Getting Outside in the Early Spring

April 17th, waffles on the porch!

Initiating the porch in the spring time is a huge deal! It is wonderful when it becomes warm enough to eat outside. When we can open up our house, our world expands three fold. We have a fenced yard and we can leave the doors open and let the kids run in and out. The front and back yards are like new rooms to expand out into. And with the ice gone we return to 'street play'- things like chalk, stroller walks, and bike riding. And the neighbors who we have not seen all winter are out in the sun, playing and tending their yards, and the kids have friends to go see.

The first street chalk of the year!

A neighborhood walk, the nearby field we get snowballs from in the winter and wildflowers later in spring.

A stroller walk, parked next to the big pines for a nap

The baby swing, after the ice and snow but before the leaves return.

Digging in the potato beds and collecting yard waster in wheel barrows are fun spring activities

A little bird house in your soul

The hammock before the leaves

Now they are old enough to go out and play as sister playmates!

The 'fort' in the pines, a bed tent...

SwedeGirl made a sign declaring the fort her club house and invited the neighborhood kids over to play. We have two little girl neighbors the same age as SwedeGirl,one has a little brother, and we have a same age boy cousin living three doors up the street. It is wonderful to have playmates right next door!

Swingset fun in the backyard with the neighbor kids!

And solo ninja climbing.

Biking at the neighbor's house

SwedeBaby is in on the biking now she is 2!

With her sisters help it is even more fun.

Spring meant a return to bouncing

Static-y!

And SwedeBaby is a bouncer now too, by now she is very good and knows how to hold her own with the big kids on the trampoline as well.

A return to outdoor life was so welcome!!