Savouring Summer (featuring Special Guest Star - Aidas!)

We have been living in Lithuania Park for most of the summer now. I've got to say, my job is extra fun in the summer, and especially with the helper I have to help keep the kids extra safe on our outings. This past week, we were lucky enough to have Aidas back at the daycare for two full days!

Aidas was the first child to come to the daycare. He was 10 months old when he started (and Noah is only 2 months older than him), and only left the daycare at the end of last summer, when he was almost 4 years old. He's like family! And it really felt, for those two days, as if he had never left the daycare!

The boys started their own informal soccer game in the big field.

And at home the 3 of them (Noah, B. and Aidas) were giggling like BFF's. It was very funny - when we were getting the kids up from their naps in the afternoon, Aidas said to me, shocked, "Charla! Someone is sleeping in my bed! It's Thomas!" I'm glad he still sees my place as his place, even after a year away!

One afternoon we were going to go to the library, but Noah had a "terrible 4's"....ummm...er....episode, so we stayed put at the top area of Lithuania Park. B. practised his Spidey skills by scaling the fence. Thomas really is watching every athletic thing B. does, and emulating him. Actually, Thomas is very agile, so it's great for him to have a strong example in his life. Still, there are certain stunts that B. is forbidden to do in Thomas's presence, because Thomas doesn't always realize he is 2 years younger than B.

And here are still more pictures of a fun-filled day at Lithuania Park. Below are all 5 kidlets on the swings!

Riley likes to get under-doggies and swing hugs. Noah and B. love the "Hello-Goodbye Game", where I say good-bye as I push them, and then pretend I'm angry when they swing back. They NEVER tire of this!

Later on, instead of playing at the wading pool, the kids were busy making this canal. It was AWESOME!!

Riley did some digging, but then moved onto jumping over the canal. Isn't this a great shot of her in mid-flight? After I showed her the picture, she kept asking me, "Can you take another picture of me jumping, Charla?"

B. did most of the digging, while Noah diligently returned again and again to the wading pool, to fill his bucket with water. It was real teamwork!

Leila's job was to sit at one end of the canal and look cute. She more than fulfilled this role.

And here's the muscle man! (Thomas, by the way, had his own agenda, as he often does, and was playing in the park with my assistant.)

Today we brought the tents outside and played out back of our building. We had a shorter period of time for outdoor play, since my helper had an appointment. And here's a funny little incident: A lady who lives in one of the apartment buildings came out to tell me that the kids were too noisy, and that I should take them to the park. I said that normally I would be willing to compromise to some degree, but that we are only out back for about one or two hours a week (if at all, since we normally do go to the park). She still complained and threatened to go to her manager. I politely advised her to buy some earplugs, and then refocused my attention on the kids. After visiting the manager's office, she quietly returned to her building. I presume the complaint did not go so well. 

Really? You are complaining about small children playing outside...on a summer's day...at noon. Really? People can really be so strange!!