Rehoboth Beach, DE - June 2014

Have I mentioned how much I love going to the beach with all of you?! It just gets better and better as you are each able to do more and enjoy more. I also love it that we stay a full week now which means way more time to relax and do the things we like. This year we went crabbing, toiling around with buckets and nets, and back to Fun Land and the water park. Daddy and I even got a chance to go jet skiing!

Fun land - you're all dare devils now and want to go on everything!

Crabbing - it wasn't enough to just look at the crabs - you wanted to hold them too.

Exhausted, we headed to buy clams and other stuffs for a big seafood grill night.

You ladies could do water slides all day long. Here you're taking a quick break.

Sister Time 

There is a restaurant right on the beach that we go to sometimes. You all love the chance to run around on the beach while dad and I linger at dinner.

We are nearly outlasting this tradition as you all get bigger. We've graduated to using our regular bikes for the family bike ride. Daddy and I are getting a big work out peddling you all up hill!

The next day, wiser, on our own bikes.

Off to see what we can find on the sand flats.

One more trip to Fun land. 

This trip was the highlight of our summer. Such a great way to end the school year!

Last Day of School - June 2014

A few friends celebrating the last day of school with Mia and Zoe at the ice cream shop. Zoe finished 2nd grade with Ms. Gibson and Mia finished her last year of Montessori as a Kindergartner with Ms. Dasbach. 

These kids do some awesome silly faces! 

Last Day of Gymnastics

I continue to be in awe of just how much you two love gymnastics. You could spend all afternoon practicing round offs, cart wheels and back bends. Zoe, you aspire to go to the Olympics and then retire and join Cirque de Soleil. 

Blissful Mia

Proud Zoe

PS - you spend much of your time at home roaming around in your gymnastics outfits. You can't wait to put them on most days the second you get home. This has been going on for months.

Zoe and Mia playing cards in your gymnastics outfits.

Grandpa Ed and Grandma Barbara Visit

Grandma and Grandpa came for a visit on their way to the Berkshires for the summer. Here's Grandpa Ed cuddling with Mia and Sophie.

And later, story time with Zoe.

Lawns to Lettuce for Lunch

Ashlawn Elementary sponsors a Lawns to Lettuce for Lunch campaign twice a year that I think is just awesome. Kids and neighbors are encouraged to grow lettuce in the Spring and Fall. The school supplies the seeds, instructions, and any other gardening support needed. After the harvest, volunteers wash the lettuce, add it to loads of other interesting vegetables that neighbors grow, and serve a salad lunch to nearly 700 kids, teachers, and volunteers at school. In addition, they make a native Costa Rican dish to serve with the salad. The Costa Rican dish is included because the school does a student exchange program every year, and the Costa Rican exchange students are typically at our school during the week of the lettuce lunch. 

In the days leading up to the lunch, a chef goes around to different classrooms and makes different salad dressings for the kids to try. The kids vote on their favorite and that is what is served with the salad. 

I like so many elements of this activity - the community aspect, the grow your own food piece, the education in the classroom, the inclusion of culture, and the introduction to whacky vegetables I'd never heard of like grape cucumbers. We are often very successful growers in the Spring. Not so much in the Fall.

Great Grandpa Milton Turns 99 - Houston, TX

We were all in Houston to celebrate Great Grandpa Milton's 99th birthday this June. 

Of course, a trip to see Grandpa wouldn't be the same without a visit to Southern Importers and a little dress up.

We went to the Children's Museum this year too. It was way more fun now that you're all a little older and able to play with most exhibits easily.

 Shortly after this photo was taken, we hoisted Sophie up and into Mia's tower where they hid out. We need these at home!

Zoe on the register at the museum grocery store.

 We celebrated grandpa at dinner later that night. We were all so grateful that he felt well enough to come to dinner.

An early morning trip to the mall with cousin Ryan to raid the Lego store. 

End of Year Recital - Zoe

Zoe, you played the xylophone and then recited a piece about the Lakota Indians during the end of year class recital about the Native American Indians. This was a super fun class activity, and you only wished that you'd had more opportunities to participate in the show.