Mud Puddles

We had a couple rainy days this week. Very rainy days. I think Owen said we got 2 inches in 3 days. Clover had all her kids and the three older girls down with her, (seven kids, Wednesday night meeting, and two guys staying there while they help Evan on a project. Yeah, she is super woman.) so Lisa and I only had four kids. And they happened to be four kids who thoroughly enjoy getting wet. Soaked kind of wet. And Muddy. Lisa and I did a disproportionate amount of laundry for the number of kids we had.

Hoyt's idea of a good time. A mud puddle and his tricycle close at hand.

After some patient work, Andy caught a frog.

Andy showing off his frog

I have some of the cutest nephews ever.

Levi and Andy were big fans of driving full speed through mud puddles.

Then, while it was raining, Andy and Levi decided to collect water. Gilbert and Elsie enthusiastically followed along.

Bringing buckets from the barn for further water collection 

Doesn't that look miserable? They were loving it.

I think this is where the boys came in to get jackets and we said no. We forced them all to come in for grilled cheese and comic books and legos. 

The next afternoon, they were back in the mud. With a vengeance. Elsie loves mud puddles. 

I know, as a good mother, I should have stopped this in its tracks, but it really is such a harmless and thoroughly farm kid thing to do. So I didn't. 

Levi was pulling Hoyt around in the wagon and a cock fight broke out between two of the roosters. 

It was a pretty quick fight and no one died. 

This picture captures a lot of Elsie's personality. I love this kid.

Levi is a pretty nice big cousin

Five delighted kids

Hoyt makes me laugh so much in this picture and the next! I think this is his exultant face about playing in the mud.

Hahaha! I love this silly kid!

And then it started to rain. And I didn't feel like getting wet. So we went in for warm baths.