Declan, Miles and Grady played at a game they called "crashing fun". They would scoot up the curly slide and then tumble down in a tangled trio.
Kevin, Annabelle and Leila baked and decorated cakes in the sandbox...
I don't think these were for anyone's birthday, despite the stick candles, but I couldn't help but think...
...how much pleasure they must have derived from not having me hover about reminding them to keep their fingers out of the batter or wash their hands or not taste batter with raw eggs...these cakes were made from recipes handed down through timeless ages of children connecting with dirt and sand in just the right amounts and served with the pride of an original creation.
Remy and Jacob, shovels always in hand, shoveled dirt into the tree, saying they were making bad food because bad food is what they like to eat.
Later, Amber and Chene, defying the one-child-in-the-tree-at-a-time-rule, clambered up higher than ever a child has climbed.
Later in the afternoon, the 2's class had left out their climbing rope they used to pull themselves up the small slide. This is a novelty for us, as we can confidently run up both the small and swirly slides, but it's a good skill to practice, pulling yourself up by the rope, building upper body strength and using those large muscles adeptly and purposefully.
Pam, Leila, Kevin and Annabelle practiced leaping from the stumps. Pam, ever vigilant...
...stands nearby to provide safe harbor...
and help in negotiating turntaking skills...
An earlier day in January found us reveling in the wonder of a puddle...
This is what happens near our sandbox when frosty ground melts...
Two lilac bedecked friends get to work...
...two more join in...
...and two more...
...and another...
,,,and they keep working and working.
They are their own taskmasters.
Each worker has their own job to do and they do it well.
This goes on all morning.
Still they never tire.
Until it's time to get the morning jog underway...
