In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt

Alex thoroughly enjoys all outdoor activities...except getting dunked by jake in the pool, but we're working on getting him back to liking it like he did when i took him to the pool at least once a week--but that's a whole other story and since he loves everything else about the pool including the slide, i'm not too concerned.

Moving on. Dirt is one of Alex's favorite playthings and rocks come pretty close to it. Add in the prospect of using tools that help move said dirt and rocks, and you have one happy kid. His 'nama jane has tons of plants planted and in need of planting, both of which Alex is more than willing to lend a hand or a completely oversized shovel for him, to help her out.