.: One random evening

This is a glimpse of what we do after dinner on weekdays when it is nice outside. It's really interesting. Really.
We bum around the yard and teach Elise outdoor chores. Soon, she'll take over and we'll just watch from the hammock.
(A quick word about shiners and blood-red stains. If you look closely, you'll notice a little shiner and mark below Elise's eye. Yeah, it's not that bad, but you should see how the staircase fared. Oh, and the blood-red stains on her shirt? She painted at school. Frankly, I'd be concerned if she didn't have any paint on her clothes. The finest artists never were meticulous types.)

The evening begins for her as it so often does for me: with an assessment of the scattered mess in the garage. But in a reversal of roles, I give up and she remains fascinated. (Note the propane tank next to her toys. Yes, that's how we roll.)

You're not going to get far if you don't fill up first.

I prefer nice straight mowing lines. She wants to get all baseball-diamond-fancy on me.

Because shadows are neat and black-and-white photos hide weeds better.

She is learning to water plants. And to think: I just bought soaker hoses for the garden, when I could have just sent her out there.

Soon she'll learn it's easier to water plants if you don't dump all of your water on your way to the plants. In the meantime, she is perfecting the sign for water.