Nothing too exciting happened today, except Michael and I drove to Chesterfield to bring Josh some lab equipment for school that he forgot. It's a 45 + minute drive- so it cut into Michael's nap time- thus the nap situation was horrible today, but that's ok- he's sleeping well now;) We also got stuck in construction traffic just past the 255 exit on I 64, it took us an hour to get from the 255 exit to the mall exit (usually it takes maybe 7 minutes?) It was horrible! Apparently the overpass by the St. Clair Square exit is being upgraded/ fixed. Michael and I spent a lot of time in the yard today, swinging mostly. Michael LOVES the swing. It's so cute! And then later when we were reading I found a poem in one of his poem books about swinging, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, here it is...

THE SWING
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside-

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown-
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

When we were swinging today, Michael kept looking up in the tree. We talk about the tree, I tell him about the leaves, branches and bark. I tell him who lives in the tree; squirrels, birds and insects. I talk to him about the wind wrestling through the trees and how we're so lucky to have this big Maple in our backyard to swing under and play under and give us shade and share with all the animals. I know he understands and appreciates the beauty around him, he doesn't get frustrated trying to mow around the tree or hate the bird poop that is usually on our deck because the tree is so close, that's how we all should be. Just appreciative of the beauty of creation that is all around us. To be truthful- that Maple is one of the reasons I liked our house and wanted to buy it. Many of the roots stick up out of the ground and I love that, it makes the tree look so mysterious and older then it seems when one only looks at the top. Michael, Gemma, Josh and I will enjoy many days under that tree. I am so thankful that it sits in our backyard.
This picture was taken Nov. 1, 2009- 4 days before our 5th anniversary and also 4 days before we closed on the house. I am also about 6 (ish) weeks pregnant with sweet little Michael;)