Bits and Pieces: June

We've been having a pretty good summer so far. I can't complain about the weather, and we have settled into a routine. There are plenty things I could complain about (whiny kids, kids fighting, etc.), but I won't. Christopher just threw his arms around me and said "I love you SO much." And moments like that make all of those other things seem insignificant, even if I am pulling my hair out at the time. 

Ben has nicknamed the children Captain Literal and Captain Obvious. When speaking to Captain Literal, also known as Clare, you must be very precise. When we talked about it being summer, she was adamant that no, it was in fact still spring. I explained to her that most people say it is summer once school is out, even though it is not technically summer. We had this conversation several times, until I finally remembered to say "summer vacation" rather than "summer." I was very happy when it was finally, officially, summer.

Captain Obvious likes to narrate his life. The other day, Christopher and I were playing in the gym next door to Clare's gymnastics class. He would throw his ball and chase after it. Then he'd run back to me and announce "I throw ball. I run." Then he sat down to drink his water. "I drink water." He coughed. "I cough. I not throw up." Thanks for sharing, Captain Obvious.

Clare lost her third tooth last week, one on top. The Tooth Fairy forgot to come. Way to go, Tooth Fairy! We tried again the second night and the Tooth Fairy was not too busy to stop by, thank goodness. At the rate she is going, she's not going to have any teeth left!

We had a few Josie free days this month, so I took the opportunity to take the kids to the Minnesota Zoo. Clare and Christopher and I had a blast. I brought a picnic lunch. We played on the playground, saw a few animals, and then went to the dinosaur exhibit. Clare loved it. Christopher was less enthused, but that was partly because he fell on his face at the entrance. We ended the day with ice cream and the splash pad. A perfect summer day, even though it wasn't technically summer yet. 

We went on our annual friends' camping trip last weekend. (Note: one of my 40 x 40 goals was to continue this yearly tradition. 2016 is in the books!) We camped at Whitewater State Park, which is in the southeastern part of the state. It was really, really fun.  We arrived Friday night and roasted hot dogs over the fire. The night was clear, and we could see millions of stars. There were lightning bugs everywhere, but very few mosquitoes. We spent most of Saturday at the beach. Christopher took a nap on a towel for about two hours. The kids, all boys except Clare, ran themselves ragged. We roasted marshmallows for s'mores and drank a lot of beer and wine. A perfect summer weekend, and it was actually summer!

In the hammock we bought Ben for Father's Day. They've spent more time in it than he has.

Another tooth gone.

At the Zoo.

Dinosaurs!

Buds.