Simple

The outdoors, and the weather to spend time there, have been Trey's saving grace lately. He is going through an angry phase, and I use the word "phase" with as much faith as I can drum up, in hopes that meanness is not some new, permanent dimension to his personality.

About the only thing guaranteed to keep the boy happy is to play outside. Bubbles, slide, swings, baseball, golf... Anything and everything.

Today was a low-maintenance outdoor play day. The simpler the activity, the better.

I used sidewalk chalk to create a winding road of letters for Trey to ride his tricycle on. He goes around and around, so proud of himself every time he finishes the alphabet.


Picking "dan-du-wines". These are meant to be shaken violently, and ideally you should position yourself so that the stuff blows back in your face.


Collecting old walnuts to throw into the bushes. He likes throwing things.


Chasing butterflies, sometimes so fast and crazy that you get dizzy and fall down. Now where did my butterfly go??


Just an aside, we all know that Trey is pretty much Brandon's mini-me, but every once in a while he changes to look very much like his Mama. Here's a close-up of that last picture. See? I did have a little bit to do with him.