Traditions

I love our little summer traditions...doing exactly what I imagine we should be doing to soak up the summer months.  One of these traditions includes dinner picnics at Indians games where we arrive early and leave long before the last pitch is thrown, but have the best time anyway.

My troops.  They love running down to the outfield fence and back again.

Bennett took one look at this plant upon our arrival and said ever-so-confidently, "Look...its the Lorax, Mommy."  It made us laugh and realize how much of this little world he is trying to figure out. 

Rolling down the hill.  Not what I was envisioning when I dressed him in his crisp, white shirt.  His smiles were so worth it. 

A few days later, we joined Zach's parents and many, many others at the Annual MHCC fireworks party.  It is big and exhausting, but so memorable...we couldn't really imagine it any other way.  And as the littles grow and enjoy it more, so do we.

Elly Rose rides a horse.  She loved it.  Bennett not so much...

A failed attempt of a sibling photo.  Way too much anticipation to get to the inflatable activities. 

I love these two photos - they say it all!  Bennett did this slide 10+ times.  I finally lured him on to something else by going to get a balloon pirate hat (in case you didn't know).

This year, we lasted through the firework show.  It is an amazing show...both Bennett and Elly Rose loved the colors and lights. 

We headed toward the car  (while still watching the fireworks) in an effort to be headed home right after the finale, and we stumbled upon two firetrucks that Bennett had to check out.  We didn't realize until we were quite close that the firemen were laying on top of the trucks watching.  They quickly jumped down and invited Bennett to watch the finale from the truck. 

Here Bennett is illustrating fireworks in the days that followed.  This was so impressive to Zach and I because drawing/coloring have NOT been of any interest to Bennett until recently.  We are now creating artwork several times a day...

Diggers and Dump Trucks

Our neighborhood is not on city sewers and after many years of "planning" to do the necessary work to have the infrastructure in place, it is finally our turn.  Consequently, this has meant months of road construction either on our street or the streets on all sides of us.  Most recently, our street has been dug up and pipes inserted, completing the first step. 

While this has meant inconveniences on many levels for us, the children on our street have been loving the activity of dump trucks arriving early in the morning and plenty of excavators, diggers and bull dozers staying parked through the night after the workmen leave for the day (playtime!).  One other perk is NO traffic...and while this is a bit of an annoyance as our nanny is trying to arrive and we are trying to depart, besides the rumbing of trucks, not many other cars attempt what is left of our road. 

What you see when you look out any of our front windows...you can almost make out our mailbox hiding behind the mound of dirt.  And speaking of dirt...the dirt and dust on our cars is so embarrassing.  But there is really no point in washing.  Yet another reason why we could use som rain!

This is the best way we can think to keep four children of moving an inch.  They were so excited to be standing atop the excavator, but with only a few inches for their little feet (and no shoes on 3 of the 4??) - they each glued their backs to it. 

Elly Rose has perfected the word "truck" and is sure to alert us each time she hears one coming down our street.  Bennett asks in all seriousness if he wears his hard hat, can he go help the workmen?