Summer Happenings

Jacob has a t-shirt that says, "Best Summer Ever."  It strikes such a chord with me because I have such good memories of summer as I was growing up, and I want the same for my boys.  Long days filled with swimming pools and baseball games and library books for when it's just too hot to be outside, days that taste like a popsicle and smell like sunscreen.   It's how summer should be when you're a kid.

So how do my kids amuse themselves all day?

They love their sand and water table.  They mix the sand with the water and make a huge mess.  Last week, I made them undress outside so I could hose them off before they came in the house.

They cruise around in their sweet ride.

They both love to "garden" and dig in the dirt.  Jacob is getting to the age where he is almost helpful.  (Almost.)

We planted some herbs that he loved to take care of, but the bunnies got them, so we need to rethink our setup.

Jacob started t-ball last week, and we're slowly but surely working on t-ball skills.

This guy is learning to ride a trike! He's not quite big enough, but I think by the end of the summer, he will be a pro.  It's hard to believe he wasn't even walking at this time last year!

And there's always playdates at the park and splash park.

Playdates are hit-and-miss for Carter, who usually prefers to spend the time screaming or on my lap.

They still love our trusty inflatable pool, although Carter has yet to actually sit in the pool.  He prefers to hang out on the side and throw things in the water, but at least he doesn't scream.

A few weeks ago, we bought a new kite, and Jacob has enjoyed playing with that.  There's no shortage of wind here on the prairie; in fact some days it's too windy to fly a kite!

After dinner, when daddy's home, there is a lot of chasing and roughhousing.

Sometimes mama gets in on the action, too!

And what would summer be without picnics?  We've had a few picnics this summer, but honestly, the kids- Carter especially- are too distracted to actually eat.  So Sonic has been a good compromise. Contrary to Jacob's pose in the picture below, the kids behave and eat their food and we still get to eat outdoors.  Win-win.

We love summer!