Pigpen, 3.0

I just couldn't resist sharing these pictures from yesterday afternoon.  Mitchell seems to have a special knack for getting particularly filthy no matter where he is.  He is one of the only ones at school that seems to get food all over him, no matter what (this is based on my very unscientific visual survey of other children when I pick him up in the afternoons, and I recognize that all children are somewhat messy eaters at this age).  But more than that, it's just that he seems to go at life with gusto, which I totally love about him.  I do think sometimes it would be nice to have a child that's a bit more docile and might, from time to time, sit still and just chill out, but I wouldn't trade his adventurous little personality for all the tea in China.

This full contact attitude does mean lots of mess, though.  Yesterday I had to go to M's school for a meeting of the Parents' Council (we were discussing a new pergola that is going to be built on the playground, yay) and they were out on the playground when I arrived.  Luckily I was able to observe M for a few minutes from afar and I just got so tickled.  All of the kiddies in his room were just sort of toddering around in their area, but no one was really getting into it like my boy.  He was in constant motion: moving pea gravel around with the shovel, tumbling in and out of the toy car multiple times, manhandling his way into the toy house through the window.  (No wonder I'm worn out on those weekends where it's just me and him!) But I didn't really get a good look at him, and then John picked him up so I didn't see him up close until I got home. 

I mean, just look at this child.  He was playing back behind a chair when I came in the back door, and as soon as he rounded the corner I just burst out laughing.  He was simply filthy, and he had the biggest grin on his face to go with it.  The pictures really do not do the filth justice.  I love my little pig pen!