Once, there was a Pear tree

and Tank ate it.

The Swing that Josh Built

As the kids and Mommy were eating breakfast this morning (at 7:30am), Daddy came strolling through the kitchen and went right into the garage. This is normal Daddy behavior, so we didn't think anything of it...until we heard the power saw and sander. At 7:30am?

Struck by an idea that came to him in a dream last night, Daddy got right to work building an old fashioned swing in the backyard.

It goes really high. Will loved it so much, in fact, he politely announced he was staying home with Daddy when Mommy went to the store. Will never passes up an outing.

So, we swang/swung all day long.

Big Foot

All week, a local Tire Store has been having a huge grand opening event. Friends had told us there was a bounce house, free food, and Big Foot, but we didn't make it over there during the week. Today, though, Mommy and Will had a special afternoon out, just the two of them. First, we spent 3 hours at the waterpark swimming and splashing.


On our way home, it was close to car crushing time at the tire store, so we headed over to watch the event. It was something!

And yes, Uncle J, Big Foot is now sponsered by your favorite online store. This is not your big foot, though.

Nutella and a Nap

We spend at least 5 of 7 days at the YMCA. Thursdays, though, this summer, have been our "day off" for errands, appointments, and outings. Miss Kylie usually catches a short 15 minute nap in the car most mornings. This Thursday, though, we stayed home and CLEANED the whole house. During morning snack time as Mommy was cleaning the kitchen, it grew quiet in Kylie's corner. Apparently, it was morning nap time. True to form, though, she napped for a solid 20 minutes and woke up grinning...and still covered in Nutella.

Snapshots

Mischievous Grins

and knees that are skinned



A watching dog

and a little girl that loves all

Giggles and grins

and an upside-down boy

Piercing blue eyes

and helpers inside

snapshots of life

Extreme Heat Advisory

Things have been very busy here. and hot. The lowest daytime temperature this week was 94, and the heat index has reached 120 twice, so we've found many ways to stay cool. Most of those ways, though, aren't very camera friendly, so there have been limited pictures. Especially since Kylie is fearless in water.

Last Friday was Safari Day at the Y. Will was very excited to go on a safari, dressing in all camo and wearing his safari hat. He even took time to draw a safari map using stickers he got at a birthday party. He brought his binoculars to the Y and the kids all went outside and hunted for (stuffed) animals along the paths.



This is the face he said he would make if he saw an elephant at the Y:

We've spent a lot of time with our best buddies, Andi, Alex and Izzy. We even got the Daddys to join us for an evening at the waterpark one day after a spontaneous family pizza picnic. Our Daddy had a streak of bad luck when his computer got a terrible virus and his car died in the same week.

We have been to Lake Anna several times, but, again, the kids are swimmers, so the camera doesn't mix well. Will has made such strides in swimming this summer, as he is now a proficient independent swimmer and this week he's been swimming under water and retrieving things from the bottom of the pool. It's really a relief since Kylie needs 100% supervision since she also thinks she can swim underwater.

Daddy had to work last Saturday, so they let him have a 3-day weekend this weekend. The kids took advantage of the time to wrestle him to the floor.

Today was Family Fun Day at our Y. (the waterpark is at another Y) Mommy and Will spent the afternoon at Family Fun Day while Daddy and Kylie napped at home. Most of the outdoor activities had been cancelled due to the extreme heat, but the firetruck and ambulance were there when we arrived, so Will took a tour. They had a GIANT inflatable waterslide which Will said he wanted to do, but needed help climbing the rock wall/ladder to get to the top. Once at the top, Mommy ended up going down with him...fully clothed. Will declared it "really fun", but we didn't go again.

Instead, we headed inside to make some ocean themed crafts with the nursery and preschool ladies. Will made a thumb-print fish, a rainbow fish, a beach in a bottle, and a sea star.

We played some carnival games in the gym, checked out the bounce houses, noted that the pool was really crowded, and headed home to collect Kylie for a waterpark outing. We love that place, can you tell? We're not the only ones staying cool in water these days, though.

Tank has her own pool in the backyard that she just loves to roll in and splash around in after a game of fetch. It's been tough containing her energy without letting her outside for long periods of time in the heat.

Finally, a moment of silence for the Lincoln, which has served us well and driven across country twice, but was on its last vroom last week. We have since traded it in for a rocket ship mini-van. Mommy did a whole lotta research to find us a great deal on an amazing van. We ended up getting the Chrysler Town and Country Touring-L. It has more buttons and gadgets than we could ever imagine in a car. The middle row seats swivel and there is a removable table for use in the back. It has two DVD screens and a touch screen radio. There's a remote starter and every door is a power door, including the tailgate. There are hidden compartments for storage everywhere! The whole family is enjoying the room and the excitement of a new van.