New after-park tradition.

Tuesday mornings are park days. Not that we don't hit up a park several other times in a week, just that on Tuesdays we meet up at Long Lake Park (wish I could insert Fisher's pronunciation here, something like wong-wake-pahk) with Fisher's classmates. Long Lake Park happens to have sand, and the kids spend most of the time in it, digging, scooping. Covered head to toe in dirt when we arrive back home, I decided one week to throw them in the tub with shaving cream to scrub their filthy shoes. Now they look forward to it, and I look forward to having lunch with clean children rather than filthy ones.

Lemon.

Summer dinners out on the deck are the best. Simple food, prepared quickly, preferably grilled. Take, for example, salmon that I pulled out of the freezer at the last minute. Throw some brown rice in the rice cooker and grab some fresh peas to shell from the farmers market, and you have yourself perfection. But, add a hunk of fresh lemon to the plate and it's dazzling, not to mention irresistible for little people. I think they liked it. And if nothing else it made for funny faces! (Not to mention clean plates.) But a meal wouldn't be complete if at least one kid didn't get their way and change that cute little lemon face into a complete sourpuss!

Ten on Tuesday.

1. Today we finished the second Little House book! We don't have Farmer Boy, so we'll have to make a trip to Half Price Books for that one. Twist my arm.

2. We also read the first Mercy Watson, both kids and I, which both kids enjoyed. At this rate we can read the whole series by the weekend.

3. I am deep into Cutting for Stone, which is wow. It's a two-week check-out so I have to read, read, read!

4. This morning I woke up at 8:05 am when a little Alla hand was placed gently on my cheek. She appeared to have been lying next to me for ages though I didn't hear her creep in. She said she'd been there awhile.

5. Shortly after, she sat perched on the side of the bed telling me, "I'm getting used to staying home." Now that she's two weeks into summer, she has decided she likes it.

6. This morning, as I looked in on the kids getting ready for the day, I saw that Alla had made both of their beds, was helping Fisher put on his pants, and that Fisher had put tooth paste on her 'teesbrush.' I've decided I like summer, too.

7. After the kids came home completely filthy from our morning park fun, I put them in the bath with some shaving cream to doodle and scrub their crocs, and then shower off. Fresh kids.

8. We go through an awful lot of plain yogurt here. And granola.

9. I've decided that watermelon is my favorite summer fruit. I quarter it, lop off a slice for each kid, and then devour the rest of the quarter myself. Nothing like a huge bowl full of watermelon.

10. Except, maybe, for a huge bowl full of cherries. But we haven't seen those yet.

Lucky.

To have a Daddy that joins in when skipping is new and amazing.
To have a Daddy who takes naps with you.
To have a Daddy who brings home a new bike.

To have this Daddy who loves you so very much.
Happy Father's Day, babe.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. Summer. Need I say more?

2. Over the weekend we tried letting Alla stay up as late as she wanted, in bed with her reading light and a pile of books. Both nights it was past ten when we went in there and she was still wanting to read one more book. We might have to rethink that because she was a bit crabby (tired) by Sunday. Needless to say, Fisher doesn't quite get that it's not party time.

3. My favorite snack right now is a handful or two of banana chips.

4. Alla got to tag along on Fisher's weekly park playdate with classmates from this school year. Fisher has been SO excited for this week, to introduce his big sister. They both had a ball.

5. Hoping we find something for dinner at the opening day of our Farmer's Market.

6. I keep meaning to plan at least one afternoon a week where I just sit with my book. I mean that's what summer is about. Never happens. Fifteen minutes here, half an hour there. I'm always looking for more time to read.

7. Cutting For Stone is waiting for me at the library, just as soon as I finish Moon Over Manifest.

8. But where oh where is my latest Penderwick's? In cataloging, I hear.

9. Alla has two loose teeth, and they have been loose for months, but I just know that all at once they will be very loose and then just hanging on and then the years of baby teeth will start slipping away and I am just not very prepared.

10. Another thing that slipped away, but happily, not before I noticed, is our lilac blooms. Such a short bloom they have, but oh so pretty.

On my feet.

I am so super glad that this kid still likes to go flying on my feet, and I know for a fact that he'll fit there for a few years more, since his older sister is still getting some airplane time whenever she gets a chance!

Last day of kindergarten!

She crawled into bed with me this morning.She snuggled me and said,
Today's the last day of school so tomorrow you get me all to yourself.
Indeed.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. It's officially summer, I don't care what the calendar says. The thermometer says 103.

2. 103 isn't exactly the best bike-riding weather, but today was the day all the neighborhood kids were to ride to school, so we did. Not as bad at 8:45 when it's 80 degrees, a little sticky at high-noon when it's 18 degrees warmer.

3. 103 is also not the best baking weather, but there's a hot loaf of chocolate banana bread on our counter anyway.

4. School gets out tomorrow. I can't wait to add Alla back to our mornings. Fisher pummels her when we pick her up each day, saying I missed you over and over until she squeezes him back and tells him the same.

5. Yesterday was swimming and soccer for Alla, so needless to say she fell asleep instantly last night. This morning I said to Fisher, You guys must have been tired last night because we didn't hear a PEEP. Fisher responded, Yeah, I didn't have to PEE. That kid cracks me up.

6. I believe we're all caught up on season finales. Bummer. At least we have Friday Night Lights for a little while longer. And Army Wives for me.

7. I finally have my hands on the Newberry-winner Moon Over Manifest. So far, the perfect summer read.

8. Thursdays are going to be our movie day this summer, as our local theatre has their one dollar summer movies for kids! I took Alla the summer when she was two, and we went every week, she and I. That's when I knew how much she loved movies. She laughed and cried at all the appropriate parts and hated the one movie that summer that was truly bad. Fisher took a little longer to warm up but we've been taking him once a month to Daddy's work movies and he loves that, so I think we're all set for Thursday mornings. Especially when he finds out that next week is How To Train Your Dragon.

9. With school getting out tomorrow, I guess we better get busy making our summer list!

10. I'm just finishing this at 9:50 pm and it's still 91 degrees.