Lard Work

I used to worry that Owen was going to be one of those kids that did not like to get his hands dirty.

When I picture little boys, I picture dirt loving, grass stained, sweaty little bodies, but when Owen was little he hated to get dirty.  Anytime he fell he would try to get up without touching the grass and he'd fuss until we helped him.  He also hated getting sandy which made playing in sand boxes and going to the beach tricky.  I remember really wanting him to go all out and get super messy while he ate his first birthday cake.  He was scared of getting messy and when I put his hand in his cake he cried.

Well, he's come a long way.  In fact, today I watched from the window while he played outside in daddy's dirt/compost pile for at least an hour.

Then, I snuck outside to get some pictures of my boy enjoying dirt.

When he finally caught me watching him he told me he was looking for a treasure.  "A little, little, little blue ball."

Then, he told me he was doing "lard" work.  I think the REAL reason he was spending so much time sitting and sifting through the dirt may have had something to do with a cute, little fifth grade girl that lives in the house behind ours :)

 

Yesterday, as I was changing the sheets on his top bunk, I came across a pile, yes a pile, of sand.  Then I remembered he was making snow angels in the sand volleyball court at the park before we came home for naps on Monday.  It made me laugh and happy that my boy now enjoys getting down and dirty.

 

Speaking of lards, I mean yards...  Here are some up close pictures of flowers from our yard that I took the other day.

Bleeding Hearts

Gerbera Daisy

Rhododendron

Skip Laurel

Rhododendron

A pine tree that gets pretty pink cones (I forget the name, I have to ask Mike)