Out of Doors

When it's not 100 bazillion degrees and the air we breathe in is not direct airflow from the bowels of hell, we LOVE being outside!  Sweaty, sticky, grassy, dirty.  We'll take it!

Finley decided to 'help' John was his car one afternoon.  In his boxer briefs.  If you've read at least one post from this blog, you are aware of our 2nd born's affinity for nudity.  Consider this a step in the right direction.    

After the car washing, he turned to "gardening the jungle", which was in actuality digging a small hole in a natural area with two trees that the boys call The Jungle.  His boots are made for diggin'.  And that's just what they'll do.

This picture was not taken outdoors, but the talent itself did not remain confined to our house walls.  Jack, being the genius that he is, decided upon himself that he should try hanging a spoon from his nose. We don't know where he has ever seen this done or where he heard about this trick, but he went for it and quickly succeeded.  He took his new skill outside of our house and into his preschool the next day for show and tell.  There were surely some boogery spoons throughout Bluffton that night. 

We're not sure if this past year has allowed time for eye hand coordination development, vision improvement, the birth of baseball passion or a little of the three, but Jack can hit a baseball like a mad man.  And he knows it.  And I flinch when he hits the ball and I'm the pitcher.  Every time.  

When we're outside, we make friends.  Of the turtle kind.  

Small turtle 2010 (Henry II)

Small Turtle 2009

Read about Henry I here

Flower planting.  Another favorite passtime.  Finn screamed for gloves of his own, and all I could find were these winter gloves.  Sorry Finn.

Sometimes when I whine and convince John that cooking dinner would send me over the edge, we venture down to the May River for a picnic.  It's my favorite place to go in Bluffton.  Here we are, the happy bunch....I'm happy because I didn't cook.  The rest of them are happy because I didn't cook.  

Win. Win.

Our view...

And who needs shrimp n' grits on the May River when you can dine on Chinese take out?  

Finn ponders life's biggest questions over some sweet and sour sauce  chicken.

Jack's fake excitement over nothing exciting. But still cute.

This is a happy moment.

This was Jack on his last day of preschool this year.  He chose his outfit.  Nice socks.

Popcicles and hose pipes = heaven to boys.  And moms who like playing in the hose pipe, too.  

Can you tell it was a little hot outside?  He needs some wipers on those things.

Finn finishing off the 2nd half of his Spiderman popcicle.  Yum.  Who needs dinner?

Hope you're enjoying the fun sweatiness of Summer like we are.  103 here today according to my car.  So my next post might be of all of the indoor activities we enjoy!

Happy Summer (in 6 days)!

Over a Month Ago...

we went to Atlanta.  All original Usserys, the married ins, and the babies.  Quarters were cramped, but but not our style.  There's a chance all some of the children even slept in closets...just so we could be under the same roof.  And it was so much fun.  See?

Here are the babes setting up for what looks to be a fierce Duck Duck Goose competition.  Baby Austin was so good the entire trip.  He survived Jack putting him in a headlock and dropping him on the floor, and Finn biting (and therfore ruining) his beach ball.  Austin is so forgiving.  We enjoyed every minute with our nephew.

This is one of the few pictures where I can see a little of John in Finley.  Two of my handsome men...

The three amigos.

Austin developed the craziest smile over the weekend.  This is a milder version of it.

We picnicked in the park with some friends of Jordan and Trevor.  There was a festival of sorts going on in the park, so afterwards, we strolled around for a bit.  In the short 2 hours we were there, our boys played with a dead mouse and urinated in public.  Pretty typical picnic!

Here's our oldest boy and his loot.  Whenever we travel, he'll pack his Speed Racer backpack full of valuables:  this fisherman hat from a size 2T costume, the Transformer beach towel, an old camera case, a paper french fry wrapper from Bojangles, a toy car....the list of treasures could go on.  It's cute, and he calls it his "work."  We don't argue.

Another afternoon in another park with another infamous Austin grin. 

Outside of family time, the real reason we were there was to support the GT baseball team in their sweeping victories over Clemson.  The boys loved the games and they LOVED mascot, Buzz.  The T shirts that Gigi bought them are now referred to as their "jerseys" and they wear them all the time.  Jack wore his to school the next 3 days.  Washed of course.

Thank you for a great time in tha ATL, Gigi and Poppy Johnny!  Let's go again.