Marvelous March Weekend

You just can't beat today's weather.  70 degrees!  In March!  Obviously, we weren't the only ones itching to get outside and soak it all up this weekend.  After the late winter snowstorm earlier this week (we only got about 5 inches, maybe, but it was more than we had all winter long!), this was a very welcome change.  Melinda really wanted to just go to the neighborhood playground, but Jesse didn't.  He gets bored at playgrounds.  And I'll be honest and admit that I do, too.  But Jesse was the decision maker this time around, and he decided we'd all go out to Meadowood park again.  Nice open space, paved walk, big fields, and a playground. 

Everyone and their dog was there.  Literally- most families did have a dog with them... or two.  Joggers were out in droves, dogs were every couple feet, and the amount of kids?  Well, let's just say there was a 10-minute line to get onto one of the 4 available swings.  We spent most of our time out on the fields, though, kicking around soccer balls, throwing our hula hoop up in the air, blowing bubbles, and even just enjoying the ability to let Alex roam free without worrying about his feet getting wet.  Although we did have to pick a relatively mud-free spot on the field, since melting snow doesn't tend to leave dry ground, after all! 

Jacob had a fun time running with a ball to each of the nearby sports nets (they were kind of small to be soccer nets, so I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that they were lacrosse nets), Daddy tagging along.  Eventually he picked up a stick and started hitting invisible monsters.  He got so much energy out!  He always gets into trouble when he picks up anything stick-like at home, because invariably, he winds up whacking someone and starts a big cry-fest.  But out in an open field, he could swing that stick as wildly as he wanted to!

Alex spent most of his time picking up clumps of dirt from the recently aerated ground, trying to eat every single one.  Lovely.  But when he wasn't doing that, he was climbing up into the stroller seat.  Because, ever since he figured out how to get up that chair (from the video I shared earlier this week), he's been climbing up chairs non stop.   I turn my back for two seconds and he'll steal my computer chair, even!  And of course, the new found prowess at climbing chairs also comes with an increased confidence in his ability to climb down, so he's also fully capable of getting off my bed, the couch, and any chair he climbs into.  I kind of miss being able to plop him on my bed and running to the bathroom alone, knowing he'll be "trapped" there.  Now he just slides on down like it was never a challenge.  Amazing what a couple days can do.

Melinda seemed a little bored outside today, unfortunately.  While we were at the fields she kept begging to move on to the playground.  We put it off as long as we could, since it was so crowded, but finally acquiesced.  And then she spent most of her playground time (well, aside from waiting in the line for swings) trying to get random girls to play with her.  My heart broke a little, watching so many girls just dash on away, barely acknowledging that she was there, but she was persistant.  She came to me a little glum, saying that the girls weren't playing with her, and I explained that things were so busy that they probably didn't realize she was trying to get them to play with her.  She seemed okay with that explanation.  But I know a lot of kids can be overwhelmed by her in-your-face eagerness to be friends, too.  I never know how to react to things like that, since my nature is to be so much more withdrawn.  I don't know whether to encourage her or try to tone her down. 

Anyway, we had a lovely day outside.  It was a little humid and sticky, but we got out in short sleeves, no jackets - Jacob even wore shorts (laundry day... no clean pants!).  And we were all perfectly comfortable.  And when we got home, we opened up all of our windows and let things air out.  That has to be one of my favorite parts about spring - the fresh air in my home.  Can't do it in summertime without giving up the air-conditioned comfort.  But spring is perfect for fresh, new air.  And in fact, here it is almost 10pm and most of the windows are still open.  It's heaven, I tell you!

Another side effect of springtime:  We cut hair.  Warmer weather means Jacob's head gets sticky with sweat.  He's always been a sweaty kid, but I think his super thick hair just amplifies the problem.  Doesn't take more than a couple laps around the front room, and his hair is soaked.  And obviously, we did a lot more than hop around indoors today.  So, it got buzzed.  I took the opportunity to go ahead and trim Alex's hair, as well  It's been getting long on the sides and back, and not looking too great.  I always hesistate to cut my babies' hair for the first time, and this time was no different, but I had been mulling it over for a good 2 or 3 weeks now, so I was ready.  While Jesse buzzed Jacob's hair, I had Alex in the high chair and took a pair of scissors to his hair.  He was so good, too!  He kept trying to look at the scissors, of course, but he behaved very nicely and calmly as I snipped away at his hair.  And now he's neatly trimmed, and I think I did a fantastic job for my first time ever attempting to trim boy's hair by hand.  One side is a bit shorter around the ear, but I doubt anyone but me would notice it unless I pointed it out.  Jesse said it doesn't even really look like he got a haircut - and that's a good thing!  I didn't want him to look buzzed or anything, just neater.  He doesn't have as much hair as Melinda and Jacob did at this age, anyway.  And with it being blonde, it looks like even less.  I was just going for a nice trim, and I accomplished it.  Yay!  (And I only pinched his neck with the scissors once!!)

Oooh, and Melinda did her bath all by herself for the first time today!  Well, I filled up the water for her - she was stubbornly insisting that she wouldn't be able to get the right temperature.  But she did all her own washing and rinsing, and did a great job.  She's getting more responsible by the minute!  She even helped Jesse scrub the toilets this past Thursday night.  I had asked Jesse, while Melinda was in earshot, "Jesse, do you think Melinda's big enough to clean the toilets yet?"  While Jesse was hemming and hawing about it, Melinda was jumping up and down, almost dying of eagerness, whining about how she really wanted to scrub the toilets!!  Boy... if only I could bottle up that enthusiasm for when she's a teenager, huh??