The Great Outdoors

Now that Ben can crawl, he is discovering the joys of the great outdoors. Any time the sliding glass door is open, he makes a break for the outside. Despite the wooden deck that gives him splinters in his knees, the tops of his feet, and even his palms, he absolutely loves to be out there.

He plays peek-a-boo,

feasts on delicious rocks,

does a few leg lifts,

and seeks out his favorite hiding spot: behind the grill.

Yes, that contraption he's holding is the one you snake down the toilet to unclog whatever is stuck there. And yes, it is one of his favorite toys. You have a problem with that?

Then he goes off to explore the weeds and rocks,

at which point Mommy intervenes and puts him someplace a little bit safer.

And then we start all over again....

Notice how I didn't really try all that hard to get him to a "safe" zone? This kid is such a third child.

But he doesn't seem much worse for the wear.