Simple Summertime Pleasures

This is the fourth summer I've spent with children of my own and it is just so great to relive all the summertime fun I remember as a child through Isla and Leo. I remember waking up to the sound of waves crashing outside my window, eating cereal while watching Saturday morning cartoons, running back upstairs to put on my bathingsuit that was still hanging on the bath faucet and smelling of yesterdays salty sea, and running downstairs and opening the sliding glass door which led to my backyard beach. I played in the ocean and sand all day long breaking only once to come up and eat a grilled cheese and vegetable soup my mom had waiting for me on the picnic table. We'd work lemonade stands with the neighborhood kids, ride bikes through afternoon storm puddles, jump in the neighbors pool for a game of Marco Polo, play HORSE, and so much more. When the day was through, I loved taking a warm bath which stung my sunburned body but felt so good. I'd rinse out bucket fulls of sand from my hair. I'd then eat a yummy homemade dinner and remember the sound of Entertainment tonight and Jeopardy coming from the T.V. I'd go to bed to the same beach sounds outside my window and wake up and do it all again.
I want my kids to have these same sweet summertime memories. Although they won't be waking up on the beach, and running around outside by themselves, I want to do all I can to provide these simple pleasures. And I think I'm doing a good job so far.
We celebrated Michael Flynn's Graduation Party last weekend and Isla LOVED the chocolate fountain. It came complete with marshmallows and strawberries for dipping. Her gator outfit, which a friend made for her, will forever show signs of that chocolate fountain.

Leo is slowly getting the hang of eating real solid foods. His favorites so far are peas, sweet potato puffs, and cream cheese toast. Everything else makes him gag, esp. bananas.

I took Isla and Leo to the beach by myself for the first time and it wasn't as hard as I anticipated it to be. I thought Isla would be running into the waves at top speed while Leo would be crawling for the dunes the opposite way, but they ended up playing together the entire time which was so sweet to see.

Their bath times after beach days are usually together so we don't have one sandy body wandering around waiting for their turn. My little rubber duckies are so cute!

Isla has been invited to many birthday parties recently. Since she is in the younger 2's preschool class, all of her classmates have been turning 3 back to back. Instead of buying birthday cards for each of them we opt to make our own. Isla LOVES doing crafty things so it makes her very happy to decorate cards for her friends. She's very proud of the person she drew that was supposed to look like her friend, Nina.

Popsicles and lollipops have been quite popular lately too with Isla. And Leo just sits, stares and drools the whole time she is eating them. :)

Since it has felt like 105 degrees outside lately, we decided to do some naked gardening to cool off. John did the majority of the planting while Isla played in the hose. That's the best part anyways.

Leo has been crawling all around the house exploring every nook and cranny. His favorite spots to hang out are the window by the front door, the magazine rack in the bathroom, the tub which he pulls up on, Ellie's food bowl and the bar refrigerator. I don't know if he wants a beer or just likes looking at his reflection. :)

We went down to the beach early the other morning and saw Daddy and Papa run in the Never Quit Never Beach Run. Daddy got 2nd place in his age group and 18th out of the 1000 runners. Go Babe! Papa got 4th in his age group...Way to Go Papa!!!

Mellow Mushroom is a favorite place of ours to go with the kids. Isla loves driving the VW Bus they have at the front of the restaurant and pressing the button so the bike wheels spin like crazy on the wall. Here she is feeding Leo his puffs....he looks scared.

Of course when it's just too hot to go outside we cuddle up inside and do things like play tea set, school, kitchen, crafts, games, etc. I'm loving the summer and look forward to many hot days ahead.