Ruby Slippers and Mudpies

What I want to write about is really kind of weak without pictures, but I'm going to try anyway. Today, Hope walked...with shoes on. That's right, my newest baby girl is wearing shoes. Hang on, it gets better...

My newest baby girl has a shoe fetish!

It was an absolutely gorgeous day here. Think sixty degree weather, sunny, warm breezes. Ahhhh, it was close to heaven except I don't think there will be quite so much mud there.

Seeing as it was gorgeous the thing to do seemed to be take the kids and the old dog for a walk. So I bundled up Hope (the big kids were already playing outside) and realized she's not going to want to be carried the whole way. *sigh* My mommy heart isn't quite ready for it yet, but looking on the bright side of things I remembered that I had recently set out Becca's tennis shoes from her first spring. So onto Hope's feet they went. Hope looked at them, touched them. I pulled her to her feet and she bent to touch them again. (I think she was worried that her feet had become lost at this point.) I encouraged her to take a step. Which she did then sat down and tapped her little shoed feet together and grinned the biggest grin I have seen out of her. This grin is even bigger than the one she flashes when she sticks her finger up her nose!

So it has begun.

Honey, watch out! There's three of us now!

Other notes from our walk...

Tyler wanted so badly to hold Maverick's leash. So after a little 'coaching' I let him. That boy got the dog to heel! I have never been able to make him heel like he did for Ty. Maybe I ought to see how he does with raising his sisters. Um, no. That's a way scarier thought.

Becca was very disappointed that she didn't get to roll down the hill to the creek we walked to. That is until I pointed out all the duck poo along the way. Princess quickly appeared and was quite satisfied not to pursue that route down to the ducks. She was very pleased with herself for finding several different kinds of seed pods to bring home to her collection. (Which she promptly dropped once we got back in the yard and the swing set/sandbox began calling.)

I have decided to no longer try to take all three kids and a dog on a walk without some sort of conveyance for Hope. Trying to juggle her, seed pods, a dog leash, and watch for cars driving the wrong way on a one way street was a little much!

I'm so thankful for these beautiful days that promise spring is near! I get to plant all my little garden seed this coming week. I'm so excited to get my fingers back into some dirt and start dreaming of ways to turn my muddy, yucky back yard into a thing of beauty soon. Do you think if I click my heals three times and say, "There's no season like spring" it might come a little faster?

Bethany