~guest post by MRS

Since finding out that we were having some complications with the pregnancy, I’ve been on bed rest. The result is that I’ve had a lot of time to sit around doing, basically, nothing. While trying to keep myself occupied, I’ve spent a significant amount of time exploring blogs. As I poked through various blogs, I read one post from Zweber Family Farm News that struck a cord with me and made think me of Blue and the kind of little boy Blue is likely to become.

Blue has loved the warmer weather. After experiencing sun, sand and green grass during a February trip to Houston, Blue has insisted on playing outside anytime the temperature has been above freezing. There have been many days that we bundled Blue up and let him run around outside, only to carry him back into the house kicking and screaming with hands and face red from the cold. HandyMan and I encourage his love of outside playtime and really enjoy watching Blue enthusiastically run around exploring his surroundings.

Blue seems to think that every part of the outdoors must be explored in every sensory way possible. He walks on everything, then he climbs on it, touches it, and eventually he usually tries to eat it (it meaning everything outside). This has resulted in tumbles down our mulch pile, bloody noses in our driveway and a fall into the middle of the largest mud puddle Blue could find.

When HandyMan and I heard Blue cry out and saw him sitting in the puddle, I immediately plucked Blue out of the middle of the puddle, carried him in the house and took a picture of him! He didn’t seem to mind the mud, in fact, he tried to eat it, however he didn’t like the temperature, as it was pretty cold out that day.

After taking the picture, I carried Blue straight to the tub where he and his clothes got a bath.

That evening HandyMan and I laughed while talking about Blue’s tumble into the puddle and reminisced about similar experiences we had as kids. My sister and I loved to make mud pies as children, while both of my brothers loved to farm their toy tractors in the mud and dirt. HandyMan’s dad, in particular, has lots of stories about HandyMan playing in the dirt as a child and I’ve seen home video of HandyMan’s brother stomping in mud puddles. To us, it’s just part of growing up in the country.

That wasn’t the first time Blue has been so dirty after playing outside that he needed a bath, and it wasn’t the last. It was the most entertaining though (so far). After reading Emily Zweber’s post, I think HandyMan and I might need to invest in some waterproof bib overalls!