The Last Days of Summer

Oh how I love summer time! Our water double from swimming and playing in the sprinkler nearly every day, we go through sunscreen like it's going out of style, and we drink capri suns by the truck load, but it's summer time! There's just nothing like summer, especially when you're a kid. It's such a carefree time of year. I'm much more free to let the kids do just about anything in the backyard because I accept that they will inevitably be filthy at the end of the day anyway. So, we dig in the dirt, we walk until we are sweaty and stinky, we eat on the patio, then we end the day with long bubble baths to get everyone clean.

This summer has been particularly fun because for the first time in a while, I have had all 3 kids able to walk around and play without having to worry too much. Last summer, Ayda had just turned 1 and couldn't really play outside without my constant supervision. This year, since she is 2, I have been able to relax more. I can actual read a book or surf the web while the kids all play and entertain themselves. But alas, we must get back to school work, and summer must come to an end. I thought I would take a look back at all the fun things we did this summer.

Our summer began this year with the purchase of a slip-n-slide. It was the first one we had ever bought, and although it didn't make it all the way through the season, it was the best $9 I ever spent. Look at the fun we had!

So, we have warm weather, water, ....now what else do we need? Ice cream! We love having Lic's within walking distance from our house! As an added bonus, the ice cream was free since my kids got coupons from the library during the summer reading program! Yea!

This year, we decided to get a zoo membership for the first time. We wore that out too! The kids and I went to the zoo sometimes 3 times a week! They never got tired of seeing the animals, and I loved how well they slept after all that walking! Here they are with daddy right under the jaquar. Very neat!

One of their favorite places to go at the zoo is to see the prairie dogs. They love crawling through the tunnels and popping up inside the prairie dog home. It's so cute!

We took a break from visiting the zoo animals to pay a visit to the animals at the ol' county fair. Let me just state for the record that I don't particularly like the county fair. It's usually hot, it smells, and the animals are just gross. My kids, however, love it. Needless to say, we usually take them. While no one would actually touched the animals, Makenna loved to have her picture taken with them (well, at a safe distance from them).

Since Ed was on vacation the first week of August, we decided to take a trip to Indy to visit his parents. Since we became foster parents, we got a free family membership to the children's museum there. We were thrilled! It took us hours to see everything and I think we even missed part of it. It was amazing! In this picture, the kids were on the human kaleidoscope. They were slowly moving around in a circle while looking at TONS of beautiful colored glass.

Back at home, life with our new little puppy was getting a little crazy. The kids who once thought Mace was just so cute were learning that, like most puppies, she is also rotten. Wyatt and Makenna were playing in their sand table when Maci jumped up and started digging and throwing sand all over the place. Makenna was horrified that Maci would actually destroy her castle!

Finally, with just a few more weeks of summer to "hang" around and be free...

We decided to go to the zoo for a celebrity sighting--Dora the Explorer! Two of the three kids were excited to see her. Wyatt was behind a bush scared for his life. Cute kid. Hehe

We have had one of the best summers in years and I hate to see it end, but I am anxious to see what this school year will hold for us. Makenna is learning to read, Wyatt is learning to write letters and numbers, and Ayda is just being the little princess she is. Life is going by quickly! I am so thankful for my husband who works so hard so that I can be home to share these moments with my kids. It just doesn't get any better than this!