Project 365: Week Twenty-Seven

When I was little, summer always seemed to last longer than it does now, when the days seem to fly by in a blur of wagon walks, picnic lunches, play dates, and outdoor fun.  Though the twins still nap twice each day, I find myself using the few minutes that I get for myself to read or surf the internet, putting off posting on the blog for another day, another time...which is why I am just now posting pictures taken during the twenty-seventh week of Project 365 - a week later! 

The twenty-seventh week of 2013 was filled with chalk drawing, a play date, pool play, first popsicles, a visit to a local park, and a long holiday weekend.  Aside from some clinginess and crabbiness caused by some teething (Will's 1-year molars made an appearance during the week...yikes!), it was a great week! 

183/365:  Chalk Drawing in the Rain

Tuesday was unseasonably cool (hence the sweatshirt on Miss Maddie) and filled with rain showers.  Though we squeezed in a quick wagon walk before their morning nap, we were forced to stay inside for most of the day.  Taking advantage of a clearing in the rain clouds late in the afternoon, we went outside to "draw" with chalk for a while just to get a little fresh air.  Soon after we started work on our driveway masterpiece, however, the raindrops started falling again.  Will and I were ready to head inside, but Maddie didn't seem to mind the rain at all, and went on with her work until I pulled her away.   

184/365:  Just Owlin' Around

Our Will - such a little goofball.  After bath time on Wednesday evening, Will picked up Maddie's hooded towel, placed it on his head, and began marching all over the house with it trailing behind him.  Undoubtedly, he was encouraged by the laughter that he heard from all of us.  When the towel fell off his head, he cried until it was put back on and he was able to walk around the house with it on his head once more.  So silly! 

185/365:  Bomb Pop for Baby

Our Fourth of July, documented here, was filled with water play, a family festival, and festive foods.  After lunch, we stripped Maddie and will down to their skivvies, sat them in the grass, and put their first Bomb Pops in their hands.  Will didn't seem to know how to best approach his popsicle - he held the popsicle itself in spite of our attempts to show him how it's done.  His popsicle soon fell to pieces, which caused Will to...fall to pieces.  But Maddie?  She was a popsicle pro!  She knew just what to do!  She held the stick and licked her way down to the very last blue piece of Bomb Pop.  Maddie did make a fine mess of herself in doing so, though - by the time she was finished, she was covered in sticky red juice.  She was quickly taken to the water table to splash herself off!

186/365:  Water Baby

During Friday afternoon's nap time, I inflated the splash pool that the twins had received as a birthday present and had not yet had a chance to use.  The "pool" is much smaller than pictured on the box, but it was plenty large enough to hold Miss Maddie, who took quickly to splashing in the pooling and spraying water.  Will, pictured below, was hesitant to go into the pool.  He much preferred to stay on the sidelines, watching his sister enjoy the cool of the pool!

187/365:  Uncertain

Saturday was one of the few days of this year on which I did not take a single photograph (I can't seem to remember what we did that day...maybe we didn't do anything!), so I was forced to "cheat" by using a picture taken the day before.  Here, you can see Will checking out the splash pool from the safety of the sidelines.  He didn't seem quite sure what to make of the pool.  He spent most of the time that Maddie was playing in the pool watching her from the grass.

188/365:  At the Park

Will was a bit of a troublemaker on Saturday, pulling his sister's hair and taking toys right from her grasp.  On Sunday, Jim and I decided to give the twins a bit of a reprieve from each other and to treat them each to time alone with one of us.  After their morning nap, Maddie and Will parted ways - I took Will to Target and then to a local park, while Jim took Maddie to Menard's, Home Depot, and then out to lunch at the Olive Garden.  While I was sweating at the park (It was hot that day!) and then, later, cleaning up after lunch here at home, I began to feel a bit envious of my daughter, who enjoyed a restaurant meal with Jim.  I don't think Jim and I have gone out for lunch alone in months!

189/365:  Every Last Drop

I received a box of Snapple frozen sorbet bars in a thank you gift from a student.  I probably had one of them.  Maddie and Will had the rest!  They loved them!  They made for a quick, cool, delicious snack, though they did need a lot of assistance in bringing the frozen goodness to the top of the tube.  Here, Will sucks every last yummy drop out of the plastic sleeve.