Outdoors: A Photo Post

It’s ridiculously cold for May–frost the last two mornings! the outrage!–but nonetheless, we have finally reached the time of year when we want to spend as much time outside as possible.

For years, Alex has been going out to the field with his grandpa, but it was easier to do while the little ones were napping. Lately I’ve been realizing that it’s time for them to get the same chance with Grandpa. Plus, there’s a natural freak-out factor. Tractors are really loud. And it takes time to get over that. On our last visit to the farm, we asked Grandpa to take us on a spin around the driveway (it was far too wet to be working). Both of them clung to my neck for several minutes, but by the time it was done, they both wanted “more.” Ever since, Nicholas has been bringing me tractors (toy and photo) and saying “Me me me me me me me me me me!”

So yesterday, when I found out that Grandpa was ready to plant corn for the first time in weeks, I pulled Julianna out of school early and took the little ones to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

 Loading corn seed into the planter:

Following the tractor from “staging” area to the field. This planter picks up and rotates 90 degrees via hydraulics in order to put it in “transport” position, because it is too wide to take on the road. I have never seen the transition before, and it was pretty cool to watch.

Getting ready for a tractor ride with Grandpa:

Now, the big question: if you stuff four people into a tractor cab (however little two of them are), does it still count as “outdoors”?

And finally, I have two pictures unrelated to our field trip that are crying out to be shared:

(I know it’s underexposed. But I LOVE this shot, taken while I pretended to nap in our neighbors’ yard the other day while the kids sat in sidewalk chalk.)

And finally…if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, my daughter must really admire me:

This is where I sit to type while the kids are playing outside. And although it doesn’t look like it, she was typing, too. The proof is on my NEO, waiting to be cleaned up today. 🙂

(Sharing today with Wordful Wednesday, I Should Be Folding Laundry, and Special Exposure Wednesday.)