Seaside

                                                 

It's become a tradition, two siblings and their families meeting for one last summer frolic. We meet in the middle, in the state between our two homes. We line the kids up, noticing the growth spurts and hair cuts, the new faces they make now for the camera. We spend long days at the beach, reading and digging in the sand and inching out into the water as far as our frozen feet will let us. 

We play piles of board games, we play guitar, we settle into this borrowed home in these last days. Gotta bottle it up and make it last, gotta hold summer in your palm like one more fragile sand dollar. Until it's time to fold it all up, shake the sand out, and head back where things are waiting. Routines and lunch boxes. New teachers and closed toe shoes. 

And that daydream- of a beach house, and a few extra days, and the last taste of the season. 

Back yard harvest and making lemonade

The blueberries have really come in, and they are lovely. So plump and juicy. I have some cherry tomatoes too which no one will eat but me. That's ok, I'll enjoy them.

Unity made some lemonade herself. She gets these ideas and then really wants to do it all right away. This time, it worked out. 

We went camping this past weekend with some friends. I didn't take my camera but we had a great time hiking and cooking over the fire and just being out in the trees. Maybe next time I'll remember to take some pictures. 

Garden in July

Sharpie mug oven project

                           We did our version of the sharpie mug project last week and it went pretty well. I bought some white mugs from Goodwill and had the kids plan our their drawings first. Then I let them draw on the mugs in permanent marker.

 There are lots of variations of this project floating around. Here's what worked for us.

1. Cheap mugs. They are from the thrift store, but originally the mugs are from Ikea, Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel. Basically the glaze has to melt in the oven and then dry again with the ink now on it.

2. Clean the mugs well. Ours had a few spots where the adhesive from the price stickers was still there and that part is an ugly brown after going through the oven.

3. Put the mugs in the cold oven. Then set to 425. Bake for 30 minutes and let cool in the oven.

4. Go read some books.

5. Remove when they are all the way cool.

 I put ours in the dishwasher right after they cooled down  just to see what would happen and all of the designs stayed put.

The kids thought this project was a blast and they love drinking out of their mugs now.

What should we do?

Every year I struggle with the balance. In February, (yes you read that correctly) when it's time to sign up for summer camps, I think a lot about the balance. I want some structured time- because the camps are fun, because it separates the siblings, because she gets to do things she doesn't normally get to do. But I also value those long stretches of summer- when anything can happen, when their imaginations have free reign. When we spend handfuls of hours at the park or the pool or the library, just because we can. 

How can you tell how many of those days is the right amount, and when you've reached the tipping point into fighting and crankiness? And how can you make that call in February of all months?

So, I try. This year we have two solid weeks of nothing planned before a couple of camps start up. I've noticed it takes some time to ease into the summer schedule. The kids get so used to have every minute planned out at school, dotted with bells and finished off with a clock. It's a readjustment for all of us to realize that whatever we're doing, we can do it for as long as we feel inspired. 

Unity's been wanting to learn cursive. I don't even know if they teach it at schools anymore, but I think it's important so we're working on it over the summer. 

Self portrait by Brixton. 

If they tell me they're bored, I tell them I always have chores for them to do. 

I enjoy it, getting into this summer frame of mind.

School's out school's out

Now the parties and picnics are over, the desks cleaned out and sent home. Now the hugs and promises have been exchanged on the playground, the yearbook looked over and the growth exclaimed over. Now we begin. Hello summer. 

Lounging

What we're up to

We have been in full-on summer mode these days. These long sunny days that are full of so many projects and friends and adventures. 

 
                                           So many Lego projects. Entire Lego villages have been made,
                                     as well as a pizza delivery boat and a garbage truck jet.

                                             
                                                 We are at the library almost every day.

                                                        Painting!

                                                Unity's been keeping a daily journal all summer long.

And she and her friends are really into making fairy houses at the park or in the yard.

We are coming home sticky and sweaty and dirty, covered in sunscreen and berry juice, tired and oh so happy.

Ah, summer love. 

Summer Days...

It's a good thing, having a good friend with a backyard full of raspberries and a tree swing big enough to share. It's a good thing, these sweet and lazy days, with all the time in the world.

the sights of summer

No, we didn't get a dog. We borrowed a neighbor's friendly puppy.

It was mutual admiration and bewilderment. 

Ok we are only three days in but I am so loving summer right now.