Sometimes I like to experiment.

I know the picture makes the big empty bed look really comfortable, but I liked the laundry basket just fine.

They have recycle bins at the Farmer’s Market.  Sometimes they have to be inspected and moved around.  You know.  Just because.

Good thing I brought my work gloves.  I’m just the guy for the job!

(Ed. Note: Now, if we could just figure out who to send the bill to…)

When Taylor and I go down the slides together, we’re doing it like the professionals!  That’s what I like to say, anyway.

On the way back from our Monterey trip, we visited some friends who had some Legos.  I could see that it might be time to let Ben have a try with my old Legos that had been in storage for many years.

Ben got right into it.  He still doesn’t have quite the dexterity to assemble many of the smaller pieces, and he can’t really envision how to build anything from scratch yet, but he likes playing with the creations that can be made.

Luckily, I’ve not gotten too rusty with my design and assembly skills.  And there were some crafts and vehicles that actually survived the long wait in the box totally or mostly intact!  I actually remember them!

Ben even took to browsing for things that we could buy, but then I showed him how we could just make them with the parts we had.  I made the yellow truck in the bottom center of the brochure for him right from the picture on the spot!  Now he has a new truck toy!

I’m not yet sure who is having more fun with the Legos, Ben or me!

Our trip started with a visit to Aunt Barb and Uncle Steve.  We had lunch and dinner with them, and while I was there I got to pick some really big lemons from their tree.  Thanks for the lemons, Barb and Steve!

Then we went to our hotel in Monterey where I got to move all our stuff inside with the cart.  I really like those carts they have at hotels.

The next day, we went for a walk out to breakfast.  I tried to stop Mommy from taking my picture:

For breakfast, I had a Mickey pancake with whipped cream!  Mmmmm….

Then it was off to the aquarium.

This was the first tank I saw.  There were sharks!  And a diver was cleaning the floor with his vacuum.  Just like we do at home!  So, what’s so special about this aquarium, anyhow?

Later, I touched some sea creatures at the touch tank.  Kinda slippery!

Then there’s the tank where the fish swim in circles.   Around and around.  Seems like they would get dizzy.

After the aquarium, we stopped for ice cream.  I got to finish off the sundae we shared.  Mmmmmm…

My favorite animals at the aquarium were the otters, but somehow my photographer didn’t take any pictures of them, so I can’t show them to you.  Maybe next time.

Daddy had the job of actually fixing the sprinkler, and he showed me how to do it.

Sometimes dirt falls in the pipe when you get the broken sprinkler out, and the pipe has to be flushed.  I got to be chief pipe flushing monitor…

… er… taster

… er… when does the water stop coming out? … Clear!  Clear!  The pipe is clear!

Of course, there’s nothing like testing the sprinklers after fixing one for an excuse get outside and get wet!

Oh, and we needed to deliver some emergency water to the dry parts of the lawn!

Too bad the weather is getting colder now.  I’ll have to wait until next summer before it is hot enough to play in the sprinklers!

Look what I did!

A line with two bumps.

A line with some other lines.

And two lines with a line connecting them.

B!     E!!!   N!!!!!!!      BEN!!!!!!

We had playgroup at an apple farm recently.  Auntie Linda and Uncle Rick came along to help pick apples and learn about the apple farm.

We got to pick and eat some apples, and see how the apple tree farm works.

These days, going out to see the garbage truck on Thursdays is pretty routine.  I have to bring along things to show to the garbage man just to keep things interesting.  Last time I brought along Clifford and my Clifford books to show.

I got a big thumbs up from the garbage man.  Does that mean he wants me to put them in the truck?!  Oh no!  Maybe I’ll leave them at home next time.

I recently met with playgroup at the park.  They had some good flowers for pickin’ at the park.  It’s always nice when nobody tells you not to pick the flowers!

After ornamental horticulture practice, it was time for some climbing.  Taylor and Henry were my climbing buddies.

Then it was time for a group swing.  Look at all the Little Monkey’s on big kid swings!