One thing I really have mixed feelings about regarding our neighborhood is that there are tons of little boys. Okay, let's rephrase...while I'm sure there are boys closer in age to Eli, the ones he's most attracted to (aside from Andrew, who apparently is expected at our house every afternoon) are not really little boys, but older boys with sometimes dangerous ideas for what a nearly four year old ought to be able to do. While it's been fun to see Eli actually act like a boy (throwing stuff, lugging around sticks, digging, etc.), I miss the more docile, non-dirty kid from last summer in Wisconsin. Sure, he's always liked a good sandbox, but that was nothing like the dirt fascination and somewhat tentative dare devil attitude he now has. Really, he's not a daredevil at all, but if he sees the older neighborhood kids doing something, he thinks he needs to try it. Better yet, the kids have figured out that even if they're not allowed to do something, they can tell Eli to do it, and 9 times out of 10, he will and they'll laugh (meaning he continues whatever "bad" thing he did for their enjoyment). I also enjoy how the older kids (ages 5-6) tell me I can go home and they'll watch Eli, as if their six year old judgment can be trusted to keep anyone (even themselves) from running in front of a car to chase a ball, stick or whatever they might be playing with that ends up in the road. Here's a picture of the boys playing on the Zick's swing-set (please note, I had the wrong lens on my camera for a group shot, so it's not that great a picture. Hey, I tried).
Really, it's fun to watch them all interact and hear what comes out of their mouths. I think they all would have stayed outside for hours together if life didn't get in the way today.
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