know how Grady Lee will act or respond to things. I'm happy to say he did great, for the most part, and enjoyed two hours of fun without a time out or tantrum. Each baby step forward is a leap of joy in my heart!

And this little man, my Micah Man, is the rule breaker. He knows he's supposed to go feet first. He knows it because I've told him a hundred times and he knows it because the workers have blown their whistles at him and reminded him to go feet first. I don't always think it's stubborn disobedience, but just plain old I'm-so-excited-and-I-just-forget-what-the-rules-are-because-I'm-having-so-much-fun. Sigh.

I remember climbing this wall the last time we were here because Micah couldn't do it on his own. And, I'm still a little bitter about the whole thing because I did it eight months pregnant.

While the boys went through the "super duper huge slide to catch the bad guys and look for fires" (seriously, can we please go somewhere and not pretend to put out fires?!), Annalyse enjoyed crawling around some kiddie inflatables.

Oh my, she is itching to walk, I can just tell. But, her wiggly energy and excitement keep her from balancing for long.

After a quiet afternoon of naps and cartoons, the boys decided to give their bikes a "washdown and make them squeaky clean." I know we are that family on the cul de sac that the neighbors roll their eyes at or secretly watch through their blinds. My boys offer entertainment that I outta start charging for.

A short while later, the skies grew overcast and clouds rolled in. Seemingly out of no where there was wind and thunder. The boys exaggerated the situation tenfold and ran around the yard yelling, "Emergency! Emergency! A storm is coming and we need to get all our supplies in the garage!"... all the while making very lour and very shrill siren sounds. Again, prime opportunity for neighbors to peer through their blinds and watch loud silliness.

A day of jumping and splashing, of sliding and running. The best part? Three kids sound asleep by 7:45 pm. I love busy summer days and easy summer nights.