Frogs, worms, wolves, and bears

I'm not sure if it rains more in Ohio or Tennessee.  It rains a lot here.  Our lawn is a sloshy bed.  You can hear the water under your feet with each step.  Slosh, slosh, slosh.  My floors are covered in mud.  They boys are trying hard to remember to take their shoes off when they get in the house but we've had a few forgetful accidents and the carpets have gotten some nice muddy footprints.  I'm glad we invested in a carpet shampooer so many years ago.  I think when we realized we were having a third boy we knew then that a shampooer would be a necessity.  The boys have been going into the forest with their neighbor friends and coming back out one big muddy mess.  It reminds me of the book called Dirt Boy.  The rain doesn't stop them from going out and exploring.  Piper likes to be outside too even if it is raining.  The rain has brought a large amount of worms onto our driveway.  Piper thinks they are disgusting.  She calls them "ceepy" (or creepy) and "cary" or (scary).

 Worms or no worms, she is determined to be outside any time she can, even if that means her new "Princess" dress gets sopping wet.  We found it on a huge discount at the store and she has begged to wear it daily and we have let her until an unfortunate accident occurred when she was out playing with her brothers.  They were investigating the wheelbarrow in the backyard which was filled with rain water.  Piper leaned over to dunk her head in the water and feel right in.  She and her dress came out of the wheelbarrow dripping wet.

It seems that Tennessee has been taken over by the loudest frogs.  Piper and I went on a frog hunt this week.  We could hear them but could not find them.  They were well hidden.  There is this marshy area on the property of the elementary school that is fenced off.  The frogs are so loud there!  Mike went with me to drop the boys off at school the other day and Eli was telling Mike about how one of the frogs escaped the fenced in area and made it's way to the playground.  He said, "Can't you hear them, Dad?"  Mike said, "Those aren't frogs.  That is the car next to us."  I told him to roll his window down and sure enough he realized that it was not the car next us but the loud frogs!  All you have to do is walk out the door and you hear a chorus of noisy frogs.  It's pretty cool.

Piper has been sick this week.  She really has not slept well and feels pretty miserable.  When we went to the park it was one of the only days it hadn't rained and even though she was sick, she needed to get out.  When we got home we had a picnic on the porch.  Her hair is curly with all this moisture and humidity.

Finally, the boys had their blue and gold banquet this week.  They have worked really hard to get belt loops and arrows.  Isaac is almost done with his wolf and received his religious square knot as well as three belt loops.  He has a bunch of arrow requirements finished as well but can't get those until he is done with his his wolf.

 Will got his bear on Wednesday and moved up to the Webelos.  He got five arrows, three belt loops, his religious square knot, and his bear.  He really worked so hard!

I'm really proud of their hard work and it was fun to be there to support them and see them get awards.