Saratoga Springs, the Skarstedt home

Today we spent the morning playing with our Skarstedt cousins. We all had such a great time. The children were guided by cousin Leif and they made a colossal fort. Seriously colossal. It was constructed with 4 couches all tipped on their side, topped with two mattresses, and filled with a mountain of cushions. It was impressive, and I kicked myself mentally later for not taking a picture when I had a fleeting chance.

After the fort fun, cousin Leif carried the mattresses to the stairs and laid them down over the stairs to create a very bouncy slide, then he piled a mountain of cushions at the bottom of the stairs to create a safe landing zone. The little children had SUCH fun careening down the mattresses and crashing into the cushions. I must admit I also took a turn down the slippery slope, and it was delightful.

We played at a creative playscape for hours. They particularly loved climbing to the top of a massive rope structure and playing in the sprinklers.

Joseph's favorite past time was digging in the dirt anywhere we went. At Aunt MaryAnn's home he played in the sandbox for hours on end. At the Skarstedt home he dug in the soil with his little cousin Hazle. Oh how this boy loves dirt....perhaps it comes from his country upbringing. He's always running outside to dig in the dirt with whatever handy tool he can find, whether the tools be shovels, spoons, sticks, or spatulas.

After a sad goodbye, we headed north to Grandma and Grandpa Muir's farm in Idaho. When we drive, we love to listen to audio books. The book of choice this day was "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe." Such fun.