Get outside!

So the weather improved in March and I urged James to get outside!

I was happy he was outside and then I spied him through the window, as I was standing on the catwalk/stairs...

 

He's on his iPod outside! So I texted him. Yup, I did. I texted him to play.

 

I guess he understood this to mean play on his iPod because he was still doing it when I saw him again.

 

 

Finally, the Nerf guns came out and all was well.

 

And on another day the scooters and bikes came out. Yay Spring! And his bestie Evan was over for a playdate (he's the redhead in the camo shirt, on the left).

 

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End of Fall

In mid October I was admiring our fall and thinking already that snow would soon come. Sigh.

 

School release days equal play date! With his good buddy George! George's Dad is also a teacher, and had the day off, but he seemed kind of relieved to drop George off for the day!

They got right to Nerf play!

 

I love love love this picture. The reds, the oranges!

 

 

Neighborhood friends came to greet George. They all played well with each other. I hardly a worry.

 

 

 

 

Inside, for a little Minecraft play.

 

After George left James went over to the far neighbor's house to play. I don't like him that far, especially when they play on the side and front of that house, but the kids seem nice enough. The family has several (6-8??) foster kids ranging in ages 3 to 16, I think.

 

It was a pretty fun day for James!

 

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Mid October Friends

I was so grateful that his summer friendships were lasting through the fall and school days. On this weekend I was driving away to run errands and I saw the boys sitting peacefully on the grass. I pulled over and zoomed in for a picture. Sorry it's kinda fuzzy but I thought it was a good moment!

 

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Boys

Boys everywhere. That's what it felt like on some days. And they wandered everywhere in the neighborhood. I realized my Mom had it (somewhat) easier with us girls- our Barbie play was usually contained indoors :) and that's some QUIET play.

Summer and early fall were nice because if the windows were open I could pretty much hear/see everything. Few worries.

 

Until you look outside and see them all running towards you. Attack!!

 

And they're all pointed at you...

 

 

One day I looked outside and saw HOCKEY!

 

"I think I like hockey more than Nerf!"

 

Uh... Well, that didn't last more than a day or so!

 

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The 'Hood

There's lots of action. Mostly Nerf.

 

 

 

I watched safely from inside, looking outside through the deck windows mostly. These kids aren't above shooting at Moms.

 

Another day, another Nerf battle.

 

 

 

 

Another day, some variety! Nerf, scooters, soccer, and girls!

 

And then the day that James played with Mauer, the neighbor dog. Mauer was Jim's nemesis. Mauer was always up to something, if you asked Jim. I laughed when I saw James playing fetch with Mauer, knowing Jim would feel somewhat betrayed. (Not really!)

 

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Caden

James' neighbor friend, Caden, is a kindergartener. He arrives home from school slightly earlier so he literally would wait and/or ask for James many, many times. One day I invited him to sit with me on our front porch bench and we took a selfie. He must have just finished a Popsicle because he's very red. Ha!

 

As soon as James would get home he would throw his backpack in the house and hop on his scooter. Sometimes we would barely get a hello or hug!

Bye James! He scootered off quickly down the street...

 

And he'd be outside until we called him inside for dinner.

 

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Caden

James' neighbor friend, Caden, is a kindergartener. He arrives home from school slightly earlier so he literally would wait and/or ask for James many, many times. One day I invited him to sit with me on our front porch bench and we took a selfie. He must have just finished a Popsicle because he's very red. Ha!

 

As soon as James would get home he would throw his backpack in the house and hop on his scooter. Sometimes we would barely get a hello or hug!

Bye James! He scootered off quickly down the street...

 

And he'd be outside until we called him inside for dinner.

 

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Rare non-Nerf play day

Bubbles! Finally the Nerf guns get put away, even if just briefly.

 

 

 

 

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Nerf Madness

There was this day.

 

Jim's friend gave us a bin of large, crazy Nerf guns. Huge ones. You should have seen the look in James' eyes when he saw the bin. The picture above kind of expresses his excitement!

 

There were always friends around to play with during the summer.

One friend-

 

 

Many friends-

 

Sometimes solo!

 

Sometimes I don't think James realized how active he's been. He laid on the floor to "rest" and fell asleep for a bit.

 

Here he took apart one of his duplicate guns. He insisted he knew what he was doing- a modification he saw on YouTube. Well, it's still in pieces but it was a good experience for him.

 

I even found a Nerf backpack for back-to-school! Yeah, well he quickly negotiated a deal with me to keep it for his Nerf stuff. Another backpack was purchased for school. Whatever works!

 

 

 

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