Isaac's first rainbow

Playing outside with my boys always makes me feel better when I'm in a bad mood. Starbucks does the same, but "outside" is free. So after Starbucks tonight (bah-dump CHISH!), Dada said he might like to work a bit, and I suggested that we could head to campus -- he could get things done more quickly at his office than at home, and I could walk around with the fellas. Isaac never tires of visiting the water fountain. He calls it the "water mountain", and no amount of repetitive "fffffffountain!"ing in his direction will convince him otherwise.

It had rained off and on all afternoon, so we were totally pressing our luck. But being outside right at dusk, where the boys and I could watch the sunset together and take in the new crispness that early fall evenings bring, was worth a shot. Even if somebody had to blast a dookie right in the middle of campus.

(But Mommy gets her revenge! I caught the episode in pictures to gross out future prom dates! I'm so sorry if you think this is gross, or exploitative, but it also neatly illustrates our problem with potty-training right now -- he is so aware of when he has to go #2, but is completely unwilling to make that experience into the spectacle necessary for getting him on the potty.)

Here he is, beginning his poopoo routine, making a huge scene of suddenly not wanting to be around anyone. "I go over here!" he exclaims. "Mommy, you stay right there!"


And then he goes and hides behind a bench to get the job done.


Because I have all the right equipment and no shame whatsoever, I changed his poopoo dipe right there on the bricks next to the fountain. Nobody was there to scope out my little boy's parts or anything, and I used Jakey's (washable) sling as a changing pad. We totally fly by the seats of our pants at the O'Neal household.

Isaac enjoyed running himself around and around the water mountain...


...while I let Crawly McCrawlerton explore the area around water mountain in his own way.




We ran around the green a little before it started raining again. As we headed back, the heavens greeted my little toddler with his first rainbow.


Outside does a special double-duty, too. It's late late late all that running around is helping everyone to sleep well. Well, everyone except the momma and her inexplicable insomnia.