Mud, boogers and other boy stuff

This Arizona girl is taking advantage of every moment of sun I can get on this warm winter day. I've realized, lately, how much the dreary (and unreasonably cold, if you ask me) weather affects my general outlook on life. So, if a sunny day stalks up on us, we're sure to be found on the porch, basking (or playing, as it were) in the rays.

Madigan is filling his wagon with dirt, thanks to the help of his trusty dump truck, while Paugie digs a "mote" next to the castle he built in the dirt pool. Jevy is tasting the tractor - delicious! Each of them has come to me to comfort one injury or another (so far, I've kissed the bottom of a very dirty foot, dug mud out of somebody's ear, and washed plant particles out of somebody's mouth) but all-in-all, this outdoor activity center has been a success today. When Paugie came up to wipe his paws on my clean shirt, that moment of sheer disbelief/irritation passed quickly enough as I reminded myself that it's just a shirt and it's actually pretty great that he thinks of Mommy as his general go-to for what's needed. I know it won't always be that way, so I'm going to treasure these days.

This morning, the boys came in to "stuggle" (according to Paugie) before getting on with the day. Madigan was sneezing, so I asked him if he wanted to blow his nose. After he declined, I said, "it sounds like you've got some boogers you need to blow out." He confidently informed me, "No, I don't have any boogers. I ate them all." George and I looked at each other with a weighty pause (perhaps in disbelief?) and then burst into laughter. George: "TMI!"