Friday, July 5, 2013

Summer Vacation So Far

We've had a bunch of play dates and outings so far this summer.

On Memorial Day, we met up with Chelsea and Hartley at the Marina Playground - it was chilly and sandy, but the kids seemed not to notice at all.



Daniel tried out a car someone left behind (with Sportacus's foot in the foreground)

Caroline and Uncle test out the see saws.


Max (and the Sportaci) on the swings

I think they played pretty hard

While we wait for our neighborhood playground to open from its remodel, we've been enjoying the next one down the road, which has also been recently upgraded and is amazing.  There's a teeny tiny toddler part with a couple of "cars" and a clubhouse area, then a playground for 2-5 year olds and another for 5-12 year olds, both connected by a big rope climbing structure.  There's also a big basketball area that can be used to learn to ride bikes or skateboard and a couple of fenced off tennis courts.


The kids call this merry-go-round contraption "the rocket ship"

Caroline and Daniel took a popcorn break

Caroline wants to make sure Daniel got enough.

Max ate some himself.

Daniel and Caroline took a turn pushing the "rocket ship"

Caroline LOVES climbing

Max found a friend for the see saw

Caroline on the bid-kids swing





We went back there on July 4th and spent nearly the whole day.

While we were at the swings, Daniel found a basketball.  Luckily, the big kids who'd brought it didn't mind much that he was playing with it.




Daniel and Caroline decided that jump ropes work by holding onto them while you jump.

Max

Daniel

Caroline

Max LOVES the swings, and Caroline loves being helpful, so it was only a matter of time until she decided to push him on the swings.




Earlier on July 4th, we visited Grandma at her house.  After running all over the house looking for the cat, we were settled into the back room to watch Lazy Town when Grandma jumped.  She'd seen/heard something rush by on the back porch behind us.  As we all turned, expecting to see a stray cat or, perhaps, an insomniac raccoon, we were treated to a view of Caroline on her tippy toes peeking into the neighbor's back yard.

So we all went out back.

Max checking out the "little apples"

Daniel on the porch



Max is Captain America



Looking for the cat in Boppy's closet


Little Gardners

One of my Summer Vacation resolutions was that I was going to be better at keeping up with the blog.

Oh well.

A few months back, Caroline saw First Lady Michelle Obama on Sesame Street showing the locals how they could plant a garden and eat healthy food.  Ever since, she's been excited to do some gardening, so I cleared out a planter in front of our house for her and Uncle Kelly and I took the kids out to Home Depot to find some plants.

Caroline loves shopping!


Max needed to test drive the watering can

Daniel concurs - the perfect choice!
We waited around for someone to help us, while the kids roamed around checking things out.  Caroline announced she wanted pink flowers, so we got her some geraniums and another six-pack of really pretty pink flowers.  Daniel chose a nice red bloom and Max chose a pretty pot of lavender flowers that we were told would spill nicely over the side of the planter as they grew.  At the last minute, I picked up a pot of "Sweet Caroline", then we loaded up on some potting soil, grabbed a watering can and a little shovel, and headed out.

Outside, we stopped for tacos and chips

(I know that isn't a "little" shovel - that was for a different project!)

We waited a day before we did the actual planting, which explains the kids' wardrobe change.

Caroline is finding a spot for the next plant

Max wonders if we can plant a leaf from the neighbors' plant

But he settled for his Sweet Caroline


Spreading the soil

Max's turn

And now for Daniel

And time to water them