Some Like It HOT!

Today may be the first 'official' day of summer... but we've been seeing some surefire signs of its impending arrival for weeks now...

Starting with the official end to my son's kindergarten year of school.

We celebrated with all his classmates and their sweet families at a local park one evening, where the kids played in the water and sang us silly songs, and then all the parents did the chicken dance.

This year was particularly special, since we hit the kindergarten experience jackpot with his gem of a teacher Mrs. Romera. She announced recently this was her last year of teaching as she is retiring. We were so blessed, those are some BIG shoes Mrs. Firstgrade will have to fill...

This is the final picture of my kid as a kindergartner, taken the last day of school.

What a rebel. He is ready to rock first grade in a few short weeks!

We recently harvested our first crop of CHERRY'S from the tree in our front yard.

When the little red berries appeared late this spring, I almost couldn't believe my eyes! We purchased the tree a couple summers ago from a local nursery, and the tag on the tree promised fruit with no cross pollination required. When we got it home and it started to mature and the first season produced no fruit, I assumed it had been mismarked.

Evidently, good things come to those who wait. And those little red cherry's... were... SPLENDID! I couldnt believe how many we got, and we can't wait to gobble them up again next year. SLURP!

With school ending I am trying to think of some fun activities to keep the kids busy. I plan to do a lot of reading with them, so imagine my delight when a dear family friend passed these sweet little books on to my children.

Anabelle has been bird watching and thank-you card writing, while Dawson has taken a particular interest in "How to make a water bomb."

...I might have to mind what he reads a little better. Its true what they say... knowledge IS power. The last thing I need around here is an evil genius of a first grade boy. ;) Just imagine when he discovers you can fill them with substances besides water!

Im kidding, of course. I just adore how he has taken such an interest in learning, and reading... and his insatiable sense of adventure and curiosity. He is a wonder.

Speaking of adventure... another sure sign of summer... THE CREATURES ARE LURKING!

(Yes, this is my sweet little girl, holding a giant gopher snake)

And yes, it is real. It was spotted slithering across the Hammys driveway one afternoon when none of their children were home, and we had the (mis)fortune of stopping by at just the (wrong)right moment. It spent the afternoon being passed through the hands of all 287 children on our street, and has been released back into the wild since Mom decided a brown paper bag stapled shut on the floor of Dawson's bedroom was NOT an acceptable place to keep such a pet. Call me crazy.

EW.

Moving right along... Miss Anabelle Lee has completed her first 2 weeks of swimming lessons already this summer.

We got really lucky, and she was able to take lessons from her preschool teacher at her home just around the corner. At the beginning of the session, she wouldn't even get her eyebrows wet. By the end of the session, she was swimming with arms and legs moving, eyes wide open under water. That woman is a miracle worker, and Anabelle is a quick study this year compared to last! I am proud.

I'm also proud of my husband, who recently ran a 5k leg with the torch for the Special Olympics with his academy.

He even got this picture published in the local newspaper (far right). Tyson has been a fast driving, torch running, bad-guy wrestling fool these last couple weeks at 'work,' (school) getting ready for graduation the second week in July.

He came home recently with his 'belt' which included a set of real live handcuffs.

The kids say they work great.

It feels like we've already done a lot this summer... and school has only been out for a week. So far, its been remarkably cool, but I know better than to believe that will last.

Looking forward to some sizzling hot days, a new routine for Ty (he should have a 'normal' schedule by the beginning of the school year), and lots and lots of down time with my two great kids in the long and lazy days ahead.

xo