Mud ~or~ Why is it so quiet right now?

I was busy doing something in the house when I realized that I hadn't heard them playing for the last 10 minutes or so...hmmm. Even though we have nearly 3 acres Claire and Emmett tend to play right next to the house when they are outside without their big brothers. And because of that I can usually hear them through the windows the entire time they are outside.

Around here things get pretty noisy after lunch. I usually don't lay the littles down for a nap until 2:00 pm. That gives them time to play for a bit after lunch and makes it late enough in the day that while they sleep I can clean up (at least some of) the worst messes before Daddy gets home from work. But as nap time approaches, and they get more and more tired, Claire and Emmett tend to get much more noisy. They cry more, and whine a bit more, and fight or fuss with each other more at that time of day than any other. I am often very happy for nap time to roll around! When they wake up, they are both much happier, and then when Daddy gets home from work, things flow a little more peacefully than they might otherwise!

Today they have been running on high speed all day long! I mentioned over breakfast that some friends might be coming over to play tomorrow. Since then they have been super excited, making plans all morning. After lunch I sent them outside to play for a while, saying that when they came inside it would be nap time! ;-)

As soon as I realized that I hadn't heard them, I walked over to the big glass doors in the dining room thinking I'd need to go looking for them. Then I saw Emmett, stripped to his underwear and covered in mud, standing on top of the picnic table. Claire was next to the table on the back porch similarly undressed and also covered in mud. They were both concentrating on playing with the mud so much that they were being really really quiet!  I got my camera and stepped outside to watch for a while.

 After a few minutes I told them not to put any mud in their little kiddie pool, since I had just cleaned it out and refilled it the day before. In a little bit Claire came running in the house dripping wet (although not so muddy any more) and asked me to come out and see their new trick. So I followed her back out and watched as she and Emmett took turns running and jumping into the kiddie pool. When I asked why they were getting the clean pool muddy she told me that they hadn't put any mud into the pool, they had made cookies with it, and did I want one? I suppose, I did not tell her specifically not to jump in the pool while muddy, I just said don't put any mud in it...

Meanwhile Violet was peacefully napping in her little crib. Oh baby girl, it wont be long before you join in these great adventures!