The best baby toy ever.

I might sound like a hippie, or a passage from Walden but, I think the best baby toy is nature. No joke.  Flashy baby toys need not apply. I love laying Van on a blanket outside and watching his eyes follow a butterfly or bee, or looking up at the sky.

I enjoy seeing him turn to look at birds he hears chirping or cars passing by. Squirrels, Sophie, neighbors... he hears dogs barking... sees all of the flowers blooming in our front yard.  Surely he smells the yummy flowering bushes across the street. ...All of this sensory stimulation is natural and much more peaceful than a loud, crazy baby toy!

At 5:30 p.m., any day of the week, you will find me, Van, and Sophie, outside on Nanny's bench, (well...Soph is at our feet) waiting for Evans to come home from work.

Its my favorite time of day (not only because my help arrives) but because we get to pause and watch all of the neat things going on outside.

Somewhere along the way, my child has turned from an infant to a little boy:

{Those orange sweet potatoes go well with green and white stripes}

And he has decided to sit up on his own!

{Van's "ipod" has him so captivated... maybe some flashy baby toys are okay...}