Cue Alice Cooper

Who's ready for SUMMER?

School's Out! Yes, I know school has been out for a few weeks already, but this felt like the first week of summer for us. The beginning of June was hectic (in a good way) with vacations and Spunktacular Days Fun Run planning. Last week was our first chance to get into the summer routine of having no routine. It was fantastic! We slept in, picked fresh veggies from the garden, mowed lawn, rode bikes, ate ice cream, hit the beach, played baseball, and went to the cabin, just to name a few things. And the weather was HOT, HOT, HOT with some good old Minnesota humidity. I love it!

Paige's first black eye.

Last year Blake hit her in the head with an aluminum bat. This year he hit her in the face with a pitch. This baseball injury looked much worse in person, but I just couldn't capture it quite right on camera. However, I do love the added pout for emphasis.

I ran outside when I heard the commotion. Henry said, "I don't know why she stepped into it. The pitch was obviously inside." It takes my brain a few seconds to process this language that I don't speak. It just looked, to me, like she got hit in the cheek with a baseball.

Blake biking in the rain.

I truly believe that playing in the rain is one of the greatest parts of childhood. This is, of course, closely rivaled by playing in mud puddles. I have some wonderful photos of the kids during these magical moments that only happen a couple times a year.

Blake (aka Mr. Cool Sports Kid) at Spunk Days.

Bring on Parade Season! Blake seemed so much older that weekend. Going off on his own a little and hanging out with friends. Not to mention, how serious he was about collecting the parade loot. He didn't do too bad. Does anyone have any recipes that call for Tootsie Rolls?