Simple Summer Stuff

Summer slowed down this week and we took each day as it came with as little-to-no commitments as possible. We hit a couple parks.  Love this shot from one. 

 

Memorial Day we enjoyed a cookout with our favorite friends from church, the Mosleys and Hohenadels.

I do not have a pic of Suzanne, Gloria, and me, BUT I do have a pic of Gloria's DELICIOUS Roasted Corn and Black Bean Dip recipe from that night! Ha!

Memorial Day I also was the lucky recipient of a free sand/water table someone in our neighborhood was giving away.  I had been watching for one of these for weeks and was hoping to get one for less than $25.  Free is awesomely better!  Lasa LOVES it. 

 

We even make good use of the lid for a make-shift splash pad ... which, let's face it, is all Lasa really wants to do anyway.

We added squash and carrots next to our tomatoes and even went a step further by adding cucumbers again along the fence. 

One night we walked a greenway in Hendersonville after dinner out.  We are a train-loving people in this family.  Can never pass up a sweet pause for a close encounter.

After the train stop, Noah and Anna raced along the sidewalk whereby Anna wiped out big time.  She has the scabs to prove it.  It's alright though.  Scabs are summer's rite of passage!

Group photo while out, but before the wipeout of course.

In other simple summer news, Anna lost her third tooth ... with a significant assist from Noah that still makes Josh and me laugh to imagine.  Those two got this done upstairs without our knowing!

Anna left this note for the Tooth Fairy and went to bed a happy girl. 

Unfortunately, I slipped up and left out the special notepad I use for Tooth Fairy responses and Anna discovered it the following morning. She was HEARTBROKEN.  STUNNED.  And even a touch MAD. There were tears and accusations and many questions, but we got through it.  Mercifully, by midday she was mostly over it. But, ouch, just the same.  Noah was not as rattled by the news, but he did articulate that he wishes I hadn't left it out because they still wanted to believe.  He's also continued to mull it over quietly and randomly ask questions for clarification on presents and events and how-to's from holidays past.

We have tabled the Easter Bunny and Santa question that naturally arises from this, but I believe the kids have connected the dots for themselves at last.  I still haven't actually confirmed their suspicions out loud, having avoided the direct question with feigned ignorance and slight grins in just such a way that I am sure they know.  Wow!  Can't believe this day finally came, but glad for it just the same. It's enough already anyway. 

We can't get enough of this card game lately ... Loose Change. It's really quite fun and quick. Plus, it fills our summer math game quota each week. :}

Lasa can't get enough of her back porch playground.  Anna can't get enough of Lasa.

We hit up our first pool of the summer at an end-of-school-year party with our homeschool group.

And we enjoyed the opportunity to break out the umbrella and rainboots as well. ;)  It has been a rainnnnnnnny weekend.

Other than that, we have been watching movies like crazy.  Noah played two winning baseball games this weekend to wrap up the season.  And I have had total spring-cleaning fever (yes, I know it's summer) and have made much moolah selling junk off on GTP.  Angelique was a no-show/no-contact again this weekend about a visit with Lasa, which is fine with me at this point. Looking forward to another free-as-a-jaybird week this week because the following 3 weeks will be a bit more hectic between camp, VBS, ice-skating, and a quick trip outta town.