Time to Read

Pierce is just getting to the age where he loves to read (just like his big sister). He will beg you to read to him, and after five or six books you have to let the poor little fella down and tell him you are all done.

He loves to grab a book and climb up into this one antique chair we have. It's so funny because both kids gravitate to this chair to read. An unsuspecting place for little kids to want to cozy up with a book!

Slip n Slide

Sydney has been begging to get out the slip n slide for weeks now, so we finally had a weekend with good weather and when we were in town to set up the little water park in our back yard. So much fun! A few neighbors came over and we made an afternoon of it. I even went down the slip n slide a few times (fortunately there are not photos of it!)...ahh, fond memories of childhood. Three hours of enjoyment for a handful of kids and adults, all for a $9 investment in a colorful piece of plastic. Not bad.

Soccer

Sydney participated in our neighborhood's youth soccer league this spring and and summer, and she had a great time! She proved to be an energetic and focused little player who was always near the ball. By the end of the season, she developed a particular fondness for playing goalie and was very good at it! She got a medal at the end of the season, which she is VERY proud of! We'll be back next year for more soccer fun at the clubhouse.

Summer Fun!

The kids love being outside and in the water, but when I'm not up for a trip to the pool and all that entails (sunscreen, swim diapers, snacks, and so on), or if we just don't have time for a pool outing, we have fun on the screened-in porch. No need for sunscreen or even diapers! The kids have a blast and can enjoy a quick 30-minute cool off from the heat any time of day. Oh, the happy lazy days of summer!

Summer's Magnificent Edible Rainbow

We got our CSA box today, and while I am always so excited to open it up and see what treasures await inside, today's box presented us with an especially happy sight. What a rainbow of colorful produce! It is truly amazing what a bounty of goods our earth makes for us.

Red tomatoes, orange tomatoes, yellow squash and melons, green peppers and tomatillos, blueberries, purple eggplant, white onions and potatoes. We've got all our colors for the week!

Bon appetit!

Taste of Summer

Fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden are for me the quintessential taste of summer! We make this tomato, garlic, goat cheese and basil pizza pretty much weekly when tomatoes are fresh! YUM! Even the kids enjoy it.

Happy Fourth of July!

We were in Wilmington for the 4th and had a perfectly American day. First the kids splashed in the pool at Nana and Papa John's house. Then we all dressed in red, white and blue, ate hamburgers, hotdogs, coleslaw for dinner, and home-made pies and icecream for dessert, and followed it all up with an awesome fireworks display in downtown Wilmington at the riverfront.

Before dinner, we all sat down to make cards to send to the troops and got carried away. I had intended for each of us to make a card to send overseas to the troops serving our country as a patriotic activity for the 4th. But we were all having so much fun letting our creative juices flow, that we ended up with 16 hand-made cards to send! Great work all my artist family members! Thanks for your help! They are going in the mail tomorrow.

What a great holiday for kids big and small! Happy 4th!

Happy Birthday Papa John!

We went to Wilmington for a joint celebration of the 4th of July and of John's 64th birthday. Papa John (as the kids call him) is an awesome grandad and they love spending time with him. He tells the best stories and is always willing to read the kids a book. Happy birthday, Papa John! We love you!