school's out!

Hooray! School officially ended last Friday and I am so excited to spend this summer with my kiddos. They all seem big enough to really do things with and, if we have another little one, this will be the last summer like this for a few years. The kids are pretty excited, too. They have cooked up all sorts of plans - craft projects and science experiments and campouts and recipes to try. Should be fun.

They even said they wanted to do some sort of homeschool-y type thing with me (their idea, not mine, I assure you!) so I have an elaborate plan in the works that should take shape by the end of the week. I'll post more on that later. Or, if it's a total flop, I will never post about it and we will pretend this paragraph never existed.

In the spirit of all this excitement, we decided to throw a little "block party" on our cul de sac for all the neighborhood kids on the last day of school. Nothing big - we had popcorn and popsicles and lemonade, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and a water balloon fight. I have to say, it was pretty awesome and a perfect way to usher in summer. We cranked some summer tunes (Bob Marley) and let the kids eat their way through 5 boxes of popsicles while running around like maniacs.

I have now earned my Mother of the Year patch and can now be a total slacker mom for the rest of the summer. Go watch some TV, kids!

Eleanor and friends cooling off in the back of the van, post-water balloon fight.

Sam and buddy, Gabe. They wear their goggles everywhere.


Eleanor and neighbor/friend K munching on popcorn

Eve demonstrating how pipe cleaner bubble blowers rule the school. They work way better than the ones that come in the bottle. So easy to make, too.


And when the party started to die down and the heat got to be too much, what did the big kids do? They did what all hot-blooded American youth would do! They came in to play chess and Legos.

My one over-achievement, but they are so cute I had to post a picture. I made little party favors shaped like rockets - they say "Have a blast this summer!"

I'll admit, putting this together did take some effort and it would have been easier not to. But it was so worth it when Eve pulled me aside and gave me a sticky popsicle hug and said, "Thanks for throwing this party, Mom." Rare words from my undemonstrative eldest! And then when Eleanor ran up to me, soaking wet from water balloons and beaming from ear to ear, saying "This is the best party ever!" I hope it's a good omen of the happy weeks to come.