cheap fun

While the boys were in school a friend and I went to Five Below - this store has pretty much everything and all kinds of neat -to -have stuff that we really don't NEED but ...
I got a pack of little whirly - helicopter rotor on a stick toys ( 3 for a buck) and rewarded Dima's third sticker in a row with the toys. They were inspired to eat their lunch in record time so they could get out to play with them and now they're out running around like madmen trying to use them. At times they're getting whacked in the face and sometimes they're doing better than I did with them. It's only a matter of time before they'll have them flying all over the yard. I also found beach towels and a bocce set that I might save for Josh's birthday. That should be a good family game that's also good for their eye-hand coordination. Josh'll have that mastered in no time. We've got a great yard for that stuff and they need something to do while they count the days til we can get out the baby pool and Slip and Slide. Josh is now asking for a new color of helicopter thingy since he can't flick that one
Gotta go out an help him.... to be continued

The last segment was while we were home between school and skating lessons.

Meanwhile back at our house... Josh is resting in his bed and thinking about NOT jumping on his brother anymore... something he got a time out for doing just yesterday and then he did it this afternoon from pretty high up on the jungle gym. Since both boys behaved well at skating I decided to reward them with a trip to our - ok my - favorite park so they got to play on the jungle gym and while there were climbing and sliding I was thinking back to just after we moved here and Josh was so little that I had to follow him around to spot him and be sure he wouldn't hurt himself today he was whizzing up a rope ladder where he used to just pull himself up on the first rung and kind of go sideways to the next opening on the thing and at the time he thought that was great - it's amazing how quickly the time flies.

During our excursion to Five Below I got Josh an alarm clock and made a picture schedule so he can get into the same routine that Dima's in first thing in the morning. Dima's really good about turning off his alarm, getting out of his P.J.s to put on the clothes that were laid out the night before and coming downstairs on school days. Lately Josh has been whining for me to help him and I think he's big enough that he can start to do more for himself.

He just used his alarm to get up from nap - got his pants on without help and is downstairs on his own. He's looking for a toy that he had this morning and he's walking around in the playroom saying "I'm getting warmer". Funny, funny kid!!