i see from viewing my most recent post that the "l" in memorial day is cut off. i'm trying new things with this blog, and the pictures appear to be taking over. i don't mean them to be this large, encompassing the entire webpage. i'm slowly working on it, and hope to get it fixed. soon.
in the meantime, even though i'm frustrated, i hope you are still enjoying the photos.
Monday, May 31, 2010
and so it begins...
the days when the only footwear requirement is no footwear at all. when you squeak every last second you can out of daylight. when hours are spent lounging on blankets in the yard and on chalk covered driveways. when the inside of the house is forgotten about because it's only a brief stopping point for grabbing more items needed outside. when the sunblock doesn't quite make it back to its rightful place in the cupboard because you know it will be used again tomorrow. when the only cooking that's done is on the grill and whatever cold items you can pull out of the fridge and throw together.
summer.
when the days are just a bowl of cherries.
when the days are filled with tart, pulpy, lemony lemonade in a mason jar.
when watermelon, cherries, strawberries, hot dogs, hamburgers and corn on the cob become regular visitors to the dinner table.
when breakfasts and dinners are shared at the patio table and lunches are picnics on blankets spread in the grass under the shade of trees in the yard.
when midday naps are long and necessary.
when the first site of these beautiful and perfect blooms means not only that it's super close to summer, but also brings me back to our wedding day and the bouquet that i carried when i became a mrs. it will be 6 years for us this june 12th.
summer. ah, sweet summer.
this long 3-day, holiday weekend was a spot on dress rehearsal for the opening night event looming around the corner. while june 21st is officially the first day of summer, june 18th begins our summer vacation. that date means so much this year. it means the culmination of my first year in a school-based position. a job that i took so that i could spend more time with harper. so that i could be done with the work day earlier, allowing a few hours together before bedtime. a job that is closer to home, meaning less time in the car and more time for play dates, more time for running errands well before the dinner time hour when we're at our crankiest, and more time relaxing in our own space. a job that allows me to choose to work summer school, or take the summer months off. i chose the latter this summer. after working full time since 2003 fresh out of graduate school, it's time to take a breather. it's time to soak up the summery moments with harper, and relive those wonderful memories from my childhood. time to enjoy moments with this beautiful little...
...and the way she sticks her tongue out of her mouth when she is proud of herself and is trying to cover up a shy smile. just melts me.
this weekend was absolute perfection. even down to the rainy, thunderstorm afternoon today that forced us to spend time indoors relaxing and napping after the 2 1/2 days of heat and sun and outside chores and fun. the rain also gave me a break from having to water our vegetable garden and freshly planted flower beds.
i started our days with coffee and book reading on the patio before everyone was awake. sitting in the early morning heat, rising with the sun, and making headway on the 550-page novel for my book club on wednesday was a lovely way to start the day. we enjoyed breakfast out there when harper and michael woke up.
we moved on to playing in the yard and spending time in the pool.
planting flowers and watering the blooms. watching daddy complete loads of yard work that needed to be accomplished.
picnicing on blankets in the yard. enjoying dinners on the bbq grill with neighbors.
locating the perfect tree and branch to hang up our borrowed swing and spending oodles of time pushing harper and watching her smile and relish the wind in her hair.
finding this in a tree in our backyard, and getting excited about the prospect of fresh, new little birdies chirping outside harper's bedroom window.
walking uptown to celebrate a memorial day parade. harper was in awe the entire time of the people, the bands, the cars, the flags and the jets flying overhead. we are thankful for those who have served, and are serving, for our freedom.
i couldn't have asked for a better weekend. and it only makes me itch more for the last bell of the school year to come. can't wait for those summertime days.
summer.
when the days are just a bowl of cherries.
when the days are filled with tart, pulpy, lemony lemonade in a mason jar.
when watermelon, cherries, strawberries, hot dogs, hamburgers and corn on the cob become regular visitors to the dinner table.
when breakfasts and dinners are shared at the patio table and lunches are picnics on blankets spread in the grass under the shade of trees in the yard.
when midday naps are long and necessary.
when the first site of these beautiful and perfect blooms means not only that it's super close to summer, but also brings me back to our wedding day and the bouquet that i carried when i became a mrs. it will be 6 years for us this june 12th.
summer. ah, sweet summer.
this long 3-day, holiday weekend was a spot on dress rehearsal for the opening night event looming around the corner. while june 21st is officially the first day of summer, june 18th begins our summer vacation. that date means so much this year. it means the culmination of my first year in a school-based position. a job that i took so that i could spend more time with harper. so that i could be done with the work day earlier, allowing a few hours together before bedtime. a job that is closer to home, meaning less time in the car and more time for play dates, more time for running errands well before the dinner time hour when we're at our crankiest, and more time relaxing in our own space. a job that allows me to choose to work summer school, or take the summer months off. i chose the latter this summer. after working full time since 2003 fresh out of graduate school, it's time to take a breather. it's time to soak up the summery moments with harper, and relive those wonderful memories from my childhood. time to enjoy moments with this beautiful little...
...and the way she sticks her tongue out of her mouth when she is proud of herself and is trying to cover up a shy smile. just melts me.
this weekend was absolute perfection. even down to the rainy, thunderstorm afternoon today that forced us to spend time indoors relaxing and napping after the 2 1/2 days of heat and sun and outside chores and fun. the rain also gave me a break from having to water our vegetable garden and freshly planted flower beds.
i started our days with coffee and book reading on the patio before everyone was awake. sitting in the early morning heat, rising with the sun, and making headway on the 550-page novel for my book club on wednesday was a lovely way to start the day. we enjoyed breakfast out there when harper and michael woke up.
we moved on to playing in the yard and spending time in the pool.
planting flowers and watering the blooms. watching daddy complete loads of yard work that needed to be accomplished.
picnicing on blankets in the yard. enjoying dinners on the bbq grill with neighbors.
locating the perfect tree and branch to hang up our borrowed swing and spending oodles of time pushing harper and watching her smile and relish the wind in her hair.
finding this in a tree in our backyard, and getting excited about the prospect of fresh, new little birdies chirping outside harper's bedroom window.
walking uptown to celebrate a memorial day parade. harper was in awe the entire time of the people, the bands, the cars, the flags and the jets flying overhead. we are thankful for those who have served, and are serving, for our freedom.
i couldn't have asked for a better weekend. and it only makes me itch more for the last bell of the school year to come. can't wait for those summertime days.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
bathing beauties
it was almost a disappointment. kellie and i had the play date all scheduled for close to a week. the weather was going to be scorching, so our plan was to chill out in our backyard with the pool and have dinner together. but, when i saw they were taking harper's temperature as i picked her up from daycare, my heart sunk. they said she'd just felt a little warmish, so i decided that i'd take it again when we got home, and after 4 temp checks, no fever was apparent. so, kellie braved it. and i'm so glad she did.
harper and anna had a fabulous time scooping and pouring and splashing in the water. it was a refreshing end to a hot day. and while the water was frigid to mama tootsies, our littles didn't seem to mind one bit as they grinned and bared it. after their fun in the sun, the girls had a delicious dinner together- pasta with marinara, fruit and pita chips.
harper and i love spending time with these girls, and look forward to more play dates during summer break in just a few short weeks.
harper and anna had a fabulous time scooping and pouring and splashing in the water. it was a refreshing end to a hot day. and while the water was frigid to mama tootsies, our littles didn't seem to mind one bit as they grinned and bared it. after their fun in the sun, the girls had a delicious dinner together- pasta with marinara, fruit and pita chips.
harper and i love spending time with these girls, and look forward to more play dates during summer break in just a few short weeks.
things that go...
both figuratively and literally. a busy weekend was had last weekend. and while this post is happening several days after said weekend, it took me a while to pull all these photos together. apologies ahead of time for another long post...
*************************
************************
we visited the parking lot of the mall saturday morning. sounds fun, doesn't it? on it's own, maybe not. but fill the lot with lots of things that go, including school buses, a city bus, an army tanker, a john deere tractor, a library book mobile, a moving truck, a police car, a fire engine, an ambulance, a red cross van and a garbage truck, and you've got touch-a-truck. a free event sponsored by the city's early intervention programs and the meca-event for rough and tumbly boys. harper squealed with delight when we pulled up and she saw the school bus, which she typically loves to watch out the window of our car and count the row of when we pull up to the school. but once we brought her onto an actual, real-life bus, she changed her tune. she got all clingy and nervous, and was only set on getting herself off. she had the same reaction on all the other large, expansive vehicles. but put her in the driver's seat of the police car or army tanker, and she was all smiles and song. but the highlight, despite the scattered rain showers, was the dum dum suckers. she got 2. and she licked them both clean, and i've never seen her happier.
our friend, graham, chilling in his stroller.
************************
later in the day, we attended a birthday party for a friend we've known since postnatal/baby yoga when the babies were a mere 3 months. they live on a fabulous farm and had a wonderful party filled with all things kids love-bubbles, ice cream cake, lots of free space to run around and ride on toy tractors. more things that go- a running 2-year-old jackson, the 2 of them in a wagon and a harper seated on her own mini john deere. we actually stayed an extra 20 minutes, diaper bag in hand, because she refused to get off.
apparently, she was thoroughly enjoying this wagon ride until mommy came back outside.
********************
we've inherited another antique from nana and papa. the red radio flyer is actually only 8 years old or so and was handed down from my nephews, but the blocks that bolt onto the pedals to allow legs that are not yet long enough to reach the original ones to be able to pedal were built by my grandfather for my brother's first tricycle, over 40 years ago, and were used on all our bikes since. i'm thankful that my mom held onto these. they mean a lot to our family, and i love sharing family history with harper. and my mom wants to be able to continue sharing it. i specifically remember her telling me as she handed them over i don't care what happens to the tricycle, but guard those blocks with your life. gotta love family treasures and how you'll do anything to protect them.
and another inheritance from michael's aunt and uncle this time. they housed several of these bikes at their house for their grandchildren, who have recently moved to florida. so she offered one to harper, and we're so thankful. she fits on it perfectly and is learning how to pedal with daddy's help.
since we obtained these bicycles, it's become an obsession. harper wants to ride all day. even if it's just sitting on her radio flyer, purple helmet perched atop her blond locks, kicking her too short legs around, and singing her latest tune.
alas, a post of things that go. vehicles and bikes and the days of our babies being itty bitty. they're growing up quickly. too quickly. and all we can do hang on and enjoy the ride. and oh, what a delicious ride it has been so far.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)