Here ya go. Play with soapy warm water for a change.

Erika is fully mobile now. And since the weather is reasonably sunny its time to demand to go outside at all hours of the day. Indeed, she is addicted to the swing. Two hours yesterday despite drizzle, and about 90 minutes today when as it was sunny. She also spent an hour in the back of the neighbor's pickup which was full of a load of planting soil.

Yes, you read that correctly. I came home from work and asked where Erika was. Jackie replied, "Oh, she's in the back of the Protestant's pickup playing in the dirt." First a couple things. We have affectionate names for all our neighbors, but they don't know it so keep it to yourselves. And the Protestant's oldest girl, Melissa, is a "mommy's helper" meaning that we pay her to stop by a couple times a week and play with Erika so Jackie can do other things. Melissa comes looking for work whenever she needs money for more tunes for her ipod. This time Erika came to her because they had a fresh load of dirt.

Anyway, Erika had a fantastic time in the dirt and she was filthy. In the picture here, we have dusted her off, and filled her bucket with warm soapy water in hopes that she will accidently clean herself in some strange reverse process that only works on kids who don't know that you are tricking them to get clean.