Dinner on the Patio

Or dinner on the front porch. It sounds fancier to use the word patio when I'm describing Ayla and Jackson's dining arrangements for the summer time. I haven't served them a dinner inside since May... and it's working out for us. I grit my teeth a little bit less when rice or a drink or ketchup is spilled on the porch. It's either food for the birds or easily washed away with the hose.

Ayla and Jackson absolutely love watching cars drive by, yelling at our neighbors (in a nice way), saying "Hiiii!" to every person who parks on our street and chasing lightning bugs.

We can also keep the insane Baxter happy by latching the gate and having him sit outside with us. (Because many a household item has been ruined by his chewing anxiety if left alone even for five minutes.)Most importantly, I have the peace of walking in and out of our house - grabbing drink refills, clearing away plates, etc. - knowing that everyone is safe on the porch. We've had enough escape attempts to worry what happens when we look away or wash dishes for five minutes.

However, the other night I was putting things away in the kitchen while the kids played on the swing and I heard Baxter howling at something out on the street. I'm not positive he wouldn't try to jump at a really enticing cat or bird, so I ran out to see what the problem was. It wasn't a wild animal. It was some dorky guy getting back into his car that was literally barking at my dog. If I were Baxter, I'd be upset too. Ayla, Jackson and I just stared at the guy until he got in his car and drove away. I'll chalk that up as one of the weirder things that has happened on our block. (Weirdest is our dancing neighbor... but that deserves a post of its' own.)

All in all, we are loving summer and our new dining arrangements. Cheers to summer!