Home is where…
![IMG_0012[1]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7124/8163858772_666b127c91_z.jpg)
…our little boy romps around like it’s his domain. I took this shot last night when Avery and I got home (can you tell it’s election day with the ‘VOTE’ card on our door?). It was 4:30, freezing, and getting dark – so why in the world were we outside? Well, as soon as I take Avery out of the car from our ride home from daycare, he start flipping out. I mean full on screaming and flailing! And it doesn’t help that I’m carrying my lunchbox, keys, and his school bag – juggling that and a flailing toddler is quite a mess. I’m sure I get a couple glares from the passing cars and people on the street wondering what horrible thing I did to this poor kid…
But as soon as we get past our back gate, I let him go and he is in heaven. He runs to the stoop and starts climbing the 3 steps to the back door. Then when we get inside and I put up the gate to the back stairs where we came in, he freaks out again. Throws a full on tantrum…screaming and flailing about so he falls on his but and sitting on the kitchen floor, continues to scream and ‘cry’(It’s like a preview into the terrible twos!). I know the drill, so I use this time to drop my stuff, change from my work shoes to sneakers, and chase him around to put on his warm hat and mittens. When I open the back door, the dramatics are gone and he is thrilled! I plop him in the yard and he runs around; he tries to pick up a pumpkin, falls on his face in the grass and gets right back up, plays with the gate -opening and closing it, and tonight he finds Daddy’s new winter tires that were delivered during the day…
![IMG_0004[1]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8198/8163842119_310f8550b2_z.jpg)
Then he’s sick of the yard and HAS to go walk run on the sidewalk. He refuses to hold my hand, so I have to hold his arm. He slows down pretty quickly though – seeing a colorful leaf and rare yellow flower and plays with it. Then we’re off to the front of the house – which I may add, is in dire need of some work! We focused on the inside of the house this past year, so please excuse the chipping paint and overgrown shrubbery….
![IMG_0009[1]](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7247/8163850801_dbf0461aa8_z.jpg)
But those things don’t matter to Avery-he knows this is home. He is excited that I let him go and he climbs the steps to the front door, all by himself! I’m right behind him tho – and good thing because the second time (of three, I may add) that he went up, he lost his balance and rolled backwards down a step! I was right there to cushion his fall, so he was fine – and got right back up, got distracted by a big truck driving by, and then he was back to climbing the steps…
I love nights like this. Even though it’s a mere 10-20 minutes outside (because thanks to daylight savings it’s dark by 5pm), it’s my favorite time of day.. Avery is so energetic, so curious, loves to explore, and I relish in the warmth I feel from watching him explore his home – even though it’s almost freezing outside… I’m so warm inside because this….this is home.
