Outside

The snow in Utah started to melt about 2 weeks ago. As soon as the snow between the house and the swingset was gone, I started to take Patrick out to play. Then, on an especially warm day, when we disconnected his tubes at 4:30 p.m. after his nap, I left him in the backyard when he didn’t want to come in.

Since then, as soon as his tubes come off in the afternoon, Patrick shouts “Outside” and runs for the door.

Most of the time, I can make dinner during this time. I open the kitchen window so I can hear and see him, and I cook while he plays. He’s finally tall enough and strong enough and steady enough to open the door so he can go in and out.

If it is cold, he asks for a hat and gloves, and he still goes.

Yesterday, he noticed an old car seat in the garage. He asked if he could play with it, and since I needed to work in the garden and knew it would keep him contained (it was morning and so he had his tubes on and his pumps in his backpack in a wagon.) So I brought it out.

Now, the plea is “outside” and then “car seat.”

He is undeterred by the fact that he’s had a cold and has been running a fever and nauseated for the past 2 days.

I don’t think the car seat can stay all summer. But the swingset that Patrick can finally climb up into himself can. And so can his bike that he’s tall enough to climb onto. And his wagon that he can get in and out of.

I can tell this is going to be a good spring and summer.

(p.s. Thanks to my awesome, talented sister of Picture It with Marcy for this picture.)