Best sprinkler ever!

I found this great sprinkler at Target & I thought the kids might like to run through it at Max's birthday party. I did not foresee the awesome power exerted by the Spiderman pool which caused everything else to go unnoticed. (At least until it was time for cake.) So it sat unused & lonely in a corner of the back yard. Until now.
It has been so hot in St. Louis that we haven't gotten too much outdoor playtime & for Max's energy level (and my sanity), that is not a good thing! 107 degrees is just to hot for him to be running around all wild & crazy. So after it had cooled off to about 100 one evening we decided to take advantage of the brief period before the mosquitoes really get stirred up to go out & play in the sprinkler. It can be used as either a stationary sprinkler by filling the reservoir in the bottom with water or can be rolled around all over the yard thanks to a nifty hose attachment. At first Max just ran around it, getting soaked & stopping for a drink now and then.
Then he discovered that it would roll. And roll it he did! Back & forth across the yard. Then he noticed that he could roll back toward the front porch. Where we were sitting. Sneaky little munchie!
When he finally got tired, Max decided he would just sit down on it, take a little rest & still keep cool. But the sprinkler had other ideas. Max would ease back & try to put his full weight on it just like a beanbag, but the sprinkler would just roll him right off.
After a few bumps he figured out a position that worked. For a little while, anyway. He just kept wanting to put his feet up.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end & with dusk falling fast, the mosquitoes took care of the outside play. Max didn't want to go in, insisting that he didn't have any blood for the mosquitoes to drink & only cooperated when we turned the sprinkler off.

Vacation (of a sort)

Lots has been happening in our little corner of St. Louis & most of it in our back yard! Mom & Dad came up for Max's birthday & stayed for a week. Max had a great time hanging out with Mum-mum & Pop-pop. Every morning Max would charge downstairs with strict instructions not to follow, he would wake up Mum-mum all by himself. He & Pop-pop would walk to the store to get a newspaper & look at all the cars & trucks & play in the gazebo in the park for awhile.

Later he would play outside with Mum-mum.
Followed by nice cold watermelon from their farm.

But it wasn't all fun and games! Ian & Dad were hard at work fixing our deck. I say fixing, it was more like rebuilding. We had replaced boards here & there since we bought the house 2 years ago but the people who built it never sealed it & replacing the whole floor was inevitable. I was pretty nervous walking across it. Then we discovered the posts needed to be replaced as well. And parts of the rail. And I wanted steps on the east side of the deck since Max's swing set is on that end of the house & the only steps were on the west side. So after Max's party, we got to work. Yes, I did say we. While Ian & Dad were pulling up boards & I got the fun task of helping move them to the ever growing pile of rotten planks. ( And boy, were they rotten!) Then I followed behind them, yanking nails & screws out of the joists. Luckily none of those needed to be replaced! Dad & Ian worked their tails off & got it most of it done by the time Mom & Dad had to leave on Sunday. Ian finished up a few remaining items & next week it will get a nice coat of water seal! Too bad its too hot to enjoy it! 105 degrees! Yikes!

Posts replaced, rail removed for steps & floor demolition in progress!

Look at that nice new floor! No body's gonna fall through that!

Look at those steps! Three cheers for Dad & Ian!

Now that the deck is finished I can finally start planning for spring planting! I know its early but I have some interesting plans for flowers & veggies!

And now you know why I posted everything at once!

Max is 3!

Mommy said that since I'm a big boy I could tell everyone about my party. My friends Connor & Kassie came & played in my new pool! It was so much fun going underwater & then jumping up to splash my friends.

Diver Max

Boo!

The frosting tasted so good, I didn't want any cake! Mommy had other ideas!

We had cupcakes with spiderwebs & lots of snacks for all my friends! My Mimi & Grandpa were there with all my St. Louis aunts & uncles. Mum-mum & Pop-pop & Uncle Mark came all the way from Arkansas. I was so glad everyone got to come play!

I almost forgot! Here's a picture of my friend Finn showing us his angry face! He's guarding his cupcake because he thought the frosting was the best part too! Go away, Cupcake Snatchers!

What will I be today?

Max loves to dress up & pretend so here a a few of his favorites.

Pirate Max- "Arrrgh! Where did I bury my treasure?"

Diver Max (Those are Dad/Bill's fins & snorkel!)

Farmer Max- "I'll plant watermelons, I think!"

Spiderman Max

This is a Spidey swim set that my dad found for him. He hasn't tried it in the water yet but can't wait!

Gardener Max who all of a sudden turns into...

Artist Max

We also have Workerman Max (Construction worker in Max speak), Fireman Max & Policeman Max to name a few. What an imagination! No two days are alike!