Busy back yard morning!

The playset was coming down as the waterslide was going up! I couldn’t watch too much of the playset teardown because I was really very sad about it. I worried how Owen would handle it…but he literally looked out the window and said “Awww, I’m going to miss the playset…BUT THE WATERSLIDE WILL BE SO FUN!” And we didn’t hear another word about it.

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How Owen helps Katie down the slide

Katie wanted to get off the playset so I kept telling her to go through the tube and down the slide. She wanted me to get her down. No, Katie, through the tube and down the slide. She eventually made it to the slide then just sat there like this, pouting. 🙂

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Then Owen “helped” her. Which is basically flinging her down the slide under the guise of holding her hand. And she doesn’t care one bit. 🙂

Siblings having a swinging good time

At an impasse…

Katie was swinging and Owen asked if he could, too. (Of course he doesn’t need to ask but he does.) This wasn’t quite what I expected:

Then he was all about pushing Katie. He’s never really wanted to before…so…YAY!

First, a hug. 🙂

Then a few pushes.

Then he decided to twist her—and OH the fun both of them had!!

More twisting!

Pushing…and getting kicked…and loving it!

Swinging together! He’d get her moving then hop on his own swing!

Finally, Owen twisting himself!

I’m glad they’re enjoying the swings…but why did Owen have to start liking them NOW? A year after we got the playset and a month before we have to sell it? See? The guilt. 🙂

After school outside fun times

I lowered the bar so Katie could reach it to swing.

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Then it was off to dig in the new grass. I redirected her to the stone pile. 🙂

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Then I looked away for a minute and she was over just laying in the grass, looking at grass or bugs or dirt or something.

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Then Owen was telling me stories.

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And being cute!

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And this video has Owen telling a story, interrupted with me trying to get a good picture (I can take pics while I’m recording) so you can see a little of what it takes to get a good picture of both kids (in reality I think I took about 10).

This was the lucky picture:

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More swinging!

Seat stealer!

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Super cute boy.

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The second round of presents…

We didn’t take as many pictures this time, as the kids spent more time playing with old and new toys among unwrapping gifts.

Katie liked the wood vegetables from Aunt Marie and Uncle Doug.

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And her new singing bear from Grauntie Marge:

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And Owen LOVED his Mecha-Pede from Grauntie Marge. It really is quite cool—it has pincers and a tail, it lights up, and the eyes glow! And it’s remote-controlled!

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Play date!

Owen and I went to the movies this morning (Frozen!) with friends of ours that are moving next week—Ruth (the one who helped me put up the lights and tree) and her daughter! We’re really going to miss them… Owen did pretty well at the movie—it was a sensory-friendly version which I don’t think he really needs anymore, but it’s at least $3pp less so we do go once in awhile. I think with the lights up and the sound down, he is actually more fidgety and doesn’t get as involved. I know I don’t get as involved because I hear the constant murmuring of all the other kids that aren’t paying attention and talking and running about…

But anyway, after the movie, they came over for sushi lunch (well, the kids had pizza bagels!) and then we went outside. Ruth just happened to have a pink baby swing in her car that she was getting rid of, so we hung it up! (I actually had one I hadn’t put up yet, so I just traded her for the pink one!) Katie liked it. Not loved it, but liked it. For a few minutes. 🙂

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Owen getting tackled! He LOVED every second of it and was having a ball. He kept saying “Emily! I’m over here! Come get me!”

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Emily tackling and then Katie attacking Owen once he was down!

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Then he wanted to play Candyland so we got it set up and just let them play while we were in the other room talking. It apparently went well and soon we heard Owen saying “Congratulations!” 🙂

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