Start of Summer

There are many times this past week that I wish I'd had my camera with me.  Wednesday and Thursday in particular.

On Wednesday we were out and about after school, a rarity for us these days.  Ainsley had left her tiny new purse at the library so we needed to get that first.  One of my least favorite things with all of the kids in tow are quick in and outs like that, mainly because they are never quick, or easy, like I feel they should be.  So this time we tried something new.  I pulled right up in front and let Ainsley hop out to retrieve her purse on her own.  It felt bizarre and nerve-wracking to be sitting in the car with Felix and Louise alone waiting for her, but she did just great.  That beam on her face when she came running out minutes later with her purse, that's what it's all about right there.
Then we went to one our favorite chill time parks.  It's a bit more old school, with a huge open field and trees and tiny hills.  Ainsley was reticent to go because she was so zonked after school but I coaxed her with a backpack full of quiet things to occupy her.  We all played a bit, then she went and found her perfect spot and colored happy calm drawings and strung beads.  She drew the tree she was sitting under and birds and the field.  We all joined her at the end and watched a youth baseball game get underway.  Felix REALLY wanted to "try too!" Someday little buddy.  Ian beat us home we were having so much fun.  It made me really excited for summer with all three.

Yesterday I had a great morning with Felix.  I had some things on my list and we ended up being out the whole three hours that Louise was in school.  First stop was the Economy Shop (a great unique second hand shop that's winding down for the summer=amazing deals).  I'm in the midst of backyard redo, mainly trying to find ways to entertain the kids back there a bit better, and one idea I'm stuck on is making a mud pie kitchen.  I found the perfect $5 cart to serve as the kitchen and oodles of spoons, sifters, measuring cups, bowls, pans and trays all for $2.10!).  I filled up the water table, helped dig up some dirt and that kitchen got hours of use in its first day.  Lovely.
Then we headed to our local knit shop which is closing :o( and it wasn't open yet so we killed an hour shopping around a bit.  I found the girls capris and jean shorts in the consignment section of a local boutique and Felix talked me into a toy banjo, after all I had yet to get him anything with birthday money and he's been pretty insistent about a stringed instrument for some time.  That boy is IN LOVE.  I'm glad I gave in. We spent 20 minutes just playing and singing on a street bench.  It was so very urban of us.  Then I got our new book club book and somehow managed to read almost 100 pages in between caring for children yesterday (thanks mud kitchen!)
The knitting shop ended up not having anything I needed so we headed over to Louise's summer camp to watch her play she was performing with her classmates.  It was the cutest and she got to be and elephant!  She was so proud and cute.  I'm so glad we did preschool camp this year.  It's been the best.
So, note to self this summer, bring camera more places...life is good and I liked capturing it!

Today is the last day of kindergarten.  Ainsley is kind of all over the place with emotion about it.  I'm trying my best to just keep it a normal day and focus on all the fun in the next 36 hours (school wide dance party, birthday party, block party! preschool end of the year party..LOTS of parties!).  She's been feverishly working on a book for her beloved teacher, pretty much writing I LOVE YOU and I WILL MISS YOU on every page.  Along with the occasional joke of course "Why did Miss Heaphy cross the road?  Because she had a rooster!"  She's sad school is ending, worried about first grade (why can't I just skip and go to second?) missing her friends and her teacher.  She's loved LOVED school.  I have big shoes to fill this summer.

I am so so thankful for preschool camps in June, a big trip to Minnesota, our mud pie kitchen, the pool up the block (I've already done it once with all three by myself, summer splashing here we come!), splash pads, parks, fun easy crafting with the kids (already did this this morning...SO FUN), the library reading program, our new swing set we're setting up today, and my new walking shoes to get it all done.  Summer is going to be GOOD.

Wishing a happy end of the school year to you all. I'll catch you on the flip side of this very busy weekend hopefully with oodles of photos of fun.