Nature Boy

James has come to enjoy walking outside.

With the heat, we tend to not go out as often as I would really like, but when we get home from errands in the evening I do make it a point to let him walk outside.

I need to be honest: he doesn't own any shoes or socks.

There, I said it.

He outgrew everything that we had, and when we started looking to replace them, we realized that we'd have to go through this whole process again in 4 months when Summer left us.  So, rather than spend money we don't have now, we are saving in order to get him a good pair of shoes and socks that won't bunch up on those chubby legs.  He spends most of his time inside, and errands have him in a stroller or shopping cart.

When James is placed on the ground to walk, it is barefoot.  I'm not talking about putting him out in the hot street, only on the sidewalk, and only after I make sure it's shaded and not hot.

He will walk a little, watch ants walk past, and then stare at the grass.

Like most toddlers, a new surface is not something to jump on to.  He is wary of this grass stuff when it's under his little feet.  He has no problems sitting on the sidewalk next to it and pulling it out, but just don't stand him on it.

What the grass seems to cause him issues with is the fact that there are leaves there.  Leaves that he loves to pick up and twirl when on the sidewalk, but not walk on the grass to get.

Each night, I've wandered on the lawn, picking a couple of large leaves for him, and bringing them back.  He loves to sit and just drop them, twirl them, and will bounce with joy each time.  I don't think I've ever seen someone so excited to watch a leaf he just dropped from his hand land on the floor.

He brings new leaves in each time, and he will spend the evening hiding them and finding them.  Picking them up and dropping them.

He makes this happy grunt and bounces, waving those arms, with this huge grin on his face, excited to have these new things to carry around.

All his toys are not nearly as interesting as these leaves.

I cannot wait for Autumn.