Honestly, it’s hard to beat the Island for the Fourth of July.  We now know to get there early enough on the 3rd to go to Freeland’s Freedom Festival—live shows, food booths, local interests (this year, the new fireboat was open for public tours) and then amazing fireworks over the harbor, first by God…

then by the local community.

  

The actual 4th of July brought a parade through the small Maxwelton Community—the same one we did last year.  I somehow forgot to take pictures once the candy started flying.

 

Back at the cabin, our neighbors had a lot of fun shopping at the fireworks stand.  This year, instead of trying to get the kids to bed at a reasonable hour, I sent them outside to join in the fun.  I have two pyromaniacs and a coward-pragmatist (that’s Piper, by the way).  Kyla and Wesley were invited to shoot of kid-works by the neighbors and when I finally put them to bed after 11pm, they went straight to sleep.

Happy Birthday, USA!  You throw a great party.

Wesley desperately wanted a Captain America costume. How desperately?  Enough to save 60 marbles ($15) over several weeks.  I had ordered it and it sat on a high shelf taunting? inspiring? Wesley until today:

(See the shield?  Wesley loves it—I made it from a $3 fabric frisbee from Target, black elastic, and white paint.)

 

But don’t call him Captain America; he assures you that he is just wearing a costume.

Piper loves to do fantastic hairstyles.  She has learned to braid, at least from the sides.  So she braids her bangs and then pins them back along the part.  Then she divides her hair into three pony tails, braids the two sides and leaves the back as it is.  It’s this week’s go-to style!

Ah, the second day of summer and we are at Double Bluff Beach—a family favorite.  We came across a mermaid…

and engineered a teeter-totter.  A great summer kick-off!

 

Our beloved teachers with Piper at her End-of-Kindergarten celebration!

We had just had our kindergarten field trip so a few of us went to our favorite park for a picnic.  Piper was not on her best behavior, but I actually only caught her cute moments on camera (her sociopathic tendencies are difficult to capture on film). 

Helping a not-as-tall friend climb her favorite tree…

 

All up!

 

We went to this farm with Kyla’s kindergarten class last spring and liked it so much that we did it as a family in the fall.  Piper’s class did the same trip this year, and believe, I was not going to be left behind!

We got a hay ride before we planted our pumpkin seeds.

 

Piper adores having to listen to instructions instead of just doing it herself! Ha.

The school year winds down, but since I have three children if 5 different schools (which made Valentine’s Day a bear), there were recitals in the preschools as well as the elementary.  But the Montessori is the most fun.  Since Piper and Wes are both in this afternoon program, I really got to see the difference between the youngest and oldest students in this multi-age classroom.  The class writes a play together and different children recite poems and sing songs.  Piper, as one of four graduating, Kindergartners, got a little extra “show off” time. 

 

   As my friend  who has a 6-year-old boy (who played the prince in their Cinderella skit) remarked, the three-year-old boys do turn into princes…eventually.

 

Dwayne always gives me the best gifts. I’ll admit, although I specifically asked him to build me this particular trellis, I had not idea how wonderfully it would turn out.  This man really rocks!  Well, actually, he hammers, saws, and mortars, but that’s not as catchy.

 

 

We meet up with Dwayne’s brother about once a year, so Wesley and Isaac, separated by about 15 years and 4 girls (Kara, Esther, Kyla, and Piper) seem to have a bond from when Wesley was quite little.  Wesley spend the weekend ignoring his aunts and grandparents and throwing himself into Isaac’s arms.  These two get their own post, as I couldn’t keep my camera off them!

 

   

 

 

 

And I love this time-lapse of Wesley falling asleep in Isaac’s arms.  The placement of sucking fingers is the clock to measure Wesley’s fall into slumber.