Rain+Dirt=Mud

Aside from swimming lessons, Hunter and JP had quite a bit of fun on the farm.

 Boys and tractors :) Surprisingly Papa didn't give them a ride on the tractor this trip. At least for JP, seeing all the tractors was enough!

 Before lessons the boys spent a good chunk of time just throwing dirt clumps. I remember doing that as a child too. But one of my favorite things to do as a child was...

 ...playing in the mud! I don't recall doing it quite like this but again, boys will be boys!

 JP had entirely too much fun jumping in and landing on his bottom. It wasn't a very deep puddle either...

 I was a little surprised to hear that Perry didn't play in the mud as a young child, but I guess if you live in a city there isn't much dirt. 

 I however was not surprised by his reaction when I sent these pictures to him.

 This would have never happened had dad been watching them!

 If I hadn't been watching them, they would have probably been naked! A little mud never hurt anyone!

And to answer JP's question, no Papa Craig didn't make the puddle. The rain made it, and then mom added more water to it so it was actually mud.

 That evening before Aunt Bobby arrived, I took them to town to play at the "water tower" park. 

 They played pirates, since their new favorite movie is, and I quote, "Disney's Peter Pan."

 Charlotte did a lot of this...

The merry-go-round was a huge hit with them too!

Swimming Lessons in Hingham

Summer must be here because swimming lessons have started!

At the beginning of May, Perry and I took the boys swimming and discovered they both have come to enjoy playing in bodies of water bigger than the bathtub. Due to that it was time they started taking swimming lessons. Although it would have been much more convenient for me to take them to lessons here, I instead took them to Hingham for the week. 

 Hunter was very anxious for swimming lesson. Even though he knew we were going to visit Nanny and Papa, he was convinced lessons were going to be at the hotel.

 On the second day of lessons, he discovered goggles. I'm pretty sure he thinks they are the greatest thing ever invented! 

 I was a little worried about JP, but he showed me! As soon as it was time for their lesson to begin on the the first day, he skipped the ladder and jumped right in. He was completely submerged in water and popped right up out of the water like a spring, with his eyes wide open. He clearly didn't know that was going to happen, but he hopped right back out of the pool only to jump in again. 

 He LOVED jumping in! That's all he wanted to do! By the last day, he was practicing his "dives" by sitting on the edge and then diving into the pool. It was more like a belly flop though...

Hunter loved playing with the rings. (I'm pretty sure some of them are the same ones I had played with when I was young...) He would throw them in and then retrieve them. At the beginning of the week, he would use his feet to pick them up, but by the end of the week, he was holding his breath to swim down to pick them up. I was so impressed with what he accomplished in a week!

Depending on what's going on in July, I might bring them back for the second session.

Here's a little video of the boys jumping in. Enjoy! :)