A splashin' good time.

Yesterday my good friend Allison and I decided to get out together and meet at the playground. Consider this equation: 2 toddlers + 2 infants + one ginormous play structure with ample opportunities to inflict permanent damage on little spines = 2 very busy, heart-rate-slightly-elevated mamas. But it was fun. In retrospect.

Ellie's a bit of a daredevil on the slides. I'm sure this is partly the reason I found my FIRST white HAIR a couple weeks back. Yeah, man. I've crossed over to the 'other' side. Dying my hair will no longer be 'just for fun'. Thanks, Ellie.

Here's Allison's cutie patutie, Kiley. She's got quite the singing voice.

Joshua was too busy watching other children to really notice that he'd gone down a slide for the first time.

Here's 22 month old Azelin giving me 'the nose'.

Ellie has been learning to ride the big kid swings...

...and so has Azelin!
So that was all fine and dandy. But the fun didn't stop there. There was this fairly deep, muddy looking puddle close by the swings that had been calling Ellie's name this entire time. She had come close to running through it, but heeded my warnings that she wouldn't like how her shoes felt after if they were all wet. Well, Azelin decided she was done with swings and began to run back towards the playground. Straight through the puddle. I don't think she honestly saw it there, because the look on her face was one of total shock when she realized how wet her feet were. Ellie didn't hesitate for more than a second. If Azelin was allowed, so was she! She ran straight in with gusto, and it became one of those golden motherhood moments to indulge in laughter and picture taking instead of a scolding.

After all the splashing was done, Ellie realized I was right. Her shoes felt awful. She whined and cried all the way home. But all great times at the park end in tears. This time was no exception.