Happy 4th of July!

We always manage to fit a lot into our day on the 4th of July. This year we repeated a lot of what we did last year and edited out an activity or two to save our sanity.

We attended our churches annual 4th of July breakfast. The kids sang "You're A Grand Old Flag" and "America The Beautiful" as part of the patriotic program. Lorien and her friend, Ellie, got to open "The Door to the Past" for our distinguished visitors: George Washington, Betsy Ross and Abraham Lincoln. Additionally, we all stuffed ourselves with pancakes, bacon, fruit and juice--an award-winning way to start our festivities.

After breakfast we packed a lunch and headed up the road to the Jr. Rodeo. The kids watched as the Rodeo Princesses and Queen rode in on their horses, roped cattle and the rodeo boys tried to stay on a jumping cow for 8 seconds. At last, it was the moment they'd all been waiting for...the pig scramble!

(Don't they look excited? Well, they are...)

Wyatt managed to grab a pig again this year, narrowly avoiding getting pooed on by said pig and earned a trophy.

Lorien had to move up an age group this year and the rules were stricter. Even though she helped carry a pig in with three other kids she did not get a trophy. Lorien was disappointed but maybe she'll get a trophy next year.

Clare watched from the safety of the stands, bravely cheering her brother and sister on.

With the rodeo activities successfully concluded with one cotton candy and two snow cones we got ready to watch the fireworks.

The show was awesome! The kids were as patient as they could be waiting for the sun to set and the sky to darken for the fireworks. We were thankful for our friends who kept us company as we passed the time. I was super thankful to the same friends who graciously introduced themselves to an old friend of mine whose name I could not remember! That's what friends are for...

Happy 4th of July! (Don't you think I deserve a nap?)

Berry Picking...

I was surprised at how much my kids loved berry picking! I was expecting strawberries but this farm specialized in berries that grow in thorny thickets. I thought my kids would get one prick from a blackberry bramble and be done. However, they reveled in the challenge of finding the best berries. They wandered up and down the isles hunting for the biggest and blackest berries they could find. Wyatt made the most of his work showing me where the hidden berries were and how to get past the "guards" (vines and thorns tangled together keeping berries locked away). After over hearing a friend express her wish that a lotto siren would go off when you "hit the berry jack-pot" Lorien and Wyatt started shouting out "Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!!!" when ever they felt like they hit the "mother-load'. The big kids focused on berry picking and Clare focused on berry eating. She would follow behind me holding my full container of berries while I filled up her empty one. After a few minutes we would switch containers keeping her belly full and her mouth purple. I think she ate her way through 5 containers of berries!

I have to give credit to my friend Susannah who planned the beach trip and berry picking trip. She and her family came out for a week to relive their old Bay Area adventures. It was so fun to see her and her kids, thanks for sharing your fun with us Susannah!

Beach day...

As school drew to a close I put a few activities down on the calender as a way to plan for the upcoming emptiness of summer. All month Lorien and Wyatt had their eyes glued to June 28th's date where our first beach trip of the season was scheduled. In typical fashion I was not ready for the beach so we pushed back until Thursday when we could go with a few friends.

I love a day at the beach! Even though planning a beach day feels like comparable work to that of planning a suspension bridge it is more than worth it. The beauty of the day was held in the hands of the other fabulous Mom's who hauled their kids out to the beach too. We all sat together mutually mooching snacks, sand toys and blanket space off each other. Our kids broke off into random groupings building castles, splashing in the water and collecting beach treasures. It was fun to watch my kids make connections with children they don't get to see very often but who share their great imagination and enjoyment of adventure.

The waves were a little intense. I usually prefer this beach location because the waves and undertow are less severe than beaches closer to home. The waves on Thursday might have been an exception. Lorien always loves being in the water and Wyatt usually keeps a safe distance. Some how, between the last day at the beach in 2008 to the first of 2009 Wyatt conquered his water worry. Together Lorien and Wyatt spent most of the day in the waves with little interruptions for food and to warm their bodies on the sand.

Clare stayed well away from the water. She built sand castles with her friends and a beach garden (complete with seaweed growing out of the sandy soil).

Some of the kids asked to be buried in the sand. I think it is funny to turn children (boys and girls alike) into mermaids when they lay down in the sand and ask to be covered up. Wyatt was too quick...before I could start making his mermaid--er--merman tail he insisted that I make him a rock. Wyatt's friend, Dane, also wanted to sport the "rock" look, effectively ending my fun. Clare, on the other hand, was really happy to be a mermaid, reminding me to include "boobies".

We soaked up the beach until the sun set behind the cliff that shelters the sand and we were too cold to stay without a fire. It was an awesome day and I am ready for many more!