three boys & two dogs

Today was a special day for my nephew, Corbin.  He got to go to his new school, Chugach Optional, to check out the kindergarten classes he will be entering this fall...so exciting!  I watched Noah at my house while Corbin and Kelsey were at Chugach, and then Kelsey had to work so she dropped Corbin off at my house for the rest of her work day.

In the morning we went on a walk to the new playground at Westchester Lagoon.  It was...interesting.  I thought (who knows why) that it would be a good idea to bring both dogs.  Not such a great idea.  I just felt so bad leaving Beau home to bring Tutka, but puppies need all the exercise and training opportunities possible.  So I guess I thought it would be great to go to the park with a baby, 3 year old, 5 year old, one temperamental toy poodle and a rambunctious lab puppy that wants to chase the big boys everywhere they go.  Crazy!

It actually wasn't that bad.  Especially when Corbin volunteered to walk Beau, and Beau chose to cooperate (key word: chose - depending on his mood, he can either be an angel or a little devil).  We had a nice little stroll down to the park, and the boys were very good at listening and watching for cars.

Per Corbin's instruction, whenever a car came, we all had to stop and get over to the very edge of the road, where he would hold both hands up and out towards the car, as if to protect us from it...so cute!

When we got to the playground, the boys were free to run wild.  Tutka was too for a few minutes, until he kept climbing up the equipment and not being able to get down or nearly getting trampled by the boys as they ran around.  The big tire-less tire swing was probably the biggest hit with them, they loved it.

Riggs watched for a few minutes then fell asleep.  Beau "guarded" his stroller the entire time, watching closely for any other dog to enter his sights and growling quite fiercely if he saw one.  Tutka just sort of followed me wherever I went, keeping his eyes on the boys, sometimes whining and attempting to bound off after them.

On the way home we had to stop and check out the chickens.  When I told Corbin that I planned on getting chickens at some point once we are settled into our new house, he became very excited.  "Will they be nice chickens or will they try to peck us?"  "Can I pick them up?" "Can I collect their eggs?"  "What will you name them?" - the questions just went on and on.

Having the big boys over tired Riggs out and he spent most of the afternoon napping on the couch - his hand up by his face nearly the entire time...that same hand he had up by his eye when he was born.

Riggs is having so much fun being three months old, I am just in awe of him.  He loves to grab things now, and is just starting to do so with purpose.  He spent some quality time with Sophie on the couch yesterday:

He simply loves to look at himself in the mirror.  At our new house I want to get a sturdy mirror to lean against the wall in his room, for his viewing pleasure.  Here he is, smiling unabashedly at himself this evening before bed:

Happy Tuesday!