Backyard

About a week ago - no, maybe it was two weeks ... time is running together for me, Eli took the boys "camping" in our backyard. Hey, I wasn't up for actually going camping out somewhere yet with a few week old baby, but he wanted to do something fun and special with the boys. So, why not pop up the tent in the backyard, light up the fire pit, and create it on our own?

Of course, the boys had a fantastic time. We left the tent up for two more days, and it got lots of use as they "camped" out together every time I let them out the back door! But, then we needed to mow the lawn and save the tent from little boy destruction. So, down it went, to their dismay. And then we remember the little shark tent we have. It actually goes together like a real tent, and zips shut, but small and easy to take down, put up, and was one of those deals back years ago when Eli worked for Target that he found and was too good to resist! We haven't actually used it that much over the past few years, but now the boys are really into it, so it might get put up quite a bit more often now!

So, they have begged many a time each day to be let outside to play in the shark tent. Although, rather than camping, it seems to be more like an adventure of saving each other from being eaten by a shark, and so we hear shrieking resounding through the open door and the windows as they use their imaginations!

And I am soooooo happy for them to do so. Much more than sitting inside asking for tv or video games - they need to be outside, using those God-given imaginations and playing together. I'm so grateful that although our house isn't that large, we have such a great backyard for them to explore and make their own! I'm sure it will seem a short amount of time before Matthias is already wanting to join in on their fun ...