Camping on a moment's notice.

Saturday afternoon, Matt said "Let's go camping." This is something he would not have said before we got the camper. But he says it now and it is so fun to think "let's go" and thirty minutes later be gone.

That night was mostly spent playing games.


The next day was rainy off and on, but that doesn't matter so much when you're in a camper! We pulled out our camper craft box and the kids created. I read. Matt ... well, he was glad we weren't in a tent.


When it wasn't raining, we would head outside for a bit.








I just realized something putting this post together. My kids will have very little photographic evidence that I existed.

Well, it was a good idea.

Even if it didn't quite work out.

We tried to copy this picture ...

on the sidewalk with chalk.

Don't know why Hannah looks so sad.

Visitors.

We've had two nieces staying with us this past week.

Every day has included:
-horse riding
-swimming
-makeovers
-squealing
-popcorn
-sleeping in
-teasing
-making Zander smile

Because it's fun.

And taking pictures of Zander.

"Hi!"

"Yeah, I'll smile at you."
"Oh, ok. We're getting closer."

"WHOA! That's close!"

We'll be sad to take them home. They've been so much fun.

Paper bag building blocks.

I've been decluttering like mad lately and decided I needed to do something with the huge stack of paper bags and newspaper I had. I could have just recycled them, I suppose. But looking at the two stacks sitting beside each other, I came up with a brilliant plan - at least from Gray's point of view.

Building blocks.

He helped me wad up newspaper sheets and stuff them in the bags. I taped the tops shut and then he had cheap, fast building blocks.

Fun to build with, fun to knock over, fun to jump on.

And fun to build with again and again.

Go jump in a lake.

We went to a small local lake today. It wasn't impressive, but it was cool and wet and passably clean. We have some cousins staying with us right now and they tried talking all three kids into jumping in with them. Hannah jumped in and had to be pulled out, but it's Ains who's killing me in this picture. I don't know why she was pretending to be mad, but that face is pure Ainsley - trying not to giggle while trying to look intimidating.

Gray refused to jump in with them, but was more than willing to be their cheerleader.

He was especially enthusiastic in cheering their practice jump.

And then the actual jump!

My #$#* camera and I miscommunicated about when exactly I wanted the picture to be taken. Ah, well. We'll just grab another one.

Or not. Ainsley got water in her eyes. Her cousin put goggles on her and tried talking her into trying again...

But it didn't work. We ended up getting a great shot of the remaining three.


Which was lucky since Hannah got water in her nose and wouldn't have wanted to try again.

He's growing.

So big. So fast.

He's over 14 pounds by now.

He's smiling.

He's trying to giggle.

He's holding his head up and sitting with a bit of help.

He's playing with his sister.

(He doesn't have much of a choice.)

He's grasping with his hands and holding on tight.

He's wrapping me ...
and everyone else ...

around his little finger.

At least he still has tiny, chubby feet.

It'll take some time for him to grow out of those.

Right this minute.

Recovering.

Two weekends ago we spent a long weekend at a family reunion, then came home and went to an awesome Fourth of July party. Two days later we were off again to another family reunion for four days. Yesterday, just home from the reunion, I was ready to get everything back on track, cleaned up, put away ... you know the optimistic drill.

My kids, on the other hand, were wanting to rest and recuperate and work out stuff from what seemed like the longest week ever. So I surrendered and we did that. Cuddling and connecting and sorting out disagreements was the order of the day.

For Zander that translated to almost non-stop holding and nursing. For Grayson it meant lots of cuddling and dancing.

For Ains, this meant helping her ride her bike - newly training-wheel-less!! - and making clover necklaces and crowns which she spread around the house much to everyone's delight.

See the delight? That's not delight? Sure it is.

But see - even Zander was pointing fingers that day. "It was Ains. She did this to me."

Luckily, he got over it fast.

For Hannah, yesterday was survived by building her very own house that nobody could enter but her and having me cheering her on when she rode her bike (also without training wheels! Whee! Seriously. Whee.)

Also lots and lots of book reading on the bed for all ages.

Matt left us there in the morning and when he got back from work, there we were again. It's my go-to activity for calming and distracting.

After Matt got home, we went for pony and horse rides.

And we survived the day.

Today I'll catch up. Or not. We have friends to play with.

Maybe tomorrow.

What's making me smile this week.

Ainsley making lots of 'specialty sundaes'.

This. Every time I look down.

Girls who are getting crazy comfortable in the water.

Their father's beat-up boots when he's sitting beside me watching their lessons.

Don't know why that makes me smile, but it does.

All three older kids chancing into one shot at the park.

And all four getting into one shot at home.

This again. I'm addicted. He's so sweet all cuddled up in there.

Beats the heck out of carrying a heavy car seat around.

Hannah working really hard at getting better with her violin.

And her amazing teacher - that makes me smile too.

Happy, huggy kid.
Bags packed for our reunion this weekend.

They've been sitting there since Monday morning.

Barn swallow nests.

There's even one peeking at you if you look really close.

A kid who is embracing summer with everything he's got - except for clothes.

At least he's wearing knee pads - I'd hate for his knees to get skinned up.

What's not making me smile?

Sleep deprivation that makes for a cranky mommy. But that seems to be going away a bit at a time as Zander gets more used to his body.

Wind. But that's nothing new.

Poorly written skirt pattern. Boo. Hiss.