Paper dolls

I've had fun today putting together paper dolls for my mother-on-law's birthday. Thanks to my friend's Cricut machine, they were easy and fun to make. I love a project that makes me smile while I work. This picture from when she was four sure makes me smile. And I love that she is holding a doll in the real picture. She has always loved dolls and that is what makes this paper doll party favor so special.

4th of July evening

Firework shows are always tricky to plan for.  You have to arrive early enough to stake out a spot, but if you arrive too early the kids get bored.  So this year, I thought we would have some fun with glow sticks.  

Here is my USA Cutie.  She picked out her own patriotic outfit for the big day.  The kids had a great time running around this great big field for a while. 

But when boredom hit and it was starting to get dark, I pulled out the glow sticks.  Boy, were they are hit!  We had a great time posing for pictures and creating new costumes.  

Finally, the show started.  I didn't get any pictures, but it was a great show.  And, as a bonus, we even were able to see two other area shows from where we sat.

Happy 4th of July!

We began today with a Red, White & Blue breakfast...cherries, milk and blueberries.  We also had some delicious Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins with cream cheese.  Yum!

We are hoping to end the day at the pool and then off to a local fireworks show.  It should be a great day of celebrating our country.

Freecycle

 We don't give or take much from Freecycle, but occasionally I find a gem...

The other day a woman posted that she was giving away dog boots.  I jumped on it.

I have been joking with my family for years that Farley needs boots to wear on muddy days.  Maybe the whole idea of "taking your shoes off at the door" can apply to him and we'll have less dirt to sweep.

We laughed so hard as we tried his new shoes on him and watched him prance around on the concrete.

But he seemed to be OK with them.  They didn't interfere with his ball-fetching.

Derrick wondered why the lady only had seven.  I think the reason is demonstrated below...they tend to get left behind in the thrill of the chase.

Fun stuff.

Memorial Day Fun

What better way to begin the summer than with s'mores.  Ooey and gooey.  Delicious.

Backyard Camping

The boys have been out of school for a week, but yesterday Derrick was finally done with post-planning.  We feel like we can really begin summer now.  What better way to celebrate the start of summer than to camp in our backyard! 

It began as just a Derrick and the boys idea.  Then, when Amanda insisted on participating, I decided to join.  After all, it didn't seem fair to enjoy a comfy bed inside while Derrick had all three outside.   Amanda was a little upset that we left Farley inside (as was he), but I just couldn't see him settling in the tent with us.  Someone would have gotten stepped on.  

Our beds were comfy...soft grass and warm sleeping bags.  We all slept great and I just loved waking to hear the birds singing in the trees.

Derrick and the boys arose early to make pancakes, while Amanda and I enjoyed our sleeping bags for a few extra minutes.  It was a delightful way to start summer.

Summer's Here!

We celebrated the last day of school today with parties in the classrooms!!!  Can you tell Andrew is excited about summer?

Grrrr...Pirate Andrew poses behind a cut out that one of the parents brought to his party.

 Here is a much nicer smile for his teachers.  Miss Falon on the left is a high school student who spent three mornings a week in the room to assist.  Ms. Susan was his lead teacher and Ms. Robbie was the assistant.

 Scott successfully finished second grade with Miss Katie.  Their party was a "build your own sundae" party.  The kids loved loading their ice cream with tons of treats.

We are SOOOOOO looking forward to summer.  We hit the ground running next week with a trip to the Lake with friends.  Then, we have friends visiting us for a week.  Such exciting times coming our way.