Sunshine and Summertime

Summer has officially hit us here in the desert. We're lucky if we get a day now that dips back into the upper 80's. Looks like he 90's are here to stay until we hit triple digits. Thank goodness the really hot temps only last a couple of months. On the bright side, along with the high temperatures come the best part of summer ... water fun! Last year I shopped the "end of summer" clearance at Target and got some great deals on water toys and camping gear. I picked up a Finding Nemo slip-n-slide for just $2! The girls had a great time running through the sprinklers and sliding across the lawn. Our backyard was almost entirely flooded by the time we were done playing. But with the sun and the heat, I knew the water would evaporate quickly enough that it wouldn't cause any damage.

(The Man had as much fun - if not more - than the girls did!)

I made some signs for the garden so we can tell which plant is which; but as you can see (or not), the squash and canteloupe didn't make it. :( I'm not quite sure what I did wrong. Not enough water? Too much? Too much sun? Who knows, but I"m thrilled about the tomatoes and strawberries and carrots. They're doing great.




The girls and The Man had a campout last weekend in our backyard. (Another great find from last years' clearance (a four-person tent for just $14!). I had the house to myself -- well, just me and the little man. We stayed inside popping popcorn and baking cookies to bring to the campers. The girls would cheer each time I came out with a new treat or snack. They brought the portable DVD player and watched a movie. And to my great surprise, they lasted all night! I thought for sure someone would be back in the house before sunrise. When they came inside in the morning, we had pancakes for breakfast and The Man took off to play some basketball. What a fun Daddy/Daughter outing!

Miss Priss' preschool class had a Mother's Day Tea Party on Friday for the kids and their moms. It was so much fun to be in the classroom with her. They made gifts for us (hand towels with their handprints on them), drew pictures of us, sang a song for us, and played a game where the kids answered questions about their moms, and we had to guess which mom it was. It was so funny to hear the kids' answers to questions like, "How old is your mom?" Our ages ranged from 4 to 90.

And, as promised, here are a couple pictures of our Little Man. He's growing so fast! At his appointment at 4 weeks old, he had already gained two pounds! What a porker! He is just the cutest little baby ever, and I am so completely in love with him. He's my worst sleeper of all the kids, but that won't last forever. It's hard getting only 3 to 4 hours of sleep each night. His schedule is just turned around. Not to worry, I have a plan to switch it. It's worked for the girls, and it will work for him. I'm determined to make it work for him.