H. Dean just can't start a project without getting some help.  I love it when he includes the kidlins to help or teach them to use tools.  Most of our kidlins are boys.  How can you not include them in the construction.  Now, the girls like to help too but there is just something about boys and tools.    
When dad came to pick up the boys he stayed awhile to play with them.  What a memorable moment for them. 

It's wonderful to see kidlins just come up with things to do.  

This week H. Dean started on some projects for our playground.  Making some borders for the dirt area, future rock climbing area and a few flower/garden boxes.
But look what he found.  A cardboard box and old canvas.  
We rigged the canvas over the swing set.  It makes a cool noise and has texture.
The box was used well.  Fort, ramp and just rolling around in.  
​As H. Dean and family friend started on the garden box everyone was glued to the project.  They all wanted to watch so they had to sit nicely.  I thought it was adorable how Owl copied FF on checking the box.  He kicked it and looked inside just like him.

Wiggles comes to play since he has been staying home with mommy and his new sister.  Everyone has been waiting to see her.  Some even had the privilege of holding her. 

The next day was another big hit.  The kidlins are glued to it.  Owl and Sugar Beet found some water in the wheel barrel.  After a few splashes they ran off to join the others.  
Giggles and Snickers had a fine time running around the trees.  They were fascinated by the bark as they stuck their fingers in between the groves.  

Wiggles came over to play again.  He brought his new baby sister.
She was adorable.  I don't get them this small.  By the time I get them they are almost crawling.  
She looks like her mother.  A quite little thing.
She did bring a crowd.  All the kidlins had to look.  Owl and Sugar Beet couldn't help but touch her.  

Our youngest member is enjoying his outdoor time.  He has such a cute baby glow.
Some of the onies can go without a nap but yet sometimes not.

So hard for her to be gentle.  But she works at it.

Found some water on the tub.  Splash away.

H. Dean got a bright idea.  As you can see some of this, he took the tractor and scraped the dirt into a big pile.  Of course this was a big hit.  All the kidlins raced out to.  H. Dean got a shovel and dug a hole in the middle of the pile.  It looked like a volcano.  
A few more holes were dug and sat in.  Plenty of activity.
This also delayed Dinner and nap.  Well worth the delay.  Everyone had such a blast.
Even checked on the baby birds.

After H. Dean stack some round bales he came over with the tractor. Guess what was in the bucket?  Yup, loose hay.  
Owl noticed the bits of grain on the end of the stem.  H. Dean watched him as he took his little fingers and glided it over the stem and cleaned off the seeds.  What an observant fellow.
At first the boys took the pots to fill but then I reminded them that the wheelbarrow wasn't being used.  Lately, of course, they have been playing with mud.  So adding to the mud area was the most logical thing to do.  
​Giggles and Snickers worked together to pick up the hay that wasn't picked up by the wheelbarrow.
Snickers was so busy picking and dumping the hay with the wheelbarrow. He worked so hard his hat fell off but he kept going.   

In our backyard we have so many things to see.  
One morning we seen this family of geese out our bathroom window.  
A Robin has a nest over shop lights so it's easy for us to observe with the help of a ladder.  

Let's face it.  Bubbles at any age are just fun.

I swear Farmer is the kidlin who comes up with stuff to test the limits of large motor skill.  But if I think about it they all come up with something.  Giving them the trust they need to be in charge of their own learning the more creative they become.  So proud and happy.  I have been laughing more.

Our little Owl is thrilled over nature.  He gets so excited about things that move.  He makes that little sound like an owl and shapes his mouth in an owl shape.  Can't help smiling over his expressions.
There isn't a day that goes by when he's not chasing a bug.  In 1 day he found 2 creatures to follow.
1.  A fly.  He must have followed it for 10 mins.  Sorry you can't see the fly but take my word for it, it's there.  Fly unharmed.
2.  A frog/toad.  Finding a frog/toad around here is like gold.  You can catch the thing and it still moves.  He was so proud that he caught it and showed H. Dean.  He even let some of the other kidlins look.  Frog/toad was harmed in this case.
Hayseed was pretty excited when he found one too.  
Of course everyone wants to touch, look and hold it.  To save the life of a few critters, I do stop the others from invading the find.  I inform them that they need to wait until the person is ready to share the find.  This has been a learning process but they are catching on.
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Not much to say about this dirt road.  We wanted to do something different so we went for a walk.  Wiggles and his mom came for a visit so we put 3 of the littles in the wagon and everyone else had a exploration time of finding rocks and flowers in the ditch.  
This road is perfect for kidlins.  Not much goes on here.  Hardly any cars and just across the road from our house.  

This seems to bug him.  Every time he sees an ant hill he has to destroy it.  

Who said swings are for just swinging.  The kidlins seems to find different ways of fun.

H. Dean sent Sugar Beet out after her nap.  I sent big brother Hayseed to help her.  Lol, he took it literally.  I advised him to put her down and take her hand.  Such a sweet moment.

Brought the play dough outside.  It got dirty.  Enough said.

Checking for water.

The flowers have been a nice attraction.  The kidlins stop to smell the flowers and gently touch the petals.  The stump is wide enough to walk around.

Digging holes has become very popular lately.  I think we have 2 or 3 started.  

Needed to keep some of the kidlins busy on a rainy day.  Took the sensory tub out and put flour and water with some measuring tools. Hours of fun.  Even took it outside later.  Now that I let it set for awhile, b/c I didn't have time to clean out, found mold on everything. Yuck!  What a great science formation.