Just July

July stuffs included much, much, much pool time. 

4th of July we stayed home and watched our neighborhood's homegrown fireworks displays.  This year, two of our cul-de-sac neighbors did their own stuff so those were super close.  One even fell over and hit our house, only feet from the porch where I was sitting with Lasa.  Quite the thrill!  We scrambled inside in panic.  Lasa would only come back out if I assured her the people weren't dead.  HA! 

Spot on the house that got hit by exploding firework. 

Much painting by both girls.  I just love the messy, pretty tray.

Hot days call for indoor activities.  Lasa has done well occupying herself with dolls, instruments, and blocks, among other things.

Newest fave eats - avocado toast with bacon and garden fresh tomatoes. Noah joins me in this love, too.

Sample of poetry the kids have been memorizing all summer for Morning Work.  They also started in a typing program finally.  Doing well!

MNO with a few friends.  Hours sitting in and outside Panera and doing allllll the gabbing and catching up.  Such a mood lifter!

Gardening along ... pretty peaches and nectarines, blackberries, tomatoes of all shades, and grapes!

Summer skies that please the eyes ... especially before and after storms.  One of these is from a friend driving through another state (Illinois or Iowa, I forget now!) - she knew I would love the view with her and I did.  Such a gift!

Lasa lost TWO more teeth within about 12 hours of each other, bringing her lost tooth count to 4 this summer.  So crazy!  Anna actually pulled that 4th one for her.

We returned to another registration/meet the teachers sort of night at our Howard Elementary for Lasa the week before school started.  Schools around here opened up on a hybrid schedule of two days in and three days at home with half the class each time.  Or virtual academy, which I would never do for kindergarten.  I would sooner homeschool her and I really, really don't wanna homeschool her.  She really really needs more racial mirrors in her life.  So pandemic hybrid public school it is - HA!  So far at least. ;)

Josh had a birthday - Number 42!

I swear I have bought every variation of size and style of masks.  They are mandated now in TN for anywhere you go, little kiddos not included though encouraged. 

Anna has mastered sleeping in this summer.  Here is her bedhead glory when I finally tell Noah or Lasa to go wake her up.  Lovely still.

Noah has a brand new, online math curriculum for his first ever high school course this year - Algebra 1.  We eased ourselves into it in July and it's going really well.  We had a couple kinks to work out and now he is rolling right along.

Our stupid 2-year-old washer up and died on us, so we had to scramble and purchase another real quick.  Got almost the cheapest one we could find. So irritating a purchase.  TWO YEARS OLD.  After my last one lasted 17 yearsssssss.  I am bitter about this, I don't know if you can tell.

This girl turned yet another year older on us.  Separate birthday post coming soon.

And a July highlight was Emily and cousins coming for another couple day visit, which we crammed with all the fun we could.  The cousins even wrote, filmed, and edited a movie, complete with credits and bloopers and all!  Bedtimes were reallllly late, nightswims happened, even nerfwars with flashlights. And Emily chopped all my hair off ... and we love it.

Way shorter cut ... so thankful Emily was willing to do it for me.  I get to skip making my usual two-year hair appt this go round.