Walking the A-Team

We've done a lot of walks this spring and summer.  If we don't go somewhere or do something, most days we go outside and usually take a walk around the block.  It goes something like this....

Here's three of the neighbor kids: Nathan, Abby and Jonathon.  They like to play light sabers lately outside.  If they are out, I have to keep a firm hold on my kids not to run across the street!

Usually, Adam walks Bailey.  I have to firmly keep Abbey's hand or who knows where's she go, but Adam is pretty darn good at staying on the sidewalk and taking care of his responsibilities with Bailey.  I ask him each time if he wants the responsibility of Bailey.  All but once, he has said yes.

These were taken last week and that day, Adam didn't want to leave his book "Not My Monster".  He actually got grumpy with me when I told him that no, I couldn't read it while we were taking a walk.  Reminds me of....me.  I always wanted to take a book everywhere.

He'll take off running with Bailey and come back.  Look at my big boy.

At the first corner, there is a waterfall in some one's yard that has fascinated Adam all summer.  I've had to struggle to keep him out of their yard. It's Adam's first "landmark"on our walk.  Lately, it's been turned off and Adam informs me it's broke.

We turn the corner and Adam usually starts running "MR. POTATO HEAD MOM! Come on!"  An elderly neighbor placed this in her tree and early this summer, Adam pronounced it to be Mr. Potato Head.  Sometimes, I make him talk to Adam, who talks back.  "Hi Adam How Are you?" and Adam answers.  Abbey wants me to pick her up and she grins and points 'See it!" she says in her little Abbey squeal.  Once their sprinkler was on and Adam has asked many times since if Mr. Potato Head will be taking a shower again.  This morning, he "pet him" by rubbing the tree.  I'm sure we look nuts.  The woman who did it came out a couple of times and told me she just loves how much joy they get out of it.

In the tree next door is this bird house.  The kids have been waiting for a bird to come out.

On occasion, once we round the second corner and get off of Seneca St., I will let Abbey free.  She's so far not gone too far.  She's finally learning?

"Come on MOM!  Let's find Mr. Prickle Pants!"  Adam heads off to his favorite spot.  But there's a few things before we get there...

Lately, he's been stopping at this fire hydrant and wanting to know what it does.  So I tell him.  Each time.

Next up...this graffiti.  Abbey points to it! "see it!" she says.

But THIS is what Adam is waiting for.  More graffiti.  To Adam, this is Mr. Prickle Pants from Toy Story 3... a porcupine in pants.  Abbey loves it, too.

She points.  "See it?" and I lift her up and she grins and says "byyyee".

Around the corner, this house had a dog planter and a rock with a painted smiley on it.  Or to Adam, Slinky Dog from Toy Story and Sparkles from Toy Story 3.  Except that Sparkles is really Buttercup the unicorn, but I told him the name was Sparkles and it stuck.  The rock disappeared a few weeks ago and as of this morning, slinky dog was gone.   Adam was standing there scratching his head "Where he go?"  I said taking a nap....

Back up the Cayuga Street block and around the corner into our driveway...the kids running around a bit in there own space.  Abbey likes to collect leaves and flowers.

And if she's in an Abbey mood, she likes to crunch up those leaves.

This post was important to me.  It's a documentation of something we do all the time, but is simple.  Something that could get forgotten over the test of time.  And it's a big illustration of Adam's HUGE imagination.