August Rush

I'm just going to dedicate this post to the joy of summer. I love summer. I really do. And even though the temperature here rarely cleared 80, making for many nights where our heater kicked on, and despite the general sense that we warmed up to an early May before plunging directly into late September (there are already yellow leaves on some of the trees), IT WAS SUMMER. Since it's so short,we did our best to make the most of it. We dropped everything on hot days (there were a few) and headed to the spraypads. We basked in the sunshine at the parks (even if we were wearing sweaters), and barbequed all the hotdogs we could stand. The kids rode their bikes, roller blades, scooters, and tricycles up and down the street basically every minute we were home. And I even took some pictures. Well, I waited until the very end and then tried to make up for it, but still--we have real live photos to prove that yes, we were outside, loving it, for as long as we could. I wouldn't change a moment of it.

Alongside all that blissful enjoyment, we managed to get some long-awaited house-projects done. We have new carpet in our basement! New floors in the kitchen and bathrooms! We have that second bathroom more or less functional again! The back of the house is finally painted! We may be missing a few luxuries, like baseboards and taps to one shower, but to be honest, my happiness is full enough without them. Ask me right now if I will have a fantastic winter, and I'll give you a resounding YES. Although that may just be the vitamin D talking--it's pretty potent stuff, that sunshine.

Fun in the Sun

My favorite girls . . . or Scooby-Doo cast members, take your pick

Possibly my favorite afternoon all summer--we didn't know there was a spray-pad at this park, but it was a hot day (for once), and what's the good in being a kid if you can't sometimes just rip your clothes off? Too bad Sera's shorts didn't fit better. And too bad she had an accident already. All totally worth it for this picture though!

And Addy in a spare pair of shorts (size 24 months I think?)

Some tree had some berries on it. The kids picked them off and pelted them at each other for probably an hour.

There's nothing like water on a hot day. And given how few of them there were this summer, can you blame us for soaking in the opportunity?

I may have hated scrubbing all the sand out of their scalps, but man these kids love digging!

Hanging out at the spray-pad playground

I love when my kids play together!

Addy and her old Joy School buddy Ezra

Lots of afternoon picnics at the park

Gathering apples in the backyard

What ghetto backyard would be complete without a ghetto swingset? ($15 at a yard-sale)

I think these guys wore a rut in the sidewalk in front of our house

Ah, the joy on Addy's face when she took off without training wheels!