Family and Fun: The Rest of Our June

Yes, I did say “June”.  Someday, I’ll address my disappeared Summer in another blog, but not today. 

Here are some of the photos from the end of our June and our last couple days with Bob’s parents.  We loved our time at the arboretum!

“There are TADPOLES in here, Mom!”

Aidan and Chase had virtually no idea what tadpoles were before this day, but there was parental approval for getting dirty and wet in the stream, so they pretty much assumed that frogs are synonymous with heaven.

Aidan attempted several times to drink from the fresh water stream.  Darcy thought it was humorous.  Bob and I were just thankful it hadn’t occured to him to try it in the tadpole stream. 

 

“I go swimmin’ now.”  5 seconds before we read the “If your kid wears a diaper, don’t let them sit in the stream” sign.  Oops.

Splashing: Chase’s favorite water activity.  Heck, making that motion with his hands (or feet) is one of his favorite activites.  Period.  It works much better with water than it does with a peanut butter sandwich on a highchair tray.  I’m just sayin’ …

“Grandpa On Duty”

Chase sat down in a giant pile of mulch to eat his pretzel stick snack.  I feel more mentally secure as a parent if I assume in moments like this that YES, my child CAN tell the difference between a wood chip and a pretzel stick.  Though, who am I kidding?  It’s Chase.  He had a pretty high fiber diet that day. 

Last, I leave you with this … evoking all the beauty of Monet.  (the scene; not my amature photography)  Do I sound like an art snob?  On second thought, don’t answer that … just look at the pretty flowers. 

Week @ Large (the tree and garden edition)

Time for another Week @ Large moment!

The majority of this week is something I have no picture documentation of … primarily because my hands were otherwise engaged … in hand motions … teaching 150+ kids songs at our church’s Vacation Bible School all week.  Stay tuned though … I’m sure some crazy “hands in the air” pictures will emerge sooner or later.

I did take some other pictures though!

Look at these roses.  Aren’t they gorgeous? 

This is my parents’ front yard, by the way.  We were over there this week and the roses were just so beautiful that I couldn’t help myself and had to snap a few pics despite the fact that I have NO idea how to photograph landscapes. 

We also (finally!) made use of one of the kid’s Christmas presents (yes, I said “Christmas presents” … don’t judge me) – a membership to Morton Arboretum this week.  In semi-unrelated news … hey, the mosquitos are back! 

Today is a special day because it’s my beautiful mom’s birthday!  However, this event is often overshadowed by Father’s Day in our household.  Don’t believe me?  I found this in my local Starbuck’s this morning … (have I ever mentioned that my dad, a retired educator, works at Starbuck’s?  He does.)

Yes, it’s a couple days behind … but it’s actually up on the wall over the coffee bar.  This is my father’s sense of humor.  Speaking of humor, I also received an email inviting my family to a Father’s Day celebration along with several high-ranking politicians and A-list actors and actresses stating that Dad had “taken the liberty of inviting several other close friends” to his “celebration“.  In addition, the email stated that all of his “gifts” could be parked on the street until he has more room in the driveway.  Haha … my dad is such a joker … as if you could drive a Father’s Day card. 

So, there’s just a bit of our week with a taste of the weekend thrown in for extra flair. 

And don’t worry, I will definitely update this blog if I end up having lunch with Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and the Pope on Sunday.