The Skies Are Clearing!

Sorta, anyway.

Most days are more clear now.  And being that we've been dealing with sub-zero temperatures over the winter to be followed up with smoke and ash filled skies, being cooped up in the house has not been fun for our little family of five.  We don't have a large house where people can get away from each other, so it has a tendency to wear on the nerves of everyone.

So instead of doing much gardening, I've been enjoying some much needed ALONE time by kicking the Littles outside!

My favorite line of summer is, "Go play outside.  You're driving me nuts!"

Hehehehe.  Not the best example of my parenting, but it's true. And I truly believe that TV plays too much of a role in my kids lives at the moment.

But what do you do when the Li'l Sausage man of the house tears up every board game when you try to play it?  And you've built forts about 9,008,584,209,083 times?  And you've played with every toy you own the same amount of times?  You watch TV and play video games.

What in the world did people do with themselves during long bad or unhealthy weather BEFORE vehicles and techie toys?!

In any case, I was blessed with two happy children on a beautiful, smoke-free day this week.

Check out that gorgeous New Mexican sky!  Diva, Li'l Sausage and I enjoyed some time at the park.  Just the three of us.  Bad Boy stayed home.  The Literary Musician was off at Vacation Bible School with Grandma.  And the weather was PERFECT!  Not hot.  Not dry.  And just the right amount of cool breezes.  Mama got some cute pictures of these two perfect children.

I love that hat!

I love that smile!

I love that little man!

And he about killed me with several heart attacks climbing around in these death traps they call playgrounds.

But, man, oh man!  Check out that skill!

And after laughing at him for coming down a slide full of water (from where?), I got over it.

I watched from a distance.

And I enjoyed the brother and sisterly love they share so well.

I also enjoyed the fact that Diva rarely will allow me to take a picture of her without posing anymore.

I sneak shots of her now.

And even those sneaky shots are too adorable for words.  Of course, I'm incredibly in love.

They met a friendly dog.  Found a football that no one claimed.  All while Mama relaxed.

And proceeded to get sunburned because I regularly forget that I live in New Mexico at about a mile above sea level and incredibly close to the sun.

I should just live in sunscreen.  But nearly 30 years of living in The Land Of Enchantment has not taught me a thing.

Of course.  I'm stubborn.