Getting Away from the Screen

I'll be so glad when school officially ends because I feel like between all the different zoom meetings and homework assignments all the kids have, we kind of just spin in circles all day long accomplishing nothing apart from screen time.  It was 4pm when the Christian and Bella started complaining of feeling grumpy and tired and I felt the same way.  I suggested that we get away from the screen, do some other things we need to do and then play outside for a while.  Christian mowed the back yard and Bella practiced piano and then we set up the slip-and-slide.  Side note: Christian loves to mow the front yard, but he has a terrible time with the back.  He has discovered that lawn mowing is an amazing way to earn some money every week, but between the trees, the shed, the patio, the slack line, and the trampoline, the backyard is a pain to mow.  So he was throwing fits and not wanting to do it earlier.  I told him we couldn't do the slip and slide until it was done because mowing the grass after it was soaking wet would be impossible.  I agreed to stay outside with him while he did the hardest parts to help and offer advice.  He did it and it worked out fine.  He uses our electric mower so it's quieter and easier for him than the gas powered one Benjamin uses for his client's lawns.

The slip and slide was trouble at first because I couldn't find the air pump.  In addition, Christian, I discovered, didn't remember how to use a slip-and-slide and made his first attempt standing up.  He, of course, fell flat on his rear and cried for a while, determined that he hated slip-and-slides and wasn't going to use it.  Then Kelly wheeled the air compressor around the house from the garage and got the thing set up properly and Bella tried it on her belly, as it's meant to be used.  When Christian saw how much fun she was having, he was willing to try again, and he loved it too.  They played on it for about an hour.  At one point, Bella decided the running and dropping onto it was hard on the joints and she had an idea.  She took our rope swing out of the tree and asked me to hold one end and pull her along the plastic as she held the other end.  I thought it was the silliest idea ever, but after seeing how successful it was, I was impressed with it.  That was the end of the run and jump.  After that, I became the engine of the whole operation.  Luckily, wet and slippery bodies aren't hard to pull.

Benjamin wasn't doing it either, but he's discovered the fun of biking with his front tire popped up.  So he rode around the yard practicing that.  He did quite well.  After spending this time outside, everyone felt much better.  I was so happy we'd had the chance.  Bella has been begging and begging for a pool and I really wish I could grant that request, but this was the best thing I could offer.  I was glad it made her happy.

We tried to get Peter involved in the fun, but he wanted nothing to do with it.  Just like at the beach, he didn't enjoy the cold water and was content to watch from Benjamin's arms or the grassy sidelines.  He loves being outside and playing, but cold water just isn't his thing right now.  Here's a cute picture Christian took while I was reading with Peter.  He loves it when I make animal sounds to go with the pictures.  He always looks up at me and laughs.