The extra-large, extra-advanced enzyme cleaner, necessary after the cats somehow got entry to our upstairs while we were gone for the 4th of July weekend, has not improved Denise-Cat relations in our household. 

Meerkerk Park had their annual fairy house building day.  The volunteers provided gathered sticks, pine cones, flowers, wood, moss, ribbons, and hot glue guns.  Everyone brought their imaginations (I wish I had brought my camera—I settled for a device that technically can take pictures but is overall unsatisfactory). 

My kids didn’t make anything to brag about (their mother had to abandon her even worse attempts), but there are some really creative fairy-fans out there!  We’ll try again next year.

It’s simply the depth and breadth of the bathtub ring once the kids are clean and pajama-ed at bedtime.  Today was a particularly entertaining day, according to this reading.

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.