Tuesday July 12 2011

It rained

So we read

It rained some more

So we read some more

It rained harder

We made cookies

It cleared up

We went swimming

It started to rain

So we watched the rain

And the thunder

And the lightning

all on a summer's day

Monday July 11 2011

The day started with lush promise

My kids have been begging me to do lessons out of this book.

So we began. We learned about dots--anything roundish in shape that is colored in.

Then we went on a dot hunt

Here are some dots

And another dot

Eek! A spider--a sorta dot

Peas!

Checked on our tomato plants

Found another spider

Went to the park

Made clay geckos

Went swimming

Stopped and talked with folks in town

Mourned the loss of a tree that was removed from a favourite lawn

Came home to draw pictures

Made forts

Listened to Justin Morgan had a horse

Raced to emergency trying to beat a thunderstorm

Read Katy No pocket and Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie

raced home to beat the next thunderstorm

We all had a freezie

We all called it a night

Friday July 8 2011

My youngest girl wanted to start the day by making fruit soup. She created a new recipe.

Hours of play outside with neighbours

Riding bikes, playing hopscotch, walking up and down the sidewalk

Fun in the phone booth

Playing games along the street

More fun in the library

Made some new friends from Australia

Read some stories

Tie-dye art

More books

Swimming

Walking in the wind

Stopping at yard sales

Home for food and books and play

Thursday July 7 2011

When the lights go out, you light candles and talk about the day

You whisper about the laughter of friends

Make shadows on the wall of jumping on the trampoline

And laugh at how cold the pool was

When the lights go out, you light candles and fill your mouth with warm snacks

and cool drinks

You talk about the pizza, the movies and the jokes that were told during the day

You ask why your Mom and her friend kept playing Put Your Records On and dancing on the lawn

You giggle when you re-enact it once again

When the lights go out, you drink the drink of summer

The tall fresh glass of simple pleasures

mixed of sweet memories made with good friends

Wednesday July 6 2011

Fruit!

Fruit faces!

An empty box---oh, the ptoential

...to do something great!

watercolors

waterplay: pool and sprinkler at the neighbours house

freezies and ice cream

games of dressup

fixing up her chair

yes, another blurry photo...a crab spider

Ta-da! A puppet theatre was made out of the cardboard box

Paintings called Sunny Days

And horses in the mountains

Read The Big Wave by Pearl Buck

A visit to a friend's farm and off to bed!

Monday July 4 2011

It's Independence Day in the US, so we decided to meet up with our American friends and celebrate and take a trip a few hours away.

A walk through the rain in the water park

A photo op with those crazy cardboard cut outs

river watching

sand box playing

donating funds to the world's largest piggy bank

A stop for ice cream. And there are no pictures because I was too busy devouring my sundae!

Delish! Heaven in a dish!

Cuddles for my boys

the wooden labyrinth at the park

using the sound machine things

Swings

Learning about the local attitude

stopping to see rock slides from ages past

This blurry photo brought to you by yours truly. If you squint, you will see that it is a bird's nest. The robin was in her nest and entertained us for several minutes before taking flight

Geocaching--yes, another blurry photo by yours truly. The hits just keep coming. I'm like a has been 80's singer still trying to crank out the hits. Dodgy, at best.

Serenity found at a nearby lake

Bliss!

Happy Canada Day 2011

Happy Canada Day!

Yes, just for you...a blurry photo. Aren't you glad we're friends and I send you my best pictures?

Anyway....

For Canada Day I wanted to create a new tradition. So I made a new sandwich.

It looks like this in the magazine:

Yes, just for you a picture of a picture. Aren't you glad you are friends with such a silly photo dork?

Anyway.....

Delish! Heaven in a dish!

Then off we went to check out the downtown festivities with the auto show. We ran into neighbours and friends and gave away a lot of HAPPY CANADA DAY wishes

Daddy and eldest daughter were invited to race against other locals. Here they are moments before the big race.

They had to race to the old cars, jump in with the driver and take off down the track. Daddy's car won!

Hurried home to finish making a cake for a BBQ at a fellow homeschool family's house

Took in the sights on the way to their house--wind turbines!

Rowdy, raucous games

And there may have been some attempts to slay robins with the light saber by my youngest

A great and mortal combat also ensued...

and there were casualties.

Ymmm...hot grilled burgers

And amazing BEAVER cupcakes!

Go Robin with your culinary skillz

(Don't get crazy--say it like Bon QuiQui!)

Followed by a late night show of fireworks

Happy Canada Day!!!