I forgot to take my camera today, so I'll have to create a picture with words.
The day started out slow. I was at Kims house (happy birthday Jon) tending Jaxon, Brenden and Talan. Ayvri showed up about ten. The kids were playing well together until 11:00. Then Brenden and Jaxon got into it.
Brenden was playing with his GI Joe stuff and wouldn't share with Jaxon. Jaxon went after one and Brenden grabbed it yelling "It's Mine! I'ts MINE!"
Jaxon walked over to him, and with his hands on his hips he screamed "YOU CAN"T SAY THAT!" He then lowered his voice and with great expression said "You can't go live with Heavenly Father if you say that." Of course he repeated that sentence three times. I think it caught Brenden off guard. He had to think about that one.
I decided it was time to divert them, so I suggested going to the park. I discovered we didn't have enough car seats to drive, so we would have to walk. Brenden was sure there was a park close to their house and would lead the way. He rode his bike and Jaxon rode the trike. Ayvri stayed close to the stroller as we talked about how silly boys were. Forty five minutes later and five fire hydrants we found a little park. It had to be at least a mile away.
The kids had a ball playing FIREMEN (we talked about the fire hydrants everytime we passed one and had to inspect them). There was a climbing toy they made into a fire truck, a firemans pole (which Brenden went down by himself after the third try, Jaxon did it with help several times and Ayvir tried it once), and a big puddle of water to run through and jump in to put out the pretend grass fires.
I thought we would take a shortcut home, but it ended up being longer. Jaxons trike no longer would pedal (because it was uphill), so Ayvri asked him is he could use a little help. She gave him a big push every few feet, and then stayed behind him pushing him till she was exhausted. I suggested he push her for a while. He did that gladly. They traded off most of the way home, then they both pooped out. They complained they were thirsty and hungry. Since I thought we were just going around the block, I didn't bring anything. So, I told them the story of Hansel and Gretel and we pretended we were them, poor abandoned children, hungry and thirsty, looking for a place to stay. It worked.
The last three blocks the kids were so tired! I ended up putting one bike on top of the stroller, carrying the trike, pushing the stroller with Talan in the seat, Ayvri sitting on the tray, Jaxon curled up in the basket on the bottom, and Brenden walking next to me (he was the only one that wasn't tired of walking). Too bad I didn't get a picture of that.
The picture I will always have in my mind is little Ayvri being so kind and offering to push her cousin up the hill on his trike. What a thoughtful little girl.
