Quick Picture for the Day

He loves his slide.

And his basketball hoop.

And his tricycle.

And just being outside in general.

Backyard Fun

Well, the sad news is that our camera is going haywire!  It will not show anything when you have it in the camera mode.  I was able to get the last of our pictures off of it, but I think it's pretty much toast after that.  We do have my old camera from WAY back (last picture taken on it was on my deployment to Iraq in 2007, but I had it for a while before that).  That thing drives me crazy though because the screen is so small, you really can't tell if your picture is clear or blurry until you upload it onto the computer.  Also, for some reason I am REALLY good at taking blurry pics with that thing...it drives me crazy!!!  So, we may be getting a new camera soon...and I am hoping for a nice one :)

Anyway, you might be wondering why this post is entitled Backyard Fun when all I've done so far is whine about my camera.  Well, I did save a few pictures of Nolan enjoying some time in our yard.  They are the last of the pictures from that camera, so I might not have any to post for a while. 

One thing he loves about our yard is the little picnic table that's just his size.  He's getting really good at climbing up and sitting down at the table.  He also loves to lean way back and sometimes falls off into the grass...which brings up a big grin and giggle in him!  Here are some pictures of this happening.

When Fussy Time Hits

When nothing else works, taking Nolan for a walk really does the trick to calm him down and cheer him up. Don't get me wrong, he's a happy baby for the most part. Lately he's had a cold and I think that's interfered a little with his sleep, making him a little crabbier than usual.

It all came to a head yesterday evening at dinner time. He was eating avacadoes, which he normally seems to like a lot. Poor thing was pretty upset though and just kept fussing between every bite and letting out loud yelps when I didn't feed him fast enough. I was getting frustrated with this because it seemed like he was tired, but at 5:30 pm it was a little too early to put him to bed. So, I debated a few more minutes about whether to go through the whole ordeal of putting him in the carseat and driving to the dog park. In the end, I decided to give it a go. I think the fresh air was exactly what he needed. We got the chance to get out and see other people and dogs and to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Nolan was chattering the whole walk and kept a close watch on our black lab Frank, who was running around like crazy. Our dog park is a long trail that follows the Mississippi river. It is amazing to be able to spend time at the river, since it is such an important part of American history. I can see why this experience calms Nolan. It has the same effect on me :)

Do you make spending time outside a regular part of your routine? What are your favorite things to do outside?