A Brief Indoor Respite

Ever since the weather warmed up, we've spent most of our free time outside. We do a lot of playing with water and food coloring, water beads exploration, and just roaming around the yard and neighborhood. However, this morning I was trying to delay my entry into the pollinated world so I convinced Ethan to stay upstairs and do a sensory bin with me before we headed next door for a playdate. Between his light table and his play kitchen, we haven't gotten out his dry bin in a while, and he was excited to play with his materials in a different way. As usual, I let him choose what went in. We started with dried pinto beans. Then he wanted to add glass gems (he wanted to add all of them; I got him to settle for a few handfuls). After playing with this combination for a good long while, he decided to add seashells and wooden beads. This was the end result:

Don't mind his outfit. Once again, no pants = easier potty trips. You might notice, however, that he's sporting his big boy cloth trainers in these pictures instead of his usual diapers!

Then Ethan got the idea to put his feet in it. I always encourage this because I want him to explore with his entire body. He thought it was hilarious, especially when I used my hands to scoop beans up over his feet and drop them down his shins. He refused to smile for the camera, though:

Then this happened:

I often get comments on facebook about how neat my house looks in pictures. Let me assure you, it is NOT because my toddler is naturally tidy. I just spend a lot of time cleaning and cleaning up after him! But, we have fun, and that's what's most important!