Sunny Day! Keepin' the Clouds Away!

Is that sunlight coming through those trees?! Ailey and I actually went outside during the babies' naptime today. We haven't done that in a long time. We've been working through all the indoor projects like painting, making cards, playing board games, baking, (sometimes doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen...), etc. Today Ailey wanted to "make a carrot". Strange request, I know. She has been playing with Rudy Carrot from a Mr. Potato Head set the past few days, so of course, carrots are on the mind. The sun was shining and it wasn't freezing outside, so we decided to draw a carrot with orange chalk on the patio out back. Yay for Ailey suggesting we get some fresh air!

We swept the patio of pine-needles and dead leaves, then got the sidewalk chalk out of the shed where all the fun sunny-day stuff is stored. I always end up doing the drawing - "Draw a carrot, Mom. Now a stem on it. Let's make some balloons now. How about a heart...." All while Ailey makes her colorful rainbow by the steps.

Once the chalk had run it's course we decided to raid the shed for more sunny day stuff. Out came the wagon so that Ailey could fill it with branches and "fetch-sticks". (No, she doesn't need a dog.) Here she's saying she's going "searching for sticks".

We got to check out the neighbor's new fence while outside. We've been watching the backyard clean-up and fence project through the back window (aka the girls have been stuck to the back window by their own slobber). They've enjoyed the wood chipper, the chain saw, the digging, the swearing ... well, I think I'm the only one who understood that actually. Now the fence is in the way and they can't see where all the noise is coming from. I'm not complaining - the neighbor's probably-30-year-old, dilapidated, holey fence will not be missed!

Their fence meets ours....

The sun today brought just a little bit of warmth, just enough to make me excited for spring. I raked some leaves out of the flower bed just in case the buds want to start their way up sometime soon (hmm, I feel a little guilty calling the weed-infested, mildewy square of dirt by the back fence a "flower bed", but there are tulip bulbs planted under there). While raking I found myself humming the Sesame Street song: Sun-ny day! Keepin' the ... cloooouuuds a-waaaaaay! Bring on the sunshine! (No worries, no delusions here. I know it will be raining and cold again within the week.)